In this section of our two part article, we will tell you some secrets to create a great looking tank!
Step 1:

One of the most important ideas behind aquascaping is this, "The larger the tank, the better." In fact, this is a great general rule to follow if you plan on raising any fish. For our example, we're using a smaller aquarium-since we cannot fit a larger on on a single monitor. This is 1024x768, roughly 10 gallons.
Step 2:

Choose a gravel color, and size, that will go hand in hand with your tank, and the fish you plan on keeping! If you are interested in anothe aspect of fishkeeping, known as biotope aquariums, you will have to do a bit more research. Biotope aquariums are tanks which only house particular species from particular places. (Ie: an Amazon Basin biotope, or a Rocky Bottom Stream biotope.) In this case, we chose the larger gravel, known as stream from the Guppy Pack. Also, try to figure out what single object is going to be the focal point in the tank. In this case, we have a large rock. Place this rock roughly in the 2/3rd position as this is the golden spot for viewing. Doing this creates a naturalistic balance to the tank, as opposed to placing the rock dead center; a big aesthetic no-no!
Step 3:

Add plant cover around the rock-generally plants are found in clumps. In our tanks, we try to place our plants in clumps, as this proves to be much more realistic.

Part 4:

The next aquascaping technique is very interesting. When placing clumps of plants, it's best to do this in a triangular shape (when viewed from above). This also creates a sort of balance within the tank.
And that's it! These techniques are only illustrated here in the most basic form. If you combine these techniques with ones from the other article, you will quickly see how your tanks can become quite attractive with just a little bit of effort. Look foward to more articles on aquascaping as well as biotope aquariums soon! Until next time, happy aquascaping!
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