Speed Scaping: @jmaquascaping Sets Up 2 Tanks in 15 Minutes

We hosted aquascaper Jeff Miotke to do a live speed-scaping demo in front of a store crowd, two freshwater (FW) nano aquascapes, sourced entirely from materials pulled off our shelves, built in about 15 minutes each.

Splitting Stone the Right Way

Rather than gluing a single unstable stone straight to the glass, Jeff split a large stone along its natural grain lines to reveal intricate, triangular-feeling shapes underneath. The small leftover chips (aquascaping gold nuggets) get saved as wedges to prop up and stabilize larger pieces with a dab of super glue.

The One Real Rule of Aquascaping

Avoid perfectly vertical, block-like stone placement, it reads as man-made and creates no shadow work. Tipping and angling stones creates natural shadow play as light moves across the layout throughout the day. A triangular layout, naturally produced when splitting stone along its grain, is the most basic and reliable aquascaping composition there is.

Substrate Technique

• Aqua soil goes down first, always. Skipping it makes growing plants dramatically harder regardless of what else you do right
• A cheap paintbrush is the best tool for spreading and cleaning up soil in tight nooks and crevices
• A magnet can pull stray aqua soil, naturally iron-rich, out of a sand cap during maintenance
• Keep the sand layer thin at the front of the tank for a cohesive, easy-to-clean look, sloping deeper toward the back

Pond-Style Nano Scape

The second tank used a small, square UNS shallow tank with river stones and flat driftwood to build a desktop shallow pond style, marginal plants growing from submerged roots up and out of the water like houseplants, with room for shrimp or small fish to swim the perimeter. A great low-footprint style for a desk or side table since it doesn't require a stand.

Inspired to try speed-scaping at home? Shop hardscape stone, aqua soil, and nano tanks in our Aquascape Builds collection at natureaquariums.com.