The zebra pleco, Hypancistrus zebra, is one of the flashiest and most memorable freshwater fish in the world. Although they have a very striking pattern, the fish has not become widely popular because it’s not exactly the type of fish you plop into a community tank. Zebra plecos are a very cautious species which quickly retreat from sudden movements of fish and people, making them unable to compete with common aquarium species. Many aquarists complain that they never see their zebra plecos even in tanks dedicated to L46 and we believe that is because the aquarium has to fulfill some requirements to make Hypancistrus zebra feel most comfortable. Probably the most overlooked need of zebra plecos is the need for moderate light; it doesn’t have to be very dark but they can see bright lights shining overhead so we recommend just one fluorescent tube or LEDs. Also, although it is well known that shy fish need dither fish to feel comfortable coming out, if you want to dither your zebras you should use species that make sense to zebra plecos like corydoras and ottocinclus.  Finally, it goes without saying that zebra plecos need hiding spaces and cover to feel comfortable. If you give L46 an endless matrix of caves and holes of course your viewing experience will be impaired. The zebra plecotope above tries to provide areas of cover which are still visible to the aquarium viewer such as the large overhanging ledge. If you provide Hypancistrus with moderate light, the right kind of dither fish and creative hiding places your colony will reward you with plenty of time roaming around out in the open places of your aquarium where they can easily be seen.

This is a video we made while visiting the inimitable Aqua Forest Aquarium in San Francisco, CA. If you have never been to AFA, it is arguably the nicest overall store dedicated to just freshwater aquatic plants with several very nice display tanks and the newest and most highly sought after plants and shrimp in the aquarium hobby. The video above shows a roughly 200 gallon aquarium which is laid out in one of the hardest to master compositions, the Iwagumi layout. At over six feet long, this is the largest iwagumi plantscape we have ever seen and this tank which is visible outside the window is truly stunning from both sides of the tank. The aquarium and all the equipment follows the ADA recipe to the letter, using all ADA products, filters, diffusers and lily pipes and we imagine that it was quite a lot of work to keep all the glosso and hairgrass perfectly prim. Alas, it is no longer possible to visit this composition in it’s iwagumi form. The last time we visited about a month ago the tank was dry, with substrate and wood in position but no water or flow. We did not get a chance to ask what would be the next iteration of this fabulous tank but seeing how inspiring the AFA shop is overall, we have no hesitation in prediciting that it will be another masterpiece of aquaplantsmanship when it gets going again.

Tonina Style planted aquariums is a new style of aquatic gardening which we have been studying for a little while now. The concept of “Tonina Style” is sort of a “Super Dutch” approach to growing certain aquatic plants, especially the Eriocaulon, Tonina and Syngonanthus species which are collectively known as Star Plants or Hoshi-kusa (Japanese for “star plant”). The video above displays an ideal Tonina Style freshwater aquarium using many plants with fine leaves: You’ll find very few plants that have otherwise “normal” leaves such as Ludwigia, Hygrophyla or Rotala, these are mostly absent. Tonina style and star plants can grow under a range of conditions but they truly look their best when cultured under stong light and CO2, good water flow, regular dosing and especially soft water with low general and carbonate hardnesses. Aquascaperz will be keeping Tonina Style planted tanks as a major component of our coverage of the planted aquarium community, continue reading to learn more about the aquarium above.

Tank: 24″ x 24″ x 20″ high, working volume of 37 gallons after substrate

Substrate: Medium sized powersand special, with Aquasoil Amazonia regular type

Filter: Marineland Canister, mid-size

Flow: Vortech MP10, reef crest mode, removed for the video

Light: 150 watt double ended ADA metal halide lamp

CO2: 4 bubbles per second into a DIY reactor fashioned from an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals tap water purifier.

Dosing: All nutrients are provided by the Seachem FLourish line of additives and added daily; 5ml Flourish Trace, 20ml Flourish Excel, 25ml Phosphate, 20ml Potassium, 10ml Nitrate, 15ml of Iron.