Choosing soil for an aquarium: main factors, features, rules and expert advice

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Most people think that soil or gravel in an aquarium is just to make it more attractive. But is this really so? In reality, there are many other reasons to use soil in an aquarium, and there are situations where an aquarium without soil is preferable.

Why do you need soil in an aquarium?

Soil is required in most types of aquariums. Aquarium plants take root in it, for which the soil serves as the main source of nutrients. The bottom litter serves as a habitat for some species of fish, mollusks and arthropods.

The soil in the aquarium acts as a powerful biofilter. Colonies of bacteria settle in it, processing organic waste and turning it into harmless compounds. The composition of the water and the well-being of the inhabitants of the aquarium depend on the state of the substrate.

The decorative role of the soil is also important. It is able to decorate any artificial pond and give it originality.

Freshwater fish medium

The type of substrate used in a freshwater fish aquarium depends on their species, size, behavior and lifestyle. For example, goldfish like to dig and may capture particles while feeding; for them it is better to choose a large faction. Bottom inhabitants hide in the ground - the fine fraction is suitable for them. Some fish species require soft bottom cover to lay their eggs.

As for color, preference should be given to dark substrates. Against their background, the color of the aquarium inhabitants will be brighter.

Salty aquarium

The soil in a marine aquarium is a habitat for invertebrates and fish, serves as a place for corals to anchor, and maintains water parameters at the required level.

Base for living plants

The soil used in an aquarium with live plants must be rich in nutrients. To do this, it is recommended to make it multi-layered: place a special nutritious substrate under the main layer.

The structure of the substrate is necessary so that it is easy for plants to take root and nothing interferes with the development of the root system. It is usually recommended to use a medium-grained fraction with a particle diameter of 2-5 mm. For plants with long and powerful roots, a larger fraction is used.

Plants in the ground.

The size of the fraction is also important because in loose, well-washed and aerated soil, aerobic bacteria multiply, converting organic waste into useful substances used by plants.

Small particles cover the bottom of the aquarium in a dense layer and do not allow water to circulate. Anaerobic bacteria begin to multiply in the litter, which contribute to the rotting of the substrate and the release of harmful substances into the water. Particles that are too large are bad because nutrient organic compounds are not retained between them: they are easily washed out with water and become inaccessible to plants.

Another important parameter when maintaining plants is the height of the soil layer. Plants should be planted in litter 5-7 cm thick or more; this way you can achieve their best growth.

Planting and propagation of plants

If, when decorating an aquarium, you have to abandon the soil layer, this does not mean that plants are also excluded from the list. It’s just that now, instead of the classic landing method, you will have to use alternative methods:

1. With the help of the appearance of a shoot on the plant’s body (budding, new shoots, branching “whiskers”), the daughter formations are transplanted to the opposite part of the aquarium.
2. Leaf propagation - it is necessary to trim the top so that the plant, gradually increasing in size, does not disappear during the growth process.

Important! Before planting greens, you must clean them of foreign objects - snail eggs, algae, dirt and turbidity, and also trim off dead (rotten, dry and limp) areas. The final stage is to wash them under running water and place them for a period of up to several days in a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate and table salt.

Certain hard-leaved plant species that receive their nutrition exclusively from the soil through their roots should also not be written off - they can be planted in small pots. This way, you can save space in the aquarium, easily and quickly remove planted plants from the container during cleaning, and avoid damaging the roots themselves.

Properly trimming the roots will also speed up the growth of the seedling. A few minutes before planting, the reservoir and sprout should be moved into a container with 10 cm of washed soil and filled with water. Planting should be done starting from the back of the aquarium: tall species should be placed there, and smaller or lush bushes in front of them.

Floating plants can also be a good decoration for an aquarium - a worthy alternative to conventional ground bases. Such drifting variations have another undeniable advantage - they allow fish to lay eggs directly in such a mobile “island of greenery”, where other fish rarely try to destroy the eggs of their neighbors.

Types of soil for an aquarium

All existing substrates used in aquarium farming can be divided into 3 groups:

• natural (quartz, pebbles, gravel, sand, lava);
• processed (fired clay, expanded clay);
• artificial (plastics, glass).

In addition, there are neutral and nutritious types of soil. Neutral litter does not contain substances beneficial to plants; a sufficient amount of organic matter accumulates in them only a few months after launch. Nutrient mixtures are used in herbal aquariums and, depending on the composition of the fertilizer, serve as a source of micro- or macroelements.

Types of soil for an aquarium.

Cleaned sand

One of the widely used natural neutral types of bottom cover is sand. Preference should be given to river sand, because... marine is usually smaller, cakes and does not allow water to pass through. For better bedding aeration, it is recommended to choose sand with a particle size of at least 1.5-3 mm. To increase soil aeration, sand of different fractions should be poured in layers: coarser sand on top of finer ones.

As for color, preference should be given to dark or gray sand. Light-colored sand reflects light, which causes stress in fish. Red or yellow sand cannot be used, because... this color is due to the content of iron oxides in it, which are harmful to the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Aragonite for the marine ecosystem

Aragonite is a natural substrate formed by fragments of corals and mollusk shells. It comes in different factions; The most commonly used sand is with a particle diameter of 0.2 to 2 mm.

Aragonite substrate is obtained by deposition of small coral remains.

The main property of aragonite is maintaining water hardness. When the pH drops below 8.2 (the pH of natural seawater), it begins to dissolve, releasing calcium and other elements, and thus alkalizes the environment.

Aragonite sand has a porous structure and low weight. Thanks to these properties, it cakes less and prevents the soil from souring. Colonies of beneficial bacteria develop in the pores of the substrate.

Live aragonite is often used for marine aquariums. It is collected from the seabed in places of mass accumulation and packaged in bags without pre-treatment with a small amount of water.

Such bottom cover contains colonies of natural microorganisms, which contributes to the faster establishment of bioequilibrium in an artificial reservoir.

Regular gravel

Gravel is a widely used natural soil. It is chemically inert and does not change water parameters; it contains no nutrients.

Gravel particle sizes usually range from 3-5 mm. They should be smooth and not have sharp edges that could injure fish. In addition, rounded gravel cakes less and is washed better with water, which prevents it from souring.

When choosing the color of gravel, you should avoid red and yellow substrates: they contain iron oxides, which are harmful to the inhabitants of the aquarium.

The presence of shiny inclusions indicates the presence of heavy metals in the stones. Light-colored soil quickly becomes polluted and overgrown with algae. Therefore, it is preferable to use gravel in dark and gray shades.

The use of gravel in landscape design.

Nutritious vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mineral from the hydromica group that has a layered structure. When treated at high temperatures it swells. This process is due to the presence of water in its structure, which, when heated, turns into steam and expands.

Expanded vermiculite is capable of absorbing water in volumes 5 times greater than its own weight. In aquariums, expanded vermiculite is used in combination with other nutritious bedding or in its pure form.

Vermiculite is added to nutrient mixtures as a sorbent. This mineral swells in water.

Thanks to its loose structure, it allows for good washing of the soil with water and does not allow it to sour; Plant roots in vermiculite are well aerated.

The porous structure of vermiculite helps retain nutrients in the litter and keeps them from dissolving.

Vermiculite contains iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other minerals actively used by plants. Aerobic microorganisms multiply and form colonies in the pores of the material. Thanks to these qualities, vermiculite for plants can be used in its pure form.

Expanded vermiculite can be of different fractions.

Destroyed corals

Fragments of corals of various fractions often replace soil in marine aquariums and cichlids - i.e. where hard water is required. Coral skeletons are rich in calcium, which is released into the water when the pH drops to 8.2.

In addition, corals have a porous structure, due to which a large number of beneficial microorganisms can settle in them. The soil is well aerated, does not cake and does not sour.

One of the most commonly used types of coral substrate is coral sand. It is mined from the seabed near coral reefs and dried at low temperatures. In this case, parasites and pathogens of fish diseases die, but beneficial bacteria are preserved. Thanks to this, adding such soil to the aquarium allows you to quickly create bio-equilibrium.

In addition to dried, live coral sand can be used in marine aquariums. After extraction, it is packaged wet with seawater. At the same time, it preserves living natural invertebrates and microorganisms. Placing such soil in an aquarium allows you to quickly achieve the required water parameters.

Coral sand for an aquarium made from the skeletons of living organisms increases the rigidity of the environment.

Ancient laterite

Laterite is clay and rock fragments from tropical and subtropical zones that have been exposed to sun and rain for thousands of years and are rich in iron. In ponds with plants, laterite is used as a nutrient bedding. It is placed at the bottom and covered with gravel on top. It is important that the laterite does not come into contact with water, otherwise the iron will be released and poison the aquarium inhabitants.

Where to get aquarium soil

It is best to purchase it in a specialized store. In this case, you can be sure of its quality and that no infection will be introduced into the aquarium. If this is not possible, it is best to collect source material from the shallows of the nearest river. Under no circumstances should materials collected from the sides of railroad tracks, roads, around garages, or construction sites be used. Even after repeated washing, accumulated harmful substances may remain in such fractions, which there is no way to get rid of at home. Such substances include:

• various phenols;
• salts of heavy metals;
• residues of various petroleum products.

For the same reason, you should not buy soil at bazaars. Even in cases of repeated washing in order to give it a marketable appearance, it is impossible to remove the above substances.

Soil also influences the hydrochemical composition of water, contributing to an increase or decrease in such indicators as:

• acidity;
• hardness – general and carbonate.

Since each type of fish is adapted to life in water of a certain hydrochemical composition, attention should be paid to this fact when choosing soil.

What cannot be used as a substrate in an aquarium

Some types of soil available for sale are strictly not recommended for use in an aquarium.

Glass soil

Glass products have a smooth, pore-free surface, which prevents bacteria from growing on them. The nutrients needed by plants are not retained between the large glass beads. When washed into the water, organic matter poisons the fish.

Layered soil

When backfilling soil in layers (on top of a larger fraction - a smaller one), the looseness of the substrate is lost. It cakes and aerobic bacteria die.

Organic waste begins to rot, poisoning the water. Due to the influx of organic matter, algae grow rapidly in the water column.

The layered soil cakes and the water in the aquarium turns into a swamp.

Expanded clay

Expanded clay is not recommended for use in aquariums due to its too high porosity. It is capable of accumulating large amounts of organic matter and abruptly releasing harmful substances back into the water. Expanded clay is lightweight, so when fish dig through it, a lot of dirt and silt rises up.

garden soil

Garden soil is rich in organic matter. When it gets into the aquarium, rotting processes begin, leading to poisoning and death of the fish. In addition, the soil contains many microorganisms that can cause diseases in the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Soil care

Taking care of properly selected soil and cleaning it is quite easy. For this, a special device called a siphon is used. This is a glass or plastic cylinder with an outlet at the top onto which a hose is placed; silicone hoses have proven themselves to be the best. The hose is lowered into a bucket, or stretched to a bathtub, sink, the glass is immersed in the aquarium, negative pressure is created and cleaning begins, immersing the siphon in the ground. With the correct ratio of the diameters of the siphon and the outlet, the soil particles rise and seem to boil in a stream of water. In this way, dirt is washed out of the aquarium.

To simplify cleaning, automatic siphons are made. You can see how to make it and how to use such a device in the video.

Popular manufacturers

The best nutrient substrate for an aquarium with a large number of plants is considered to be ADA Power Sand Special. It contains nutrient granules made from porous volcanic stone, as well as special additives that ensure faster colonization of the bottom cover by bacteria. This soil must be laid on the bottom of the reservoir as a substrate.

Another nutrient mixture that is well suited for herbal aquariums is Dennerle DeponitMix. Its basis is neutral quartz sand, the nutritional components are peat, soil and clay. To give plants a bright green color, chelated iron compounds are added to the mixture in the form of a concentrate.

Special porous granules filter water well and are actively colonized by bacteria. This substrate must be used as a substrate, covered with a neutral cover on top.

JBL Manado is not a nutrient substrate, but is recommended for aquariums with live plants due to the high porosity of the granules and the ability to store fertilizer, releasing it gradually as needed. The particle sizes of this soil are 0.5-2 mm. The substrate material is clay, so it weighs little. Because of this, plants with poorly strengthened root systems can float to the surface, especially when keeping burrowing fish in the aquarium.

Artificial substrate

In addition to natural substrates, artificial substrates are used in aquarium farming. The most popular soil, which has a wide range of advantages, is brown expanded clay balls. Expanded clay has good porosity and low specific gravity. During the process of plant transplantation, it does not injure the root system. Colonies of beneficial anaerobic bacteria are formed over time inside the pores of expanded clay balls, which take part in purifying aquarium water from organic compounds.

Most foreign manufacturers of artificial aquarium substrates offer their customers artificial substrates made from rolled particles of glass or plastic. They come in a variety of colors and are used to make multi-colored mixtures. True, such a variegated coloring is not suitable for every aquarium, except for a jar in the “pseudo-sea” style. If you want to have a corner of wildlife, then it is better to refuse such decisions.

How to make a composition with your own hands

You can prepare a nutrient mixture for aquarium plants yourself.

For this you will need:

1. Charcoal (activated granules or natural birch). It absorbs harmful substances from the soil, cleaning the litter.
2. Clay is a source of minerals necessary for plant life.
3. Sorbent (vermiculite) is an active additive that retains nutrients in the soil and does not allow them to dissolve in water.
4. Peat (pressed or in granules) is a source of organic substances required for plant nutrition. In its natural form, it can cause soil acidification.
5. Finely chopped fallen leaves and coconut fiber are also sources of beneficial organic matter. The foliage of some tree species decomposes too quickly or too slowly, so coconut fiber is preferable. The release of nutritional compounds from coconut fiber occurs evenly and continuously.
6. Coarse sand or small pebbles.

Do-it-yourself nutritious soil for plants in an aquarium.

Substrate preparation

Before placing soil in the aquarium, it must be properly prepared. The first thing to do is to rinse it thoroughly. The soil is washed until the drained water is absolutely clean and without any hint of turbidity. After washing, the substrate must be calcined in the oven on a baking sheet. Thanks to calcination, all remaining organic matter, all kinds of microorganisms and algae spores are destroyed.

Some aquarium sources indicate that the aquarium soil must be additionally treated with a solution of hydrochloric acid to remove calcium salts. But, if you are guided by experience, the use of soils with marble and lime inclusions increases water hardness by only 2 - 4 degrees. These inclusions do not have any serious effect on water with average hardness. For aquatic plants, such a change in hardness does not play a special role.

M.B. Zierling conducted numerous experiments on the use of various types of aquarium soil. River sand mixed with clay was also used without pre-treatment or washing; small pebbles from the Gulf of Finland, from which pieces of reed and wood chips were removed. In all cases, the nature of the aquarium substrate did not have a negative impact on the growth of aquarium plants. On the contrary, the more inclusions of all kinds (silt, peat, clay) were in the soil, the faster the balance was established in the aquarium and the growth of aquatic plants accelerated.

If you have plans to use soil from a natural reservoir in which fish live, then there is a high probability that you will infect your pets with infectious diseases or introduce parasites. To prevent this from happening, it is better not to take soil from such reservoirs. And if you do use such a substrate, it must be completely processed: washed and calcined.

Alternatively, you can resort to quarantine keeping the soil in an empty, lifeless aquarium for a month. As a rule, organisms that cause all kinds of diseases die without finding carriers. However, this method does not provide a 100% guarantee; along with the bottom sludge, you can introduce such an unwanted guest as a hydra into the aquarium.

Correct styling

A nutrient mixture for plants (purchased or prepared independently) is placed on the bottom; the layer thickness should be about 2-3 cm. If the plants are planted in groups in separate areas, then the nutrient substrate is placed only on these areas. A basic neutral primer with large or medium-sized particles is placed on top of the substrate. This is necessary so that the nutrient litter is not washed away by water; In addition, plant roots are strengthened in the top layer.

The soil in the aquarium can be distributed evenly along the bottom or a slope can be formed towards the front glass. The thickness of the litter at the back wall can reach 8 cm, at the front - 2-3 cm. It is recommended to make a recess in the center in which waste will accumulate. This arrangement makes cleaning the aquarium easier.

The section of the bottom under the stern point should be left without soil or laid in a thin layer. A shallow cuvette or saucer can be installed in this place. This will make it easier for the fish to collect fallen food.

Before placing the soil in the aquarium, it is necessary to free it from dust, rinse it in water, and, if necessary, boil it and calcinate it for disinfection. Nutrient substrates and fertilizers cannot be washed and calcined, otherwise beneficial substances and microorganisms will be lost.

If the aquarium is intended to contain inhabitants that require soft water, the soil should be checked for limestone content before installation.

To do this, acetic acid is applied to the litter particles. The appearance of hissing gas bubbles indicates the presence of carbonates and bicarbonates in the material, which, when released into water, will dissolve and increase the pH.

Aesthetic appeal

Finally, the decorative function of the soil is also important. A good substrate will make the aquarium more aesthetically attractive and much more pleasant to watch. The gravel will hide the debris that inevitably accumulates at the bottom of the tank every day. Try leaving a fish tank with a bare, ungraveled bottom for a couple of days, and you will be surprised how much debris accumulates at the bottom.

Plus, substrate is often essential for your fish to show off their best colors. Most tetras, as well as silverfish, require dark substrates to truly show off their natural, vibrant colors.

The benefits and harms of siphon soil cleaning

When cleaning the soil with a siphon, there is no need to evict the inhabitants of the aquarium and remove plants.

The siphon does not collect all the sludge, so after cleaning, a certain amount of organic matter is always retained in the soil to feed plants. This is the advantage of siphon cleaning over complete rinsing and replacing the substrate.

The disadvantages of this cleaning method include the possibility of small fish and shellfish getting into the hose, clogging the hose with soil particles, as well as the likelihood of draining too much water, which will lead to a shift in its parameters and disruption of bio-equilibrium in the aquarium. In addition, the siphon lifts a large amount of organic matter from the bottom, which can provoke the proliferation of algae and water blooms.

Principles and rules of selection

Before you go shopping, take a pen (or better yet, colored pencils) and a piece of paper. Draw your aquarium and figure out exactly what the bottom should look like. After this, write down the key points that will be needed in the future when choosing a bottom flooring:

• What kind of fish is the aquarium intended for? Each species has its own requirements for the composition of water, and the soil can change it, increasing acidity or alkalizing it.
• What plants will grow in the aquarium? Species with a developed root system need heavy and porous soil, but surface ones do not have such requirements.

• What color scheme will the aquarium have and how will it match its inhabitants?
• Does the aquarium have a filter or not? Strong filtration pumps are capable of drawing in fine sand, which leads to their rapid deterioration.
• What is the volume of the aquarium? Necessary to determine the amount of soil.

After all the necessary parameters have been outlined, you should understand the types of soils and their possibility of use in a particular case.

Fraction size

It completely depends on what kind of fish and plants will be in the aquarium.
According to the famous aquarist S.V. Obraztsov, the larger the fish, the thicker the bottom layer should be and the larger the soil fraction. The same rule applies to aquatic plants. Fine-grained fillers will not be able to support the massive root system of plants, which will lead to inhibition in their growth and development.

Some large fish are capable of swallowing small particles of soil, which, at best, will negatively affect the functioning of the digestive system, and at worst, death.

Type of fish

Conventionally, all fish when choosing soil can be divided into 2 categories:

• Demanding (loach, cockroach, acanthophthalmus, macrognathus, corydoras, ancistrus, agamixis): the soil should be selected so that the fish can freely burrow into it, and the water does not become additionally alkalized.

• Neutral (danio, barb, cardinal, guppy, gourami, neon): soil is chosen taking into account the size of the fish, as well as behavioral characteristics.

If there are bottom inhabitants in the aquarium, then areas with fine-grained soil must be allocated for them, in which they can burrow. If this condition is not provided, the fish will experience constant stress and will not be able to fully develop.

Plant types

Representatives of the aquarium flora are divided into 3 groups:

• With a developed root system - they need several layers of soil, as well as feeding and fertilizing under the bush.

• With a minimal root system, it grows and develops well in any type of aquatic soil.

• Without rooting - they live in the water column or on its surface.

If you are not sure that exotic plants will take root and become a full-fledged part of the aquarium, then you can choose the simplest specimens, for the cultivation of which the most common and inexpensive types of soil are suitable.

Some fish, during mating season or stressful situations, can tear out plants planted in the ground. For this purpose, experts recommend further strengthening them with the help of large stones, shells, pots and decorative items.

Filler type

Since the main task of soil is to purify water and destroy pathogenic flora, its type is extremely important when choosing. There are:

• Natural – all fractions of gravel, sand, pebbles. It is the most common and optimal option for all types of fish, since during use it does not emit toxic substances and does not saturate the water with microelements that could change its composition.

• Processed natural – ground glass, expanded clay, painted dolomite, coral sand. It serves a rather decorative role, but can be used in small quantities for certain types of fish.

• Artificial - made from non-natural components that do not affect the composition of water in any way. You can choose any color scheme and decorate the aquarium according to your own wishes.

Experts recommend combining several types of soil so that plants grow well, bottom fish have somewhere to burrow, and other inhabitants feel comfortable and safe.

Color scheme and decor

In this case, only the aquarium owner decides what kind of soil will be appropriate. Some advice from an expert:

• The white filler more clearly reflects the presence of waste products of the inhabitants. If feces are practically invisible on a gray-green surface and are disposed of naturally, the bright colors of the soil give away secrets.

• The dark shade shows the fish in their best light. All attention is focused on the inhabitants, and not on decorative elements.

• For dark soil, any type of illumination can be used, while with bright illumination of a light substrate there is a risk of distorting the shape of the bottom.

Any decorative elements that are part of the ground must be made only from suitable materials. You should not form the bottom from objects that are not intended for prolonged contact with water. This will not only affect the composition of the water, but will also have a detrimental effect on the life of the fish.

Do you need a nutritional support?

Very often in aquarium farming, boiled peat is used. The benefits of such a nutritional support are extremely high; there is no point in arguing here. It’s just that peat tends to sour over time, and it doesn’t matter how well you prepare it before using it in your aquarium. During the life of the aquarium, the peat will begin to accumulate hydrogen sulfide, from which the root system of the plants will begin to rot, and the plants themselves will eventually die. To prevent this from happening, it is better to mix peat with other useful additives, such as charcoal or clay.

The cheapest and most proven way to feed aquarium plants after starting an aquarium is to place lumps of clay under the root system. To feed aquatic plants, it is best to use gray, blue and yellow clay. There is plenty of yellow clay in our latitudes, but its nutritional value is the most modest of those listed above. The most effective and efficient blue clay, which is not found on the surface and is mined as a result of excavation.

To get the coveted balls with a diameter of 1 - 1.5 centimeters, the clay is divided into small pieces, which are dried and stored in a dry place. Clay not only does not spoil or cloud the water, but in the process of soaking it releases nutrients into the soil and alkalizes it. And this property prevents acidification of the substrate. In the process of caring for the aquarium, clay will be washed out of the soil using a siphon.

Important nuances

The aquarium will become both a comfortable home for its inhabitants and an excellent addition to the interior if you take into account when selecting soil:

• Fraction size. For small inhabitants (acatnophthalmus, mastocembela, small fish) and plants with a fragile root system - a fine substrate, for large fish and plants with strong roots - a large one.
• Inhabitants. For fish that like to dig or burrow into the soil (acantophthalmus, cockroach, corydoras, loaches) - a shallow substrate.
• Faction form. Only even and smooth particles without chips: the survival rate of plants increases, the likelihood of fish being injured on the ground decreases.
• Color. The shade is selected based on the general style; you can play with contrast or use color rules.

Once you have decided on the main points, you can begin choosing the type of soil.

Is homemade feeding of aquarium plants necessary?

I said a little higher that clay can be mixed with peat. The same small balls are made from them, which are well dried and stored in a dry place. The proportions may be different, but the most optimal is 1:1. When such a mixture remains in the ground for a long time, it releases a lot of nutrients into the water, namely: humic acids and various extracts that stimulate plant growth. At the same time, soil acidification was not observed when using such mixtures.

It is very useful to add charcoal to the soil, which is an excellent adsorbent. Coal collects all the products of decay and decay of organic matter, and also prevents soil acidification for a long time. Charcoal is added directly to the soil itself, or it is added when making the treasured nutrient balls made from peat and clay. Such “hodgepodge” balls, where only 1/5 of the total volume of the mixture is allocated to coal, are considered the most favorable for a young aquarium with tropical plants.

Does the color of the soil matter?

In this case, the choice depends entirely on the lover of underwater flora and fauna. Modern manufacturers offer many colors of stones. But, of course, it is better to choose something natural. For example, if you like black, then basalt is a great option. Quartz, granite, gravel, coral chips, and baked clay also look beautiful.

If you don’t want to plant natural plants, but still want to create a beautiful design, then you can safely use artificial soil of any color. The main thing here is to choose the right tones so that each element looks harmonious.

The best choice is natural soil for the aquarium.