I built a Jungle Aquarium from Scratch

Join me on a journey from bare glass to a thriving underwater world in this full South America Aquarium build.
In this cinematic aquascape tutorial, I take you through every step — from collecting natural hardscape along the Neckar River in Germany to building the structure with expanding foam, planting, cycling, and finally introducing the first fish: Apistogramma agassizii, Glowlight Tetra, Platyfish, and Corydoras adolfoi.

This is more than just an aquarium setup — it’s a story of patience, design, and creating balance between plants, fish, and microbes. You’ll see how I shape the foam, layer pond soil and play sand for a nutrient-rich substrate, attach Anubias and Bolbitis to the driftwood, and transform this tank into a living South American ecosystem.

If you love natural planted tanks, biotopes, and documentary-style builds, you’ll enjoy this one.
???? Equipment used:
Aquarium: 200L (15 year old tank)
Filter: EHEIM Experience 250
Heater: JBL Pro 200
Substrate: Pond soil + play sand

???? Fish:
Apistogramma agassizii “Double Red”
Glowlight Tetra (Hemigrammus erythrozonus)
Corydoras adolfoi
Southern Platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus)

???? Plants:
Bolbitis heudelotii
Anubias barteri “Nana”
Hygrophila polysperma
Limnophila sessiliflora
Cryptocoryne undulata
Vallisneria spiralis “Tiger”
Amazon Frogbit

????Snails
Red-rimmed melania snail / Melanoides tuberculata
Bladder Snail /Physella acuta
Assassin Snail / Clea helena

???? Products used (Amazon affiliate links, avaible in GERMANY):
• vidaXL Aquarium Stand – Modern white cabinet with lots of storage space and a sturdy top plate for your aquarium setup: https://amzn.to/43MTinE
• Kärcher WD 3 P V-19/4/20 Wet & Dry Vacuum – Compact, powerful 1000 W cleaning solution with integrated socket for power tools: https://amzn.to/4qBliEH
• AquaForte Landscaping Foam (500 ml) – Expanding black pond foam perfect for rock and driftwood structures in aquascapes: https://amzn.to/3Lcy0JX
• Play Sand 25 kg Fine Quartz – Washed, germ-free decorative sand ideal for natural-looking substrates: https://amzn.to/3LlQYxz
• Floragard Pond & Aquatic Plant Soil 20 L – Nutrient-rich base soil for aquatic plants, lilies, and marginal species: https://amzn.to/4qCCklU
• EHEIM Experience 150 External Filter – Reliable, energy-efficient filtration system for crystal-clear water: https://amzn.to/47zEOJ1
• JBL ProScan Water Test Kit – Fast smartphone-based freshwater analysis for easy monitoring: https://amzn.to/3Li7ONR

???? Subscribe to follow this tank’s evolution and the future breeding of the Apistogramma pair.

Thanks to @Fishtopia for the amazing fish, i really enjoyed our conversation!
@belgiumbugs @juliuspaul3755 @LordvonDotterhausen @DirkNijland-s9z @gterryok @GlassBoxDiaries @MattKeepsFish @mexicalifishkeeper @LushSaltyAquariums @jvp714
This video was inspired by @MDFishTanks , thanks for the inspiring content!

#aquascapelowtech #aquarium #apistogramma #platyfish #tetrafish#fishtank #aquarium #aquascape