Rescaping a UNS 45S Shallow Aquarium: Riverbank Aquascape Tutorial for Beginners
Rescaping a UNS 45S Shallow Aquarium: Riverbank Aquascape Tutorial for Beginners
This UNS 45S shallow tank had been running as a peninsula-style layout for almost a year with a thriving colony of clown killies, but it was time for a beginner-friendly freshwater (FW) rescape — a great example of how to refresh a tank that's lost its spark without starting completely from zero.
Reusing What Works
Rather than tearing everything out, we kept the original driftwood elements and rebuilt around them in a new, elongated riverbank-style layout, adding fresh river rock to create the look of a current pushing sand up toward a riverbank edge. Lighting was upgraded to the UNS Aquaworx SOL puck light system for better spread across the shallow footprint.
Plant List
Brazil Sword (emersed, above the waterline)
Brazilian Pennywort
Hydrocotyle Tripartita Japan, planted alongside the wood
Fish included Clown Killies and Red Neon Rasboras against the new riverbank scene.
Filtration & Cycling
We reused the same UNS Blitz canister filter from the original setup — its cycled media carries over beneficial bacteria, which shortens the recycle process. Even so, expect a partial recycle any time you introduce new substrate and rock and thoroughly clean the glass: add ammonia and bacterial supplement and expect a couple of weeks rather than a full month-long cycle before adding new fish.
