A Simple Weekly Aquarium Maintenance Routine That Keeps Fish Healthy
Build an easy weekly maintenance habit covering water changes, glass, filter care, and testing to keep any aquarium thriving.
Diego Santos
Aquascaping & Planted Tanks Writer
Diego Santos
Diego is an aquascaper who has flooded more layouts than he'll admit and learned something from each one. He covers plants, hardscape and the slow art of a balanced planted tank, and believes the best aquascape is one you can actually maintain.
Articles
10 articles by Diego
Diego Santos
Building a Low-Maintenance Walstad-Style Planted Tank
Set up a soil-based, self-sustaining Walstad aquarium that runs with minimal filtration, no CO2, and very few water changes.
Diego Santos
Battling Algae in Planted Tanks: Causes, Types, and Real Solutions
Identify common algae types, understand what triggers them, and rebalance light, nutrients, and CO2 to win the fight for good.
Diego Santos
Dosing Fertilizers for Planted Tanks: The Estimative Index Made Simple
Demystify plant nutrients and the Estimative Index dosing method so you can fix deficiencies and grow healthier aquarium plants.
Diego Santos
How to Create a Lush Carpet of Foreground Plants
Master carpeting plants like dwarf hairgrass and Monte Carlo with the light, CO2, and planting technique needed for full coverage.
Diego Santos
Choosing Hardscape: How to Use Driftwood and Rock in Aquascaping
An explainer on selecting and arranging driftwood and stone to create depth, structure, and a natural focal point in your aquascape.
Diego Santos
The Best Low-Light Aquarium Plants for Beginners
A buying guide to forgiving low-light plants like anubias, java fern, and cryptocoryne that thrive without CO2 or high-end lighting.
Diego Santos
A Beginner's Guide to Injecting CO2 in a Planted Aquarium
Learn how pressurized CO2 works, what gear you need, and how to dial in a safe, effective dose for lush plant growth.
Diego Santos
Low-Tech vs. High-Tech Planted Tanks: Which Approach Fits You
Compare low-tech and high-tech planted setups on cost, maintenance, and plant options to decide which style suits your goals.
Diego Santos
How to Aquascape a Nature-Style Planted Tank From Scratch
Plan and build a nature-style aquascape step by step, from hardscape composition to plant placement, using proven design principles.
Diego Santos