Setting Up a Miniature Plant Tank – For National Fish Show Competitions

Author: Warren Stillwell
Date: May 16 2002

The first thing you will need to setup a miniature planted tank is the rules and judging standards. From this you can work out just what you can get away with. At the FNZAS conference in Hamilton there was a National fish show. One of the sections was for miniature planted aquaria. There was some question about some of the tanks being setup prior to the competition (instead of being setup at the venue), but we could not find anything in the rules that said we couldn’t. The first thing we need to do is 100% clarify the rules. Some feedback would be good here, maybe someone can publish the rules in the NZ Fishroom!?

That aside however, lets look at how to setup a tank.

Tank

This is typically 250 x 150 x 200mm (LxWxH) usually made from glass. There is nothing in the rules that says you cannot have a compartment built off the back of the tank for the heater and or filter.

Substrate:
Sand or very fine gravel is best used here. It is no good for long term as very fine substrates tend to pack down and seal up therefore going stale.
Because a miniature planted tank is only for a show and short-term use sand or fine gravel is ok. The reason for using very fine substrate is it is to a similar scale to the tank. Large gravel would look out of place.

Filter:
A small efficient filter is required. Because the tank must be moved to the show it is likely to get stirred up a bit. Also, if the tank is setup on-site, the water is likely to be a bit murky. To get the water crystal clear again some kind of filter is required. It is also important to hide the filter or filter pipework as these will detract points from your score.
Choose a small filter with high quality mechanical filter media and activated carbon. If a tank with a separate compartment at the back is used, the filter can be housed here. Much more flexibility of filter type can be used with this system.

Plants

Do not buy your plants from a pet shop unless they have been grown submersed. Most aquatic plants sold at pet shops are grown emmersed, that is, the top of the plant is out of the water, - only the roots are in the water. Most aquatic plants look different when grown submersed. If you expect to have a natural looking tank, you must acquire natural looking plants. The judges will be specifically looking at the quality of the plants. It is best to steal plants from your big planted tank (or your friends tank). Pick the new fine tips of stemmed plants, and the new small plants that have emerged from runners. It is once again important to keep the scale of the tank in mind. Make sure the plants have no defects. Every leaf must be perfect, and the shape of the plant must be balanced, and suit its placement in the tank. Make sure there is absolutely no algae on any of the plants you use.

Fish

It is important to choose small fish also. This is a miniature tank, so everything in it must be miniature. Use either very small fish (in their adult size), or very young fish that have not yet fully grown. The ideal size fish is 15-25mm long. The type of fish is also important. It should have subtle colouration. The fish should be easily seen, but should not stand out and dominate the tank (once again balance is important). Some examples could be; small Black Neons, Blue Diamond Neons, baby Harlequins etc.

Lighting:
This needs to be strong and of high quality. Dedicate a high quality fluorescent tube to the tank, and definitely supply it yourself. The colour spectrum should be daylight (6500K). A Philips TLD 86 or 96 is perfect. These are very high natural colour rendering tubes, and are much cheaper too. It is important to have all the light going into the tank. All stray light must be shielded so it does not shine in people’s eyes. Use a dark background to create a very high level of contrast. This makes the tank look much bolder. The water must be perfectly clear otherwise the lighting will show up cloudiness or particles.

Heating

An under tank heating pad could be used, but the gravel or sand may effect the water temperature by partially insulating the water from the pad. It is best to supply your own heater if possible. If you use a tank with a separate compartment off the back, a standard small heater can be put in here.

Creativity:
Apart from getting all the ingredients correct, they must be arranged in some pleasing manner. It is best to look to nature for inspiration. There are many books available to help. Among the best are the Nature Aquarium World series by Takashi Amano. Nature programs on TV can also help. Go and observe nature and copy it. Many of Takashi Amano’s tanks are based on natural looking things. They are not necessarily based on aquatic scenes, but anything in nature. Use your imagination.

Transportation:
If you plan to setup your tank prior to the day of registration, transporting it to the venue and keeping it from falling apart is an issue. The best way to transport the tank is full. If it is filled completely to the top, and a lid with an excellent seal is used, the tank will arrive at its destination 100% intact. This is due to the water not being able to slop or move inside the tank.

Summary

In creating a miniature planted aquaria, we are striving towards ‘Miniature’. All items used be it wood, rock, substrate, fish and plants must be small (miniature) and in relative proportion to each other. All aspects of the tank must be perfect; the glass must be clean, water clear, plants have no defects, fish have perfect shape and fins, and the lighting strong..
Once this is achieved we will have a very good looking tank, and a better chance of winning the section in the show.