Dustin's Blog — The Planted Tank

Read Time: 5 mins Looking for a wicked aquarium plant that grows tall and wavy like seaweed without having to do too much to it?  Say hello to our not so little friend, Val.  History of Vallisneria Vallisneria is a genus of plants named for the Italian scientist Antonio Vallisneri (1661 - 1730), one of the first researchers in Europe to say, "Hey, maybe we should...you know...actually TEST scientific theories and provide evidence with experiments." He made a stir with his contemporaries, and stood tall in his field - so it's an appropriate name for this plant.  Carl Linnaeus, a...

Read Time: 5 mins "LOOK a fish tank!" "Can we go see the fish?!" "IT'S NEMO!" Haven't met a kid yet who saw an aquarium and didn't immediately run over to press their face against the glass and ask me what all the fish's names were. If you're looking for a fun family project, a first pet, a healthy outlet/hobby, a classroom pet, or cool ways to teach and entertain your kids, aquariums are an epic option. We've got some tips and tricks to make it easier.  Freshwater or Saltwater Aquarium? For most families, freshwater is the easiest, most readily...

Read Time: 10 mins For most folks, lighting is easily the most intimidating part about setting up a new freshwater planted tank. If you're looking to buy and are frustrated trying to figure out what the hell watts, PAR, Kelvin, and CCT all mean for your aquarium plants, we've got it all laid out for you, step by step.  1. First Thing to Look at: Your Budget and Your Goals Grow lights can run anywhere from 10 bucks to hundreds or more. There's no sense planning out an epic planted tank only to realize you can't afford to light it (for tips...

Read Time: 7 mins Aquariums are an epic hobby (especially when you throw plants in the mix), but they've understandably earned a reputation for being too expensive. And that reputation is partially well-earned, especially if you have multiple tanks, uncommon fish species, are just starting out with no equipment, need good plant lights, etc. That said, there are ways to cut costs without sacrificing on your tank. Check 'em out: 1. Do your research to set up a balanced aquarium A healthy aquarium is lower-maintenance and will have fewer maintenance costs long-term as result. A balanced tank prevents fish and...

Read Time: 8 mins 1. Fish grow to the size of their tanks If you pay attention to nothing else in this article, please understand: this is not how it works. It doesn't work for reptiles or amphibians, either. It doesn't work with any living thing. Imagine if we tried this with other animals."No, we keep our Great Dane in a kennel. He's going to stay the size of a Shi Tzu.""I live in half of a studio apartment. I'm going to stay under 5'3 and my friend who lives in a 3 bedroom is going to be in the NBA."...