Aquatic plants have their own placement rules; pairing them well elevates the look, otherwise it backfires

Aquatic plants are very important for a planted aquarium. They can make an aquascape look lush and verdant, and through careful trimming they can make our aquascape clean and elegant, or rich and varied, though of course they can also end up looking overgrown, wild and chaotic. The species of plants you choose and the positions you choose for them are equally important. Usually you can look at other aquariums for inspiration, but when it comes to plant placement, it is almost impossible. Aquatic plants grow constantly, so it is very hard for an aquascaper to tell you exactly how to create a gorgeous aquascape.

1. Start with the substrate

Every plant needs something to root into. Most plants need aqua soil or gravel, but don't think you can just dump aqua soil straight into the bottom of the tank; try to create a good substrate environment for your aquatic plants. Compared with other organisms, the living conditions of aquatic plants must be the best. You need a special nutrient mix for the bottom layer of our aquarium, like underwater fertilizers (base fertilizer, root fertilizer, etc.). Creating a nutrient-rich substrate will make plants grow healthier; if nutrients are lacking, weak aquatic plants can only barely climb to the water's surface, struggling to survive.

2. Brush up on your sewing skills

Generally, moss-type aquatic plants do not need aqua soil. If we want to cover stones or driftwood with moss-type plants, then one of the simplest methods is to tie water moss onto the driftwood. For stones, just glue the moss plants on. You might think fishing line will make an ugly aquascape, but as the moss grows and we trim it, the condition generally gets better and better.

3. Use the X pattern

Don't arrange aquatic plants in a single straight line, otherwise the plants will grow in a symmetrical pattern, like rows of corn. This makes it look artificial to others, unless you specifically want to create a particular aquascape, such as a farmhouse cornfield and so on; in that case I suggest using the X pattern. The X pattern is similar to a 5-point die. The plants will eventually grow outward, making the X pattern blur, and ultimately forming the feeling of a green carpet.

4. Group similar species

You may want to put all your plants into your aquascape. Some ferns here, a few clumps of moss, some Cryptocoryne in the corner, and so on; this aimless approach will make our aquascape look chaotic and disorganized. Our usual practice is to gather the same/similar species together to create focal points. At one point a dense clump of plants will all stretch out toward their next moss-covered neighbor, and vice versa. If you mix dense plants with moss spread everywhere, then the scene becomes one of chaotic competition.

That's all for today's content; I hope this article can help everyone