An aquascaping glossary that shows its working
Plain definitions for the terms you meet in the planted-tank hobby, with the plant and water-chemistry facts checked against published sources rather than repeated from other websites. Every diagram here was drawn for the page it sits on.
Where to start
What is aquascaping?
The craft, its two roots, and the five things every scape is made of.
Aquascaping for beginners
What actually matters for a first planted tank, and the mistakes worth dodging.
Do you need CO₂?
No, and plenty of hardy plants prove it. But low-tech means low light too.
Browse by subject
Styles
Iwagumi, Dutch, Nature Aquarium, jungle, Walstad and biotope. What separates them, and which suits the tank you want.
Plants
Light, CO₂ and difficulty for the species you will actually be sold, with the Latin names checked and the contested ones flagged.
Hardscape
Which rocks change your water and which leave it alone, plus getting buoyant driftwood to sink.
Equipment
CO₂, lighting, substrate and tools. What each one decides, and what you can skip.
Composition
The rule of thirds, negative space and focal points, drawn rather than described.
Troubleshooting
Black beard algae and plant melt: what causes them, and which of your problems you actually have.
Answers people look for
- Why has black beard algae taken over my tank?
- My new plants melted. Are they dead?
- Why does my Anubias keep rotting?
- Will Seiryu stone ruin my shrimp tank?
- Which carpet plant should I actually start with?
- How much light do my plants need?
How this site is written
Plant requirements are kept categorical, as low, medium or high, because that is how they are published and how they are useful. Where a figure is given it comes from a named source and is cited on the page. Latin names follow current classification, with the older trade name noted where the two still differ, because that is what you will see on the pot in the shop.
Where something is genuinely uncertain, the page says so rather than picking a side.