What makes a jungle tank
A jungle tank looks overgrown on purpose. Tall plants reach the surface and trail along it, ferns and anubias cling to wood, and floating plants throw shade below. It hides equipment, gives fish cover and suits keepers who would rather watch a tank than prune it.
The rules the planner checks
- Wood, ideally root or spider wood, with epiphytes tied onto it.
- Dense planting for your tank's length.
- Floating plants such as Amazon frogbit or red root floaters.
- Something reaching the surface, like jungle val or water wisteria.
- Mostly low-tech plants, so it keeps growing without CO₂.
Good jungle plants
Java fern and anubias on the wood, cryptocorynes in front, vallisneria and water wisteria behind, a compact sword in the middle of smaller tanks or an Amazon sword in big ones, and frogbit on top. The planner keeps oversized swords and giant anubias out of small tanks, which is the most common way a jungle tank turns into a wall of leaves.
Other styles
- Nature aquascape planner
- Iwagumi aquascape planner
- Dutch aquascape planner
- Biotope aquascape planner
- Low-tech aquascape planner
New to the styles? Read Iwagumi vs Nature vs Dutch, or start from the main aquascape planner.
Questions
Do jungle aquariums need CO₂?
No. Most jungle plants are low-light, slow-growing species that do well without it, which is a big part of the style's appeal.
Will floating plants block too much light?
They can. Keep them to part of the surface so the plants below still get light, and thin them every week or two.
The aquascape planner is in beta. If something looks wrong or you would like a plant added, tell us.