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Driftwood | Rocks
| Bedding |
Fish, invertebrates and
plants: links on the left side of the page and the
living creatures that inhabit and beautify any
aquarium. Aquarists use many tools to develop a
glass box full of fish, invertebrates and plants
into what is, sometimes, an amazing, living work of
art. There are tools such as filters, lights,
heaters, thermometers, automatic feeders and other
items to aid in creating an aquatic habitat. There
are also the more aesthetic characteristics of
aquariums, and this article details a few of the
more popular items. In addition to their beautifying
qualities, these aesthetic items are sometimes
essential. For example, bedding/substrate is important for
most aquariums, and some fish require more than
plants for shelter.
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Driftwood
Natural driftwood, or
"bogwood," provides shelter, a rooting medium for
some plants, a contrast of color for aquarium
plants, naturally softens water, and other features.
Some fish, such as some cichlids and catfish, will
seek out driftwood as preferred hiding places.
Keyhole cichlids, for example, will congregate
around driftwood and, in a weird way, appear to bond
with it. Another fun aspect about driftwood is how
it interacts with plants. Plants such as Anubias sp.
can be attached to driftwood by rubber band or other
soft binding tools. Once attached, the plants extend
roots to the aquarium bottom and also into the wood
itself. The effect makes the wood appear alive, and
green plants against the wood's dark brown surface
is a gorgeous contrast.
The permeability of
natural driftwood, as apposed to synthetic/plastic
driftwood, is both its gift and its curse. Its
composition is also why driftwood, no matter how
well it is treated before you buy it, must be soaked
for a long period of time before it is added to the
aquarium. Wood at an aquarium supply store has been
treated for chemicals and other harmful qualities
before you buy it. Never use any other kind of wood
(found in the woods, etc.)! After purchase, soak the
driftwood in a tub of water. Preferably, this water
is from the aquarium. Use rocks or other heavy items
to weigh down the driftwood as it will float.
Eventually, the piece of wood will soak in water
while leeching out a brown colored chemical. This
chemical is not harmful to the fish, but it readily
discolors any fish tank. Change the tub's water
regularly to remove the brown coloring. After a week
or a month (the larger the piece, the longer the
wait), the driftwood has been waterlogged and can be
introduced to the aquarium. As water in the aquarium
passes through the driftwood, the water is
chemically softened and becomes more acidic, and the
composition of the wood is softened as well.
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Rocks
As for driftwood or any
other part of the aquarium, do not put rocks from
nature into the set-up as they could contain harmful
chemicals or organisms. Buying rocks and other
aesthetic items can be expensive, but they last for
a very long time and, if used correctly, are highly
attractive. Small rocks can be used to create the
appearance of a river bed, while large rocks can be
carefully stacked to create a cave, rock wall or
other form of shelter. There are many varieties of
rock too, such as quartz and river rock.
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Bedding The
tasks of aquarium bedding/substrate are enormous in some
aquariums and non-essential in others. The types of
aquarium bedding/substrate are just as numerous as its
possible tasks, and building any aquarium requires
knowledge of some of the basics. As this is a hefty
topic, this article will attempt to cover the
essential tasks of aquarium bedding and the most
popular types.
Tasks: aesthetic quality (color, size, shape, etc.), plant and decoration
medium, filtration, bacteria medium, plant
fertilization.
Types: gravel, sand, none.
If your aquarium is full
of plastic plants or fish without any special needs,
almost any type of substrate will do. Some general
rules with substrate revolve around commonsense. In
other words, make sure the particles in the
substrate are not jagged enough to harm the fish and
clean all of it thoroughly. Nothing should be placed
in an aquarium that could potentially harm the fish
or other living creatures.
Building the aquarium
bedding for live plants can be tricky, depending on
the plants' requirements. All live plants tend to
prefer substrate with smaller particles, or sand.
There are plants that do well in almost all
environments, such as Anubias sp., but a general
rule for plants is to provide them with ease of
rooting. Also, some plants enjoy a layer of
fertilizer, topped off by a layer of larger gravel
for aeration.
Besides plants, a
plethora of living creatures rely on substrate.
Species of fish blanket themselves with sand and
species of snails bore into the ground during rest.
Colonies of bacteria that feed upon waste products
in the water rely upon proper substrate as well.
Whether these bacteria are beneficial or not depends
upon the type of filtration in the aquarium, so do
your research! These bacteria require aeration, and
although they aren't always needed, a good rule to
follow is to keep some sort of aeration going
through the substrate, however, as this will keep
the substrate from stagnation.
As you may have seen at
some pet shops, not all aquariums have a bedding or
any form of substrate. These are good examples of
filtration taking over for bacteria in the
substrate. If there was substrate, aeration is key.
Much, much more could be
written about these three decorative parts of the
aquarium. The impact and use of each depends on the
aquarist and his/her desires for his/her aquarium.
Before beginning any aquarium, do research the role
of biology, from what chemicals to avoid and how to
cultivate beneficial bacteria with a filter or in
the substrate.
The Cichlid Writer |
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