10-20-07:
UPDATE: Echinodorus Tennelus is almost ready for individual offering of ten plants, (a foreground plant somewhat like dwarf saggitaria), and new stem plants such as Ludwigia Inclinata, Eusteralis S. Limnophilia Aromatica approx. three weeks till ready! Again, these will be submerged plants, not emersed.
Don Matakis, Grower
09-15-07:
More varieties of plants are coming including several varieties of Echinodorus Tennelus, (a foreground plant somewhat like dwarf saggitaria), and new stem plants such as Ludwigia Inclinata! These will be submerged plants, not emersed. And of course, they will be of the highest quality. Coming in two to four weeks!
Don Matakis, Grower
07-03-07:
Aquascaping is an orderly way of arranging plants so that you get a sense of depth when you view your aquarium, and is most successful when some basic rules are followed so that the final display is the most pleasing to the human eye. It really takes a little time for the plants to "grow in" before the aquascape is complete. This is why I refer to it as "living art", with an ever changing look as each day passes. What fun! Here is the article from my friend Birgit in Austria, the best explanation of aquascaping I have ever read! Article on Aquascaping
Don Matakis, Grower
05-15-07:
Dwarf hairgrass and also Echinodorus Tennelus are almost ready!. Also Lilaeopsis macloviana which is the taller species of Lilaeopsis, Marsilea hirsuta, also almost ready. If you would like to be emailed when these plants are available just click on Plant Availability? and indicate which plant in the body of the email.
04-20-07:
We will soon have the true dwarf hairgrass and also Echinodorus Tennelus as well as the micro version available. Also Lilaeopsis macloviana which is the taller species of Lilaeopsis. Marsilea hirsuta will also be available and is commonly known as quadrifolia. These plants and other new additions coming soon. If you would like to be emailed when these plants are available just click on Plant Availability? and indicate which plant in the body of the email.
04-19-07:
Need help with your setup in terms of what plants will best suit your aquarium, algae control, water chemistry, cycling your aquarium, then drop us an email with your phone number and best time to call before 11:00 AM Central time or after 5:30 PM Central time and we will contact you to help! To email us just click on I need help? and indicate your question in the body of the email. These times are also the best time to reach our grower if you are calling with questions. We are here to help you create a successful planted aquarium!
01-19-07:
I am convinced that substrate heating in the planted aquarium after five years of experimenting with it in our nursery is equivalent to long term stability in the planted aquarium. It has consistently performed better with the cables than our tanks that do not have it with less algae problems and substrate problems due to compaction due to organic substance accumulation, and while the tanks without it needed a breakdown and refurb after 12 to 18 months, the tanks with the cables have been stable for over 5 years to date. The new article on substrate heating can be found here:
Substrate Heating Article.
12-08-06:
We have Christmas Moss back in stock and it is the best ever for look and texture! Also, very nice Bolbitus which is only available periodically due to slow growth, it is a fern from Africa. Christmas moss and Bolbitus are listed under the aquarium plants category on the front page, and then the specialty plants subcategory. Or click on this link for Christmas Moss; Christmas Moss and this one for Bolbitus; Bolbitus.
10-12-06:
We have Ammania Gracilis from Africa and it is a beautiful addition to any aquarium. The color in the Ammania is green in low to medium light and multi reds in high light! It is listed under the aquarium plants category on the front page, and then the specialty plants subcategory. Or click on this link; Ammania Gracilis
09-14-06:
African bogwood is on sale for 5.00 off on all sizes for a limited time. They are listed under the aquarium supplies category on the front page and then the subcategory of African bogwood if you scroll down. These are stunning additions to your aquarium and are sinking pieces so no need to weigh them down! You can plant Java Fern, Anubias, or moss to them and those plants will attach to the wood and thrive!
09-13-06:
We have Ammania Senegalensis from Africa and Gymnocoronis Spilanthoides from South America now, and they are beautiful additions to any aquarium. The color in the Ammania and a shade of green unlike anything else in the Gymnocoronis are amazing! They are listed under the aquarium plants category on the front page, and then the specialty plants subcategory.
07-31-06:
We are working hard to get the new species of plants growing so that they will be available for you in the near future, it is taking a bit longer than anticipated but we are closer, we have added two new varieties recently and many more to come. The new Amazonia substrate is without a doubt the best I have used so far, for example we took a Eusteralis Stellata from a neglected small tank with a very thin small stem, and in two and a half weeks it had tripled in thickness and leaf growth was much improved and had more color! The bottom line is even better plants than ever before! Echnidorus tennelus will soon be ready for sale as a foreground plant as we have had many inquiries about that plant. And as always our commitment to perfect plants arriving at your door is guaranteed! Don Matakis, owner.
06-09-06:
The new facility is operational, we do have several new tanks up and growing with more to come. What this means for our customers is that we will be out of stock on plants less often or hopefully not at all. We will be offering beautiful submerged stem plants (versus emersed stem plants which then need to convert to submerged, look terrible during the conversion time, and is the industry standard), common and not so common, and they will arrive at the customers door in perfect condition. These plants have ready reserves of nutrients, are grown to be strong specimens, and are unlike any aquarium plant you might have previously purchased. These new submerged stem plant replacements for our currently out of stock species will be ready for sale in approximately three to four weeks. If there is something you are interested in or looking for, let us know and we will be happy to try and provide it for you. In the near future we will be offering aquarium plants that are not usually available. All of these plants are grown in the Takashi Amano substrate called Amazonia utilizing his proprietary substrate system with power sand and mineral additives. We are now offering this system found here to our customers: Amano's Substrate System. We have seen amazing growth with this system! Don Matakis
05-14-06:
Afican Bogwood is here! Large, medium, and small, as well as branch in beautiful light brown and with dark chocolate brown knots. Soon we will offer Anubias, Bolbitus, Java Fern, and moss covered pieces! See them here; African Bogwood
05-12-06:
We are working hard behind the scenes to bring you more varieties of reds and beautiful plants that are not typiclally found in the U.S. We will have photos up shortly so you can see the additions to our facilities. We would like to thank all of you that helped to make this addition a necessary one! Remember, we are growing beautiful and rare varieties that will be available in the near future, and we offer the highest quality aquarium plants available in the entire U.S., guaranteed! We will stand behind our quality one hundred per cent! We are commited to your success with your planted aquarium or aquascape, and are available to help you achieve that from start to finish. Don't know what will fit with your setup? If you need expert advice I am here to help! A well planted aquarium is a beautiful and always enjoyable addition to anyones home or office! And your fish will love it too! Don Matakis
04-10-06:
We are in the new facility giving us an additional 1200 square feet of growing space! Nothing is up and running yet but we will have photos of the facility and greenhouse when we do. The new facility will have water storage capacity of 1100 gallons, automated water changes, greenhouse additions for emersed growth just outside of the facility, and allow us to have all of those stem plants that are listed as out of stock due to the high demand available all of the time. Also, we will be adding driftwood with plants attached and several other new items for all of your aquascaping needs! Don Matakis
03-23-06:
Crinum Calamistratum is a rare African plant that needs medium light and is not fussy about temperature and you will find it here; Crinum Calamistratum Limit two to a customer please. This one is beautiful and will go fast!
03-08-06:
Our article explaining Controlling and measuring Macro nutrients in the planted aquarium to avoid algae and obtain optimum plant growth is found here; Controlling and measuring Macro nutrients in the planted aquarium It will explain in easy terms why you need to know your nutrient levels to optimize plant growth and minimize algae growth.
02-16-06:
Our article explaining Carbon Dioxide and why you need it to grow plants in your aquarium is found here; Carbon Dioxide, what is it and why do I need it to grow plants? It will explain in easy terms why you need this to grow live aquarium plants.
02-16-06:
Whether you are looking for plants to give your fish hiding places (wait until you see their behavior when you put the plants in), cleaner water, to combat algae, or looking for plants to try your hand at underwater gardening, we are here to help you get set up the right way. We may make recommendations on change of equipment to help you reach the goal you have set, or help you to choose plants that will work with the equipment you already have. There are plants for every situation that will work, and if you give them the basics; light, Carbon Dioxide, fertilizer, you too can grow plants successfully! If you are having problems with your existing setup then send us an email and we will help you to get it turned around. If it is an algae issue, then read this article; Algae Control in Freshwater Aquaria. There is really nothing like a live plant aquarium in your home, where else can you create and observe a minature ecosystem in action? After all of these years I still get excited when I get an opportunity to create that underwater garden. I know you will too! Don Matakis, owner.
01-06-06:
Amazon Frogbit from South America is now available for presale! When orders are filled, they will ship to you in two weeks. Once we reach the limit, we will take this one down until it is regrown again so if you are looking for a great fry cover floating plant this is the plant you want. You can find it here under floating plants; Amazon Frogbite
01-04-06:
Hope you had a happy holiday! New plants and more information on how to's
will be forthcoming this new year! I want to remind those customers just starting
out that when you first plant your plants, wait a day before you add your fertilizer.
When you do, add half the amount for the first week, one quarter the amount on
the bottles recommended dosage if you have soft water. I will cover this in more
detail in an upcoming artilce on fertilizing your plants properly. Also, there will
be more detailed fertilizing techniques for the advanced aquatic gardener.
Look for these articles and new plants soon! Don Matakis, owner.
12-09-05:
We are growing! (Pun intended) We will be adding a new commercial nursery building and greenhouse the first part of next year. We will post photos when the project is completed. We are expanding in response to the demand for the high quality plants that we grow! We need more space to keep pace with the increasing demand for our nursery grown plants in order to do away with out of stock notices in our storefront on the web site. Soon, all of our plants will be available all of the time! We will be offering more choices for rare and hard to find plants and more great plant packages and biotope options. And still at the same low prices. We will be offering two new beautiful species, Erect moss and Taiwan moss, in addition to the quality Christmas moss and Java moss we offer now, for example. And Ammania Senegalensis and Ammania Gracilis from Africa are almost ready at last. We hope you are as excited as we are!
Don Matakis, owner.
11-14-05:
Is it too cold to ship plants this time of year? No! Plants actually prefer cooler temps while in transit. If you think your plants will be sitting at your house in freezing weather while you are at work (below32 degrees farhenheit), then add a heat pack found here; Shipping heat pack. It usually has to get quite a bit cooler than freezing to affect plants and we do insulate each box to offset this. Email us if you have a concern about this.
10-03-05:
We started a feasibility study with the Minnesota Zoo a year ago after they approached us about the possibility of creating a Southeast Asian Biotope for their 1200 gallon indoor display aquarium, we wanted to know if we could create a Southeast Asian Biotope that could sustain itself without CO2 supplements, and the smaller aquarium we used in the study allowed the aquarist to familiarize himself with the plants to be used in the 1200 gallon aquarium. The feasibility study results have been a resounding success, and I will write about it in an upcoming article, on some of the challenges we face to make it a reality. Look for it here and in the articles page on the site.
Don Matakis, owner.
09-12-05:
Narrow Leaf Ludwigia is ready for purchase, it is one of my personal favorites and you can find it here; Narrow Leaf Ludwigia
Don Matakis, owner.
08-23-05:
All of us here at Aquatic Scapes would like to thank all of our loyal customers who have ordered from us on multiple occasions. It is a testimony to your faith in the quality of our plants, and to our dedication to our customers to offer only the highest quality plants available anywhere at reasonable prices. And don't forget, we offer our expertise to help you to be successful, with useful advice and how to's after these beautiful plants arrive at your door and go into your aquarium. Thank you from all of us!
07-08-05: (update 8/23:a while longer yet!)
Ammania Gracilis is almost ready, hopefully within two weeks we will have it grown enough to offer it, it is probably my favorite red plant of all time!
06-17-05:
Flora Base is available now from Red Sea, and eliminates the need for heating cables, CO2, and fertilizer. Why? It has it all! In a side by side comparison test Flora Base beat Flourite by SeaChem hands down! The price includes shipping and figure one bag for each 10 gallons, check it out here; Flora Base
05-29-05:
Ammania will take a little longer, we are working on getting enough grown before we put it up. It will be well worth the wait though, it is a perfect centerpiece plant for any aquascape! Enjoy your holiday weekend! Don Matakis
04-28-05:
Coming soon, Ammania Gracilis, a stunning red plant from Africa, look for it sometime next week. Have a great weekend to all! Don Matakis
04-06-05:
Planting arrangements in your aquarium can be done using different methods. For example, sometimes less is more. Using four different species like vallisneria (spralis, corkscrew), swords (red ozelot, green ozelot), saggitaria (dwarf, narrow), and a dwarf aquarium lily, you can create quite an effect with the red ozelot and different shades of green with the aquarium lily being a red centerpiece just to the left or right of center. Add a little driftwood, some smooth and proportionately large stones, and you have quite a breathtaking underwater scene! Enjoy! Don Matakis
03-19-05:
For a centerpiece plant, do not plant it dead center, the eye seeks a centerpiece just to the left or right of center, and it makes the overall aquascape composition more pleasing to the one viewing it. Enjoy! Don Matakis
02-27-05:
Takashi Amano from Japan said it best when he made this statement; "The art and purpose of the Nature Aquarium, is through the study of the intricacy of Nature, to flawlessly capture and refine the space, composition, color and all that expresses the designs and layouts found in Nature. Its object, is to generate within the soul, the very same tranquillity, nostalgia and awe that one feels when gazing upon the grandeur of Mother Nature."
- Takashi Amano. It is exactly why we love this business of aquascaping so much! Here is the article from my friend Birgit Fruewirth in Austria on aquascaping 101 again! Aquascaping Principles Enjoy! Don Matakis
02-17-05:
We just started the first crop of Cryptocoryne Parva, we have limited amounts for sale! You can find the Parva here; One Parva Plant or get a discount when you buy five Parva plants here; Five Parva Plants We will only have limited supplies of these beautiful little plants before they regrow again!
01-05-05:
We hope you had a happy holiday, and just to let you know we are planning some exciting new things for this new year. Aquascape ideas for you as well as more biotopes and layouts and more plants in the database for your information. Also some new and helpful articles! Check this page for updates or bookmark it. It's cold out there this time of the year folks so I recommend adding a 40 hour heat pack to your order if you are shipping 2-3 day, it will definitely help! You can find those here; Shipping Heat Packs We want your plants to arrive in perfect condition!
12-28-04:
Here is an exciting and very affordable new addition for those of you that would like the beneficial effects of gas CO2 in your aquarium but don't want to pay that three hundred dollars for a CO2 gas system! And it plugs into a timer to go on and off with the lights saving CO2 when it is not needed at night and preventing PH levels from dropping too far! Good for up to forty gallons, and complete with a built in diffusor we are proud to offer this new product from Red Sea.CO2 Bio-Generator Check it out. I recommend extra replacement packs so you can have a few months supply if you want this item for your aquarium. I always advocate gas CO2 for better plant growth, this brand new product is a definite winner!
12-19-04:
Want to know how to grow healthy plants? Here is a general view of what you need for your aquarium! Healthy Plants
12-18-04:
We highly recommend next day shipping until after the holidays, 2-3 day is taking much longer during the holidays.
12-02-04:
Two great new products on our site are the DuplaGan and the DuplaCur. Duplagan is much more than an ordinary water conditioner, you can read about the beneficial effects here; DuplaGan, click here scroll down to read about this wonderful conditioner from Dupla, and DuplaCur here; DuplaCur, one wonderful health enhancing product that can be used with every water change!
11-11-04:
Need help figuring out what you do and don't need for your aquarium? Send us an email with what you have and we will be happy to help!
11-03-04:
Soon we will have an article on how to make your own driftwood or rock covered planting arrangements using Anubias Nana's, Christmas Moss, Riccia, and Java Moss. We will detail what the different materials are that can be used and different techniques for you to try in your own aquarium! Topics covered will be nettings, threads, temporary methods of fastening plants to the rocks or driftwood, plant positioning, accelerating root and thallus attachment, and how to maintain those planted driftwood and rock pieces when they begin to grow.
10-20-04:
We have finally made available the Substrate Gold in the store. It is found here; Substrate Gold We have been including it in some of our packages for quite some time and have had unbelievable growth in the nursery using this product.
10-10-04:
We have included an article page for readers to find the articles posted on this page more easily. It is found here; Article Index We have included relevant articles from other authors as well as our own articles.
10-01-04:
We are pleased to announce our new emersed growth addition to our nursery! We will be growing hard to find plants like Cryptocorne Parva, Cryptocorne Willisi, Anubias Augustifolia (narrow leaf), and many more. These plants will have extra energy reserves for placement in your aquarium as submerged plants. After all, most aquarium plants are amphibious and gain reserves from more sunlight and CO2 above the surface resulting in stronger growth before they are then flooded and grow new submerged leaves better capable of enduring the submerged state. We will post pictures of the new and beautiful emersed growth aquarium plants soon!
09-16-04:
Just available is the original Dupla Thermik substrate heating system 20 watt for up to 32 gallons, and two new sizes in the 40 watt for up to 63 gallons and the 60 watt for up to 95 gallons! Read about the benefits by clicking on this link; Substrate Equipment and then the appropriate set and scroll down for the info.
09-14-04:
(1.) Here is an excerpt by two gentlemen, Paul Sears and Kevin Conlin, who did experiments with algae cause and effect and came up with surprising conclusions found here Control of Algae In Planted Aquaria! Paul Sears was gracious enough to allow us to reprint excerpts as well as point to the original article, and here is an update on Paul's aquarium page. Update on Control of Algae in Planted Aquaria We have included the Conclusion here; Conclusion of Article but encourage you to read the whole article.
09-10-04:
(1.) Phyllanthus fluitans a beautiful and hard to find red (under good light) floating plant hailing from South America, and takes high temps so good for Discus tanks. Needs soft to medium hard water, and you can find it here ; Phyllanthus fluitans
09-10-04:
(1.) Here, again, is an article that we posted in January on aquascaping that my friend Birgit Fruehwirth from Austria wrote and graciously gave me permission to reprint here. Click on this link Aquascaping Principles
08-29-04:
(1.) Package details for those of you who are considering a package and what is included is here; Packages Information
08-03-04:
(1.) Two new packages for existing or new 55 gallon setups that includes everything you need to have a beautiful underwater garden! Professional aquascape, detailed instructions, fertilizer, liquid carbon, and more! Links are here; 55 Gallon Upgrade for setup with upgrade lighting, 55 Gallon Upgrade for setup without upgrade lighting. If you have a larger or smaller setup and want to do a package like this then let us know and we'll customize. If you have questions about this aquarium plant package drop us an email by Clicking Here!
07-29-04:
(1.) Just available is Limnophilla Aromatica, a beautiful South East Asian Plant! This plant grows slowly and so makes for a perfect midground plant. Very colorful wiith good lighting! Link is here; Limnophilla Aromatica If you have questions about this aquarium plant drop us an email by Clicking Here!
07-20-04:
(1.) Check out the article on freshaquarium.about.com's web site about converting to live plants! Yes, we donated the plants and gave advice. Converting to live plants article
07-15-04:
(1.) Just available is Didiplis diandra, a beautiful Southern North American Plant! Link is here; Didiplis diandra If you have questions about this aquarium plant drop us an email by Clicking Here!
07-14-04:
(1.) Just available is Egeria Najas, a hard to find South American Plant from Brazil and Argentina! Link is here; Egeria Najas If you have questions about this aquarium plant drop us an email by Clicking Here!
06-19-04:
(1.) Just completed is our new S.E. Asia biotope! This is a broad representation of S.E. Asia and the plants in the biotope are from a wide range of area there. Here is the link which opens in a new window. S.E. Asian Biotope Soon, we will have this biotope available in varying sizes, if you are interested drop us an email here. Click Here!
06-18-04:
(1.) Watch for our new additions to aquarium plants like Ammania Senegalensis,
Dwarf and Tall Hairgrass, Cryptocorne Parva, Cryptocoryne Willisii
, Limnophilia Aromatica, Erect moss, and more! We are in the process of growing them out now and they will be available soon. And don't hesitate to ask about any other species you don't see. It might be available now in limited quantities! And often times those items listed as out of stock are being regrown and are also available or will be soon, just ask by sending an email. Click Here!
05-03-04:
(1.) Algae, that darn algae! What to look for and what to do about it in this new article! Want to get rid of your algae problem? Then read this article and you will almost (had to put the word almost in for the naysayers sake) never have algae problems again! Click Here to access the page
04-29-04:
(1.) We are offering Christmas Moss for the first time ever commercially on a first come first serve basis! Here is the page on our current information on this exciting new moss as well as photos from Loh Kwek Leong and our nursery. Click Here to access the page
04-20-04:
(1.) We are featured in the May issue of Freshwater and Marine Aquarium (FAMA), there is a four page article with color photos of our grower and his wife and some of the planted aquariums! The website for FAMA is located here; FAMA Magazine Check it out at your local WalMart store in the pet section.
03-22-04:
(1.) Special! One complete CO2 setup(complete with magnetic valve for a timed CO2 release) with the diffusor included! That is a $45.00 savings, only one available and when it is gone it is gone. Click Here.
03-10-04:
(1.) If you are looking for an aquarium plant that you don't see on the site, drop us an email, we just might have it in our nursery and be able to arrange for you to have it. You never know unless you ask? To ask, Click Here.
03-06-04:
(1.) Here is a new video on the Amazon River. Our thanks to PBS for allowing us to use the link to this video! Click on Amazon River Video, and then scroll down to the video.
03-05-04:
(1.) Here is an article on why your new sword plant might not look as good as you expected? It talks about emersed versus submerged growth in aquarium plants. Click on Bad Aquarium Plants?
03-04-04:
(1.) Here is a new aquarium plant, Xingu Sword (Echinodorus latifolius) we are making available to you. Click on this link Echinodorus latifolius to view it, (scroll down for info on this aquarium plant after clicking on the link) it is a promising foreground plant for large aquariums, and mid ground plant for smaller aquariums!
02-20-04:
(1.) Here is a new plant profile on Glossotigma elatinoides. Click on this link Glossotigma elatinoides
01-31-04:
(1.) Here is a new lowlight package for 15 to 30 gallons that you can use with your existing light setup. We will have more of these detailed packages up soon! Go here to view the details: View Package
Go here to purchase this package: Purchase Package
01-30-04:
(1.) Here is a new plant profile on Myriophyllum elatinoides. Click on this link Myriophyllum elatinoides
01-15-04:
(1.) Here is a new plant profile on Narrow Leaf Saggitaria. Click on this link Narrow Leaf Saggitaria
01-01-04:
(1.) Here is an article on aquascaping that my friend Birgit Fruehwirth from Austria wrote and graciously gave me permission to reprint here. Click on this link Aquascaping Principles
12-03-03:
(1.) We are putting a US database together with aquarium plants descriptions and notes on their individual characteristics. Photos will come from our nursery (and therefore take a little time to complete) and notes will be from our grower and his experiences with these aquarium plants. All data will be in US measurements! We are featured on WWW.FRESHAQUARIUM.ABOUT.COM where we will be answering aquarium plant questions and take part in their planted aquarium newsletter scheduled to begin Thursday December 4TH. We will be co-authoring the US Aquarium Plants database with them and provide the information on both sites. We hope to take this database of aquarium plants to a whole new level! Many thanks to Shirlie Sharpe for graciously inviting us to participate after touring our facility.
(2.) We will be featuring notes on aquarium plants that we think are especially nice or anything else that pertains to specials or limited or rare aquarium plants that we occasionally make available as well on this page. Also we will point to articles that you can use to further your own knowledge!
Don Matakis
Aquatic Scapes
P.O. Box 1115
Faribault, MN 55021
Telephone: 507-331-5801
Fax:
507-384-3146
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