Have you ever wanted to keep a freshwater, planted aquarium? Not just an aquarium with a few live plants, but a true aquatic garden. Doing so can be a very rewarding aquarium experience. An aquatic garden is the freshwater equivalent to keeping a saltwater reef aquarium.

Aquatic plants require three main factors to not just survive, but to thrive. These three factors are light, nutrients-fertilizers, and CO2. Light and nutrients are typically the easiest of the three to provide. However, in order to allow for lush, rich plant growth, providing adequate CO2 is the key. In order to do so, some sort of CO2 injection system is required.

Now, at The Aquatic Critter are the new Dupla pH controlled CO2 injection systems. Typically, injecting CO2 into an aquarium can cause dramatic, downward pH shifts. Well, the new Dupla system negates that worry. The injection process is controlled by a pH monitor, which you preset for the desired pH of the aquarium. As plants photosynthesize, they absorb the CO2, causing the pH to shift upwards. As this happens, and the preset pH is exceeded, the pH monitor turns on the Dupla system, delivering CO2 into the aquarium until the pH drops back to the preset, desired level. These changes in pH are minimal, however, only by a few tenths or hundredths of a point. A system such as this, is a revolutionary method of using a CO2 injection system to both provide adequate levels to the plants, while not creating the dramatic shifts in pH which can occur.

Of course, why just buy them to stock, when you can also buy one for display. We at The Aquatic Critter invite you to take a look at our new aquatic garden display aquarium. This aquarium features a 54 gallon bow front corner aquarium, giving a unique look into the aquarium. As a substrate medium we use Floramax gravel, an iron rich, deep red brown clay gravel. Beneath this substrate are heating cables by AZoo to both heat the water and help keep the plants from getting “cold feet.” By heating the water from the bottom of the aquarium, this creates a continuous upward and downward water current. The heated water from the cables moves up through the gravel and the water column in the aquarium, forcing the cooler water back down to where it is reheated. This prevents the gravel layer from becoming an anaerobic zone, and fresh water is continually brought to the plant’s roots.

Also on this aquarium are the JBJ power compact lights, which we now keep in stock, and Eheim’s new Professional II style canister filter. In addition to the Duple CO2 system, we also stock the CarboPlus system, which introduces CO2 into the water through electrolysis. So come in and take a look, and consider designing your very own aquatic garden.