Aquatics techniques

Grading Gravels to Replicate Nature

Rivers transport materials including rocks and stones in the direction of flow. Due to size and shape variations there is a natural spreading effect as materials are deposited in the riverbed. Therefore by replicating this in an aquarium a highly natural looking result can be achieved. An effective use of this technique can be seen in our Altum Angel Display tank.

The photos show the gravel when it is wet, as it appears when submerged in an aquarium.

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.