# What is a Jungle Aquarium?



## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

I've seen the term" jungle aquarium" thrown around and wonder what that actually means. Is there a difference between a Jungle aquarium and one that is merely not properly groomed, pruned and care for, basically let run wild?

just curious


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## Clone (Feb 29, 2004)

IMO its all about personal taste. What one person call a jungle another will suggest a plant for that "bare spot." :tongue:


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

I dunno, I don't think "Jungle Aquarium" is an official aquascaping technique. Generall it is used to describe a tank that might be a bit overgrown, or have too many varieties of plants.


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## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

All a matter of personal tastes. All my tanks follow the jungle philosophy.

Some of the "official" techniques I've seen, including award winners don't do a thing for me and some of those judged "jungle" are some of the best. Just not mine ...


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## WolverineFan (Dec 15, 2004)

My understanding of the term is that it refers to an aquarium that isn't constantly being poked and proded and trimmed every other day. The plants are generally left to assume a natural appearance rather than a contrived one. Think of an Amano tank and then think exactly the opposite.


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## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

Heh, Amano, at least from what I've read of his "nature" philosophy, it has little to with nature as it occurs under water and more to do with what he thinks "nature" should look like, usually something not under water.

But that's his bag I guess.

My main reason for not tweaking and pruning all the time is once my tank has achieved a certain level of balance, I'm loathe to do something that might upset it.


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## RoseHawke (Mar 10, 2004)

I would suspect calling them "Nature" tanks might be a mistranslation, or just as close as they can get with the translation anyway. If you look at a Japanese garden, and look at Amano's tanks you can see the same philosphies at play IMHO.

Mine's a jungle at the moment, but it's more because I'm trying to see what's gong to survive :icon_roll ! I don't think I ever want to order an "assortment" of plants again. Especially of what turns out to be unlabeled plants  .


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

I'll give you an example LOL

Grow out:









Jungle 










Do some hacking back in the grow out tank...wait 5 days and you get another jungle LOL


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## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

Which to me, regardless of aquascaping techniques or philosophies, makes you one heck of a plant dude.

Maybe a bigger tank though? 

I usually wait till my fish are plastered against the sides of the tank before I wonder if it's time to prune.


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

I've enjoyed reading these responses, which have pretty much confirmed what I suspected. It's all personal taste. One person's unruly mess is another person's exciting natural jungle. One person's trimmed arrangement is another person's contrived fabrication. There are really no right or wrongs.

As an example, before going away for two weeks, I set up my tanks with some medium sized Water Sprites set up on both sides of my tank -- groomed and landscaped so as to be pleasing to the eye. Quite arranged. I returned after two weeks to find that my two Sprite bushes, as expected, had grown into huge monsters -- with lots of nice lovely green growth, but also lots of "out of place" stems and dripping roots. Time for a haircut. The first bush I yanked out, taking a handful of substrate with it and filling the water with debris. What a mess. I trimmed the pieces and replanted. Not bad. The second bush I left in placed, removed most of the dangling roots, trimmed back certain stems - much less of a mess and the end result was more natural looking. But this trimming took a LONG time to do. And if it becomes a chore, the less likely you are to maintain it. Lesson for me: no need to completely butcher your plants if you like how they look.

I think the key is to have fun and go with what you like, not what the books say. Sprite might be regarded as a weed and a lesser, cheap plant but hey if you want to have a tank full of Sprite, go for it. Haha.

If I wanted an arrangement of locked perfection, I would have stayed with plastic plants.  Change is part of the planted tank experience.


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Impressive growth from some very healthy plants. Is that L. glandulosa in the first pic on the middle-right hand side?

Should consider a larger grow-out tank if you have the space for it. Less hacking away. BTW, is that the same C. helferi in the left hand side?


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## Aphyosemion (Oct 15, 2004)

You don't have a real unruly jungle aquarium until your fish jumps out of the water and lands on the plants the the top of the tank and can't get back in the water. It is funny, but I actually had that happen in my 75 gallon tank when I first started attempting to make it into a planted tank. My hornwort grew so fast and furiously that I actually had to pick a fish off the top of it at one point and put it back in the water. It might have eventually flopped around til it got back in......but maybe not.
-Aphyosemion


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

Ibn said:


> Impressive growth from some very healthy plants. Is that L. glandulosa in the first pic on the middle-right hand side?
> 
> Should consider a larger grow-out tank if you have the space for it. Less hacking away. BTW, is that the same C. helferi in the left hand side?




That is glandulosa and the helferi 

that tank is purely a grow out tank now. I'm slowly clearing it as a fundraising venture for my ADA style tank. Already have the ferts/substrate on order. Now I need to get the lights and tank LOL....actually designing some new reflectors LOL

less organized grow out ...I should take a picture of it now (picture is 1 month ago) to show how it is now a madhouse jungle LOL


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

Aphyosemion said:


> You don't have a real unruly jungle aquarium until your fish jumps out of the water and lands on the plants the the top of the tank and can't get back in the water. It is funny, but I actually had that happen in my 75 gallon tank when I first started attempting to make it into a planted tank. My hornwort grew so fast and furiously that I actually had to pick a fish off the top of it at one point and put it back in the water. It might have eventually flopped around til it got back in......but maybe not.
> -Aphyosemion



ummm...how about having to rescue your fish that get stuck in the uber dense stargrass LOL. ...and keep having to rescue them since they were mentally deficient 
..nothing like seeing fish pressed between the glass and stargrass 
:help:


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Very nice. That tank is starting to look like a saltwater frag tank. :hihi: 

LOL, fish in stargrass. Have a similar problem with Lilaeopsis novae zelandiae. The dwarf cichlids poke their heads in to pick up the bloodworms, but end up being stuck in their themselves.


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Ibn said:


> Very nice. That tank is starting to look like a saltwater frag tank. :hihi:
> 
> LOL, fish in stargrass. Have a similar problem with Lilaeopsis novae zelandiae. The dwarf cichlids poke their heads in to pick up the bloodworms, but end up being stuck in their themselves.


 I've been noticing lately how closely the planted tank hobby is starting to look similar to the coral frag trade hobby! It's too much fun!

Haha, I've got some way overgrown tenellus. My clown loaches normally love hanging out underneath the growth but every time they dare to venture down there lately (to pick up a fallen piece of food) they literally go into a stir-crazed panic trying to get out, haha.


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## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

LOL!!! Now I understand how Gomer is able finance his new tanks with plants. That's a nice tank.


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