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Jul 30 2010

Aquarium Substrates Explained

The definition of ‘substrate’ is; ‘a substance or layer that underlies something, or on which some process occurs’. Therefore the term substrate can include any material that makes up the base layer of the aquascape, and this can include gravels, sands etc.

In recent times, specifically made products have come onto the marketplace from well-known manufacturers which are designed specifically to encourage plant growth. To keep this article concise we will mainly cover two of the most effective kinds of substrate available today;

Nov 01 2009

Planting on a Budget: A 30cm Aquarium

This is the third in our new feature series 'Planting on a Budget', aquascapes designed for ease of setup and maintenance and without the need for pressurised CO2.

TGM Planting On A Budget Guide - 100cm Aquarium Sketch

Apr 10 2010

A 60cm Aquascape Layout Plan


Image of aquascape layout design.

The latest in our 'Planting without the need for CO2' series, aquascapes designed for ease of setup and maintenance and without the need for pressurised CO2.

The layout of the tank is shown as a frontal and top view diagram, with each plant group labelled.

Dec 01 2008

Fertilising Aquatic Plants with Tropica Plant Nutrition

Here at The Green Machine, we use the full range of Tropica Plant Nutrition ( TPN ) fertilisers from the well respected company Tropica of Denmark.

Rule of thumb fertilisation

All planted tanks require some nitrates and phosphates to achieve their best growth. An excess however can lead to sudden blooms of algae and a shortage to poor growth.

As a rule of thumb tanks with few fish and many plants will need more nitrates and phosphates and those with many fish and few plants will need less of these nutrients.

Finding the perfect balance is different for every tank and may be achieved with careful experimentation .

Tropica’s Aquacare liquid fertilizer range is available in two types, TPN+ which contains nitrates and phosphates and TPN which does not.

By the careful use of both these products according to the stocking/planting of an aquarium a perfect balance of fertilization is very easily achieved.

This is done by choosing which of the two products is dosed on a daily basis, i.e. TPN+ for one day and TPN for the next, this of course is variable depending on the individual aquarium and may be changed according to the tanks needs.

Jul 01 2009

Chasing Rainbows by Andy Mack (True 'Naturalist' Aquatic Design)

The goal of the true ‘naturalist’ aquatic designer should be an interpretation of the natural environment, fashioned as much as possible by the forces of erosion, deposition and plant colonisation and as little as possible by the hand of man.

Mar 01 2009

Cleaning and disinfecting with Hydrogen Peroxide (H202)


H202 is the perfect solution for sterilising fish tanks, pipework, glass and plastic.

Unlike bleach, H202 will turn into harmless water and oxygen after 24 hours in contact with water. It is therefore the perfect solution for use in the aquarium environment.

Feb 01 2009

Water changes made easy

Rather that siphoning water into buckets and then carrying these from tank to sink or drain, a simpler method is to use a small compact powerhead/pump. Once the basic vacuuming of the tank is over the rest of the water to be changed can be done directly to a waste source such as a window, toilet, or drain. A small but powerful pump can be used for this. Something like the MaxiJet 1000 is perfect.