A small aquarium layout featuring And island of plants and pufferfish in the sand, 70L, by Jacob Thompson. The composition is built around No hardscape used.
The hardscape with No hardscape used sets the rhythm; planting should support those lines without burying them. The plant list (Hygrophilia corymbosa, Rotala rotundifolia) favors background stem plants; packing the foreground too dense can make the tank feel heavy. Black plastidip background substrate helps stabilize root-zone nutrition in the early weeks.
1 fluval 3.0 plants plus with a low light schedule lighting sits at a approachable technical level for this small aquarium. An ehiem 2213 canister filter filtration needs enough turnovers without blasting the hardscape; browse matching filters. Low-tech tip: favor slow growers and avoid dense planting if filtration is modest.
Livestock (1 Tetraodon miurus, Congo pufferfish) fits this small aquarium — prefer species that will not dig up the substrate and wreck hardscape lines.
Setup notes: No co2 is supplimented, aquaterra ram sand is used, once weekly ei method macro and micro nutrient mix by niloug’s used for this aquarium, inspiration is an island of plants and a beach surrounding it where the Congo puffer buries
Use the specs table as a shopping checklist for equivalent gear — then explore 55–80L.
