At the stage of launching the aquarium, first of all, the question arises related to the choice of soil. This is a very important point! Errors committed during the laying of the aquarium, will deliver to its owner, many unpleasant moments in the future, up to the complete restart of the ecosystem. First of all, it is necessary to determine the species composition of plants planned for further cultivation.
If not only mosses live in your aquarium, but also other aqua-flora that has a root system, it would be useful to consider using nutrient soil. The selection of such soils is very large. But at once I will make a reservation that in this case there should be a lot of fast-growing plants (especially in the first months after launch). With the Java Fern aquarium plants this is essential.
The Nature of the Moss
Mosses are, by nature, slow growing plants. And the degree of consumption of nutrients by mosses is significantly lower than other representatives of aquatic vegetation. Excessive organic matter in the aquarium will invariably lead to intensive algae growth. Beginners, faced with this problem, begin to look for a panacea in the form of chemical preparations, in a wide assortment of pet stores represented on the shelves, thereby “shaking up” the already unsuccessful balance.
- If you plan to use only mosses as underwater vegetation, then nutrient soil in your aquarium is generally contraindicated. Mosses, unlike most aquatic plants, do not have a root system and all nutrients, for their growth, are obtained from water. Soil, in the “moss” aquarium, plays only an aesthetic role, as well as being a substrate for the settlement of nitrifying bacteria.
- For this reason, do not use aquariums with a small bottom area. The soil should be absolutely neutral, because salts that increase the hardness of water can negatively affect the growth of most aquatic species of mosses and plants.
This is especially true when using co2 feed systems. It is advisable to refrain from purchasing colored soils and sea pebbles. The thickness of the soil layer depends on the personal preferences of the aquarist. But do not forget that in too thick a layer of soil, the likelihood of anaerobic zones is high and it will be much more difficult to clean up in such an aquarium. The use of the Java Fern plants comes easy there.
Scenery and binding of mosses
As decorations, any species of hard woods (mangroves, trees, iron trees, grapevines, roots of fruit trees, etc.) have proved to be a good idea. The stores have quite a large selection. There is no fundamental difference when using these materials. However, snags should be prepared for use in advance. It will be useful to wash the plant and boil this material for several hours. Also, lava and tuff proved to be a good idea. It suffices to simply wash these volcanic rocks under a strong stream of water. No further processing required. Also fit and fragments of ceramic pots, coconut shells, broken bricks.