Planted aquarium (2025)
Description
2025
100x50x50 Eheim proxima 250
I set up my aquarium around November. The substrate is inert gravel, standard type that doesn’t alter kH or gH. I chose not to use aqua soil as the main substrate for several reasons, primarily due to sustainability concerns.
Algae tend to thrive on fluctuations. Knowing that plants absorb fertilizers and the system naturally produces organic waste, to avoid imbalances, frequent interventions such as water changes, fertilization, and mineral supplementation are necessary. Like many, I prefer to minimize routine maintenance, so my aquarium is highly automated.
Every day, 25 liters of water are automatically extracted and replaced by a reverse osmosis system, controlled by a water-level sensor. A fertilizer mixing system ensures even distribution of fertilizers (which tend to settle to the bottom if not mixed), and fertilization occurs immediately after mixing.
I use a pressurized CO₂ system with pH control. To maintain a stable kH around 0.5–1, I dose potassium carbonate daily, along with calcium nitrate, since the fertilizer I use lacks calcium, and I rely entirely on RO water.
An automatic feeder handles feeding. The lighting setup includes three Eheim Classic Plant LEDs, one Twinstar 100 G+, and one JBL Solar Power LED, all on for 8 hours daily from 15:00 to 23:00. Both the heater and CO₂ diffuser are external.
The photos show the aquarium as it typically looks; nothing was removed for the pictures (pipes, heater, cables, etc. are all visible). In France, the weather is only hot for a few weeks each year, so a fan with a temperature controller is sufficient to keep the tank between 25–26 °C.
Plants:
Eriocaulon cuspidatum
Eriocaulon sp. Japan needle
Myriophyllum sp gold
Nesaea golden
Rotala green
Ludwigia palustris
Ludwigia pantanal
Micranthemum umbrosum
Elocharis pusilla mini
Samolus parviflorus
Myriophyllum roraima
Hygrophila sp. Chai