Planting
Planting in shallow water Is much simpler than planting dry; the water allows the leaves to rise and spread, giving a better idea of just how your decorative scheme is progressing. Start planting at the back and work your way forward. lf you have to break off this operation, the water in the tank will prevent the plants from drying out, but in that event cover the unplanted plants with wet newspaper. Planting: hold each plant firmly at the crown. This is located at the junction where the roots join the stem or main body. With one finger make a path in the gravel and slide the roots into this. On no account try to force the roots down or you will just break them off, Bury the roots and stem as deeply as possible; then, when in position, grasp all the stems together and gently tug upwards until the crown is just visible. When planting bunches be sure not to disturb any already set in place. Bunch plants come fastened together with strips of lead, wire, string, raffia or even rubber bands, without roots. You should bury the base of the clump just below the gravel; most of these will develop root growths later. Lf the bunch tends to float, weight it down by either sprinkling gravel among the leaves or fastening the clump firmly with small pieces of lead. Though this metal in strip form isn't toxic in the aquarium, bunches so fastened tend to rot where the plant comes into contact with the metal. Set all but the floating plants in place. These are not placed on the surface of the water until after the aquarium is filled. Float them temporarily in a container of lukewarm water and they will come to no harm.
Installing the equipment
With all the plants in place and the tank still half full of water, the heater/thermostat can now be affixed to the back of the frame. Lf placed near one end it can be easily camouflaged by the taller plants. To function correctly the heater must be immersed in the water (when the aquarium is filled) for approximately three-quarters of its length, but all manufacturers of this equipment include some form of fixing clip or bracket. Do not connect to the power at this stage. lf filers and/or aerators are to be used, it is also time to install them. In the case of box filter units, see that they are complete with filter media. lf this includes charcoal, rinse by d6cing the charcoal in a coarse net and swirling it under a faucet, Charcoal sold in packets contains quite a lot of loose dust and this must be rinsed out before putting the charcoal into the filter box. Appliances come boxed with full installation instructions ;follow these recommendations and you can't go wrong. lf the water is delivered to the filter by a siphon, it cannot be started until after the
tank is completely filled.
Filling the Tank
When all is in place - with the power still not connected – give the inside glass a final rinse and wipe away any scum that might have accrued from the previous operations. siphon out the water you used to simplify planting, as it will no doubt be dirty. Give the After all decorations are placed in the aquarium, it is filled with water, taking care not to overly disturb the gravel.
