A large aquarium layout featuring Arkuak, 243L, by Javier Agüero. The composition is built around Andesite rock from Cerro Negro quarry located in the province of Mendoza in Argentina with roots of Chañar rojo (Geoffroea decorticans) which is a shrub that grows in the Andes at 1000 meters above sea level.
Hardscape (Andesite rock from Cerro Negro quarry located in the province of Mendoza in Argentina, roots of Chañar rojo (Geoffroea decorticans) which is a shrub that grows in the Andes at 1000 meters above sea level, jarilla shrub wood also from the Argentine Andes. Fluval Stratum substrate for plantes tanks. Andesite rock gravel and ocher gravel from the Paraná river in the frontal part of the aquarium.) forms the skeleton — negative space between wood and stone guides the eye from foreground to depth. On the plant side, the layout leans toward foreground carpeting with species such as Micranthemum Montecarlo, Lilaeopsis Brasieliensis, Eleocharis Parvula — trim in layers so hardscape still breathes. White painted wall separated 15cm from the aquarium. substrate helps stabilize root-zone nutrition in the early weeks.
1 x Chihiros WRGB 120cm, 1 x Aqualumina Full Spectro 120cm lighting sits at a moderate-to-high technical level for this large aquarium. 1x Hydor Professional 600 external filter. The filtering material consists of a thick sponge layer, a fine one and 3 layers with 4L of Micorbacter Lattice from Brightwell as biological filtration. 600 ML Purigen. 1x Atman Uf3400 UV external filter. The filtering material consists of 4 layers with 12L of Seachem Matrix as biological filtration. It also has 5Watts UV light. filtration needs enough turnovers without blasting the hardscape; browse matching filters.
Livestock (A school of 30 hemigrammus rhodostomus platinum, 10 Otocinclus, 10 caridina Japonica.) fits this large aquarium — prefer species that will not dig up the substrate and wreck hardscape lines.
Setup notes: The aquarium was assembled on 1/1/2023 with dry start until 1/22/2023. The photo was taken on 5/23/2023. At the time of the photo, the aquarium was almost 5 months old.
Scroll to the specs table to match each equipment line; more inspiration in 220–320L.
