2026 Complete Aquascaping Beginners Guide - Learn ALL The Basics!

Welcome to this complete aquascaping beginner's guide. In this video I'm going to try my best to teach you everything you need to know about aquascaping so you can start setting up your own beautiful healthy and algae free aquarium. Now if this is your first time on the channel then let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Mark and I've been aquascaping for almost 10 years now. In that time I've made a lot of mistakes. I've melted a lot of plants and I've grown a lot of algae. But I've also learned a lot. And at this point I have a pretty good idea of the things that work well for me and the things that don't. Because of that almost every aquarium that I make these days is an instant success. And I barely get algae anymore. Since starting a YouTube channel a few years ago I made it my mission to get more people into this amazing hobby and help them succeed with their own aquascape or plant a tank. I've already made similar beginner's guides in the past but as time goes on I keep learning new things and I keep perfecting my craft. Before we get started with the main content of this video let's take a short moment to talk about what aquascaping is and where it came from. I like to describe aquascaping as decorating an aquarium and making it look as beautiful as possible with the use of natural materials. So as an aquascaper you carefully select rocks, wood and plants with the aim of creating a beautiful underwater environment. And some people will say that they started right here where I'm from in the Netherlands with the so-called Dutch style aquarium. But for me the style of aquascaping that I love started in Japan and was created by Mr. Takashi Amano. Like many others I've spent hours reading his books and watching his videos and hopefully one day I get to travel to Japan and see the ADA gallery with my own eyes. Now let's move on to the next part and talk about aquascaping essentials. So what do you need to start your first aquascape? Now in terms of equipment you need a few things. You need a tank, a filter, a light, CO2 system. This one is optional but highly recommended. You need substrate, hardscape, plants and some small items. Let's go over everything in a little bit more detail. So obviously you need a tank and choosing a tank is something very personal. I can't tell you which tank you should get. I can only give you some recommendations. And first of all I always recommend to choose something that you like, something that fits your home and something that fits your budget. And keep in mind that the tank is only the first part of aquascaping. So keep enough budget for everything else. Besides that I would recommend to start with a nano tank. Aquascaping can be quite expensive. But small tanks are very affordable, they're easy to set up and they can be placed everywhere without the need for a stand or a cabinet. Besides that you will see that most aquascapers use rimless tanks made from optic white extra clear glass. And here's what I like and don't like about rimless tanks. First of all rimless tanks look very clean and minimalistic. Because of that it lets you focus on what's inside the tank and you're not distracted by bulky lids and thick black silicone lines. Because it's open you can also have hardscape and plants coming out of the water. And because it's open it's also much easier to do maintenance. And probably the most important thing, the dimensions of standard size rimless tanks are much better for aquascaping. Now with open top tanks you do have more risk of fish jumping out. There's more evaporation. With evaporation you also get hard water marks. And you have more light spill. For me the pros definitely outweigh the cons. So I mostly have rimless tanks. Now something that I think we're going to see more and more of is all-in-one rimless tanks. So open top tanks with a filter compartment in the back. This is already very popular in the saltwater hobby but not so much in freshwater. So yeah finding a tank shouldn't be very difficult as there are lots of options to choose from. The most important thing is that you choose something that you like. The next thing we need is a filter. Now it is possible to set up an aquascape without a filter but for a beginner it's not something I would recommend. When it comes to filters you again have many options. You can go for an external filter, an internal filter or a hang on the back filter. If you have a really big tank you can also do a sump filter. But again not something for beginners. So we're not going to talk about that in this video. Me personally I like external filters because they can hold a lot of media. And more media means more beneficial bacteria. And more beneficial bacteria means a better healthy ecosystem. Another reason why I like external filters is because they allow you to use so-called lily pipes. They are basically inlets and outlets made from glass. They're mostly used for aesthetic purposes. But they are also available in different shapes and sizes to help with reducing or increasing the flow in the aquarium. Now external filters are quite bulky and can be expensive. So if you're on a budget or you want to keep it simple a hang on the back filter will do the job as well. I'm not a huge fan of internal filters because they take up a lot of space in the aquarium. And they're also unsightly. So unless you can hide them behind some plants or some hardscape they're my least favorite option. The most important thing when choosing a filter is making sure it will provide enough flow for your aquarium. The flow rate and the recommended tank size is always mentioned on the box. But take that information with a grain of salt. Because it is usually measured with an empty filter with no media. So my advice is to choose a filter with a flow rate of around 10 times the volume of the tank per hour. So if your tank is 60 liters choose a filter with a flow rate of 600 liters per hour. Then we need a light. And this is one of the most important things you need for a successful and beautiful aquascape. In my opinion what makes a beautiful aquascape is the plants. And to grow beautiful healthy plants we need a lot of light. And we need good quality light. Now this can be a very complicated topic. Especially if we were to dive into spectrum, lumens and kelvin and other kind of stuff. But I want to keep this guide simple and easy to understand. So all I'm going to say is choose a light from a reputable brand. So for example Chihiros, Twinstar or Skylight. And especially the first two brands have very good high-end lights. But also more affordable budget lights. As well as everything in between. So if you pick a light that's suitable for your tank size from any of the brands that I just mentioned you'll be good to go. Now let's talk about CO2. As I mentioned earlier this is optional but highly recommended. And the main reason why I use CO2 is because I want my plants to grow fast. Especially in the beginning. And I want my plants to look as good as possible. So if that's your goal as well then I would definitely recommend to buy a CO2 system. Now a good quality professional CO2 system is quite expensive. And when I started aquascaping I didn't have the money for a system like that. So for a very long time I used a DIY CO2 system. Made from an empty soda bottle that's then filled with sugar and yeast. And over the years I've perfected the recipe so that it will give me a very stable amount of CO2 for a very long time. So if that's something that you would like to try as well then I will leave a link in the video description. If you are 100% sure that you're going to enjoy this hobby for many years to come I would definitely recommend to invest in a professional CO2 system. And for that you need a pressurized CO2 cylinder. A CO2 regulator, preferably a dual stage one. A solenoid valve so you can shut off the CO2 at night. Some CO2 tubing. A check valve to stop water flowing back into the tubing when the CO2 is turned off. A CO2 diffuser. And lastly a CO2 drop checker so you can measure the CO2 concentration in the water. Then we're moving on to the substrate. This one is very easy because in my opinion there's only one thing you need and should get. And that is a good quality aquasol. About a year ago I did an experiment where I tested different substrate layers and aquasol was the clear winner. Plants just grow much faster in aquasol. The water is more clear in tanks with aquasol. And tanks with aquasol have less algae issues. Yes it's a little bit more expensive but it will make your life so much easier. Let me list out some benefits of aquasol so you know why I'm so enthusiastic about it. First up there's no need to rinse it beforehand. You can just open the bag, pour it into your tank and start scaping. It already contains the most important nutrients for plant growth. And it is also able to absorb nutrients from the water column. It's also very porous so you get really good water circulation throughout the substrate. That's very important. Now one question I always get is how much aquasol do I need? There's an easy way to calculate that. Let's say you have a standard size 60p aquarium. The base is measuring 60 by 30 centimeters. Then we multiply 60 by 30 which is 1800. Then we want a layer of aquasol of about 5 centimeters. A little bit less in front, a little bit more in the back. But average 5 centimeters. So we multiply 1800 by 5 which is 9000. So we need 9 liters of aquasol for a 60 centimeter tank. Obviously this depends on what layout you're going to make. And if you're going to use cosmetic sand in the foreground or not. But it's a good indicator for how many bags you should purchase. The next thing we need is hardscape. So hardscape is just a fancy word for rocks and wood. And this will be the foundation of our layout. So it's very important that we do this right and take our time with it. Now depending on where you live you might be able to find some hardscape in the nature. But most people will have to buy their hardscape in a store or online. Buying hardscape online is always a bit tricky. Because too often what you see in the pictures is different from what you receive in your order. So unless the online store offers what you see is what you get. I would always recommend to go to your local store and hand select your hardscape pieces. When choosing your hardscape. You also want to inform yourself about the characteristics of these natural materials. As some types of rocks might lead calcium. And sometimes wood might release tannins or grow thick layers of mold. Another good thing about buying hardscape in a store. Is that there you will usually find a so-called hardscape dojo. Which is just a sandbox where you can practice scaping your layout. And make sure you go home with the right materials. Then we get to my favorite part of aquascaping. Plants. In my opinion this is the part of aquascaping that requires the most research. Because there are so many beautiful plants available. And they all have different requirements. Lucky for us most plants are now labeled as easy, medium or advanced. So you will know which plants you might want to try. And which ones you should avoid. When choosing plants. It's best to first look at your setup. Are you going to use a lot of light? Are you going to use CO2? If not. Then it's probably a good idea to stick to the easy category. You might also want to look a little bit into the future. And think about how much time you want to spend on maintenance. Because if you're choosing a lot of stem plants for example. You are going to spend a lot of time trimming. Most important thing is that you buy enough plants. And I would always recommend to start with a couple fast growing and or floating plants. To help with soaking up excess nutrients and stabilizing the aquarium. If they grow too fast you can always remove them later. But they are very helpful in the beginning. Lastly some small things. So I haven't mentioned the heater yet. This also depends on the type of inhabitants that you choose. Besides that you definitely want to get some aquascaping tweezers and scissors. You want some super glue for your hardscaping your plants. Some liquid fertilizers. I like to use a background on my tanks. And it's also a good idea to get a couple of water tests. Like nitrate and ammonia. So you can check if your tank is cycled and ready for fish. And if you don't already have a bucket and a hose for water changes. You'll need that as well. Now the fun begins. So we've talked about everything you need. So now we can actually get to work and start scaping. And we can do this in five steps. First up we're going to add in the substrate. Then we will build the hardscape. Then we will add the plants. After that it's time to fill up with water. And lastly we will install the equipment. Now you can of course do everything from start to finish at once. But especially if you're a beginner. I would always recommend to split this up into two parts. So the substrate and the hardscape first. And then the planting and everything else maybe the next day or a few days later. The reason I'm suggesting this is because it will give you more time to work on your hardscape. And the more time you spend on it the better the end result will be. Also if you're doing everything in one go. That means that you have to buy the plants before you are done with the hardscape. And that one is tricky. At least for me it's a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. To make a shopping list for the plants after I'm done with the hardscape process. Because when the hardscape is done it's a lot easier to visualize how it will look with the plants. So here's how I do these five steps. First up the substrate layer. This one is easy. I'll start by opening the bag of soil and pouring it into the tank. Then I like to spread it out and make a nice slope towards the back. And I'll use a paintbrush for this. So if you don't have one yet this is another thing that you should add to your small item list. And with the aquasol I'm usually aiming to have about two centimeters in front. That's enough for me to plant properly. To make sure that the plants will hold and not float up. Then moving on to the hardscape. Now at this point I've probably already decided if I'm going to use rocks only. Or rocks and wood. Or just wood. So next I like to decide what shape I want my layout to be. So either a triangular layout. Which starts high on one end and flows down towards the other end. A convex or island style layout. Where you have the majority of the hardscape and plants in the center. And open spaces on either side. Or a concave layout. Where you have the majority of the hardscape and plants on both sides. With an open space in the middle. And when deciding the shape and the layout. It's also good to consider the placement of the aquarium. And from where you will be viewing it. So for example my big tank is right next to my couch. So I wouldn't want that side to have a lot of hardscape and blocking my view. When it comes to positioning the hardscape. I like to place most of the rocks and wood pieces in the middle. And keep the foreground and background rather empty. So there's enough space for the plants. When I'm done with the hardscape. I like to glue everything together with cotton pads and liquid super glue. And this is mostly just to prevent the wood pieces from floating up. But also to help with maintenance. Especially in smaller tanks. If I'm trimming the plants or cleaning the glass. It's easy to knock things over and destroy the hardscape. But if everything is glued together. You don't have to worry about that. Now that the hardscape is done. We can take a step back and admire our work. We can always come back to it later and make some adjustments. At this point I will start working on my plant list. So I'll write down foreground, midground and background. And select the plants that I think will suit this layout. It's totally up to you how many different types of plant you use. Just keep in mind the size, growth speed. As well as light and CO2 requirements. Once all the plants have arrived. It's time to clean them up and prepare them for planting. So that means removing rockwool from potted plants. Removing gel from in vitro plants. And dividing everything into portions. Then this is probably my favorite part. The actual planting stage. So it's up to you if you want to plant in dry or in wet soil. I usually just give everything a little spray before I start. And this might be obvious. But I'm always starting in the foreground. And making my way towards the background. If you have never planted with tweezers before. It might take some time to get used to it. But just firmly grip the plant at the base. Or just between the stem and the roots. And then press the tweezer deep into the soil. Then let go of the plant. And remove the tweezer from the substrate. Repeat this process until all the plants are in. And that's it. So with the planting done. It's now time to fill the tank up with water. And especially in the beginning. We want to do this nice and slow. To make sure that we don't disturb the substrate. And uproot any plants. So I usually take some paper towels. And let the water fall on that. Now where I live the tap water is very clean. And I don't need to use any product to make sure it's safe. But if your tap water does have chlorine or something like that. Now is the time to use a dechlorinator. Lastly we can add the rest of the equipment. So the filter. The heater if you're using one. The CO2 system. And don't forget about the CO2 drop checker. Also make sure to put the light and the CO2 on a timer. So I have all my lights on for about 8 or 9 hours per day. So from 1 pm until 9 pm. And the CO2 is on from 12 pm until 8 pm. The only exception is my big tank. Here the CO2 starts 2 hours before the lights. So 11 am. But that is it. Our first aquascape is done. Congrats! Of course we're not going to stop here. So let's talk about what you can expect in the first couple of weeks. So there's a few things we need to do. To make sure that our brand new freshly planted aquascape. Turns into a beautiful healthy ecosystem. With lush plant growth and healthy inhabitants. Now speaking of inhabitants. I usually wait around 2 to 3 weeks. Before adding any livestock to a new setup. We first need beneficial bacteria to establish an aquarium. As they will take care of toxic elements like nitrate and ammonia. Probably the most important thing to do during the first few weeks. Is regular water changes. Because we have used aquasol as a substrate. We're going to have a lot of excess nutrients in the beginning. And if we let those nutrient levels build up too much. We'll run the risk of getting some algae. Now what I'm going to say next is very important. So pay close attention. In the first few weeks of a new setup. It is very normal to get algae. I still get messages every day from people that have set up their tank recently. And now they're getting algae. And they don't know what they're doing wrong. Now of course there are lots of different types of algae. So let me quickly explain which ones you can expect in the beginning. So the first type of algae you will get is diatoms. A type of brown algae. This will usually appear after about two weeks. And it will cover almost every surface. The good thing is that it will go away by itself. And certain algae eaters like Otocinclus love to eat diatoms. So when your tank is cycled. You can add them and they will take care of the issue for you. Another type of algae you will usually get in the early stages. Is some green dust algae and some green spot algae. This is also normal and is caused by the excess nutrients. So it will sort itself out once your plant mass increases. And once your aquasol will stop releasing a ton of nutrients in the water column. So those are the types of algae that are normal in the beginning. If you're starting to see other types of algae. Like PBA or hair algae or staghorn algae. Then it means that something is wrong. You need to make some changes. Either you're not injecting enough CO2. Maybe your light is too strong. Something like that. Now what about fertilizer? So usually in a new setup. I will not dose any liquid fertilizer in the first month or so. During the first few weeks. The nutrients from the aquasol are enough for the plants. And after the first month. I will start with maybe half a dose. And I will slowly increase that if necessary. So here are the most important things that you need to take care of in the first month. First up make sure your light and CO2 are on timers. So you have the same amount of light and CO2 every single day. Also make sure you are injecting enough CO2 by using a CO2 drop checker. Then regular water changes of about 50 percent. Let's say three to four times in the first week. And slowly reducing that. When you get to week four. Once a week is more than enough. After two to three weeks. You can check your water parameters for nitrate and ammonia. And if they're both zero. You can add your first inhabitants. I will start with a cleanup crew. Consisting of otocinclus. Mano shrimp. And cleaton snails. If everything is going well. And your cleanup crew is doing fine. You can add more fish. After the first month is over. I would say the hardest part is done. You might still have some startup algae. But that will sort itself out. Hopefully by now the plants have started growing as well. You might have already done a trimming session. In the beginning it's always a good idea. To replant some of the trimmings. To increase your plant mass. Now you can also slowly start adding some liquid fertilizers. And that's it. If you keep up the maintenance routine. You should have a healthy, lush and fully grown aquascape. Within no time at all. So that is everything you need to know. To start off your aquascaping journey in the right direction. I wish you the best of luck. And hope you'll get to enjoy this hobby for a long time. And a good time. Thank you so much for watching. And I'll see you in the next one.