Dutch Aquascape Layout: 12 Rules & Setup Guide

Update: June 2026

Dutch and Natural styles are the most common in aquascaping. It uses dense, grouped plants to create depth and structure. Unlike Iwagumi or Nature styles, hardscape (stones, driftwood) is almost invisible. The composition relies entirely on leaf shape, color, and height contrast.

Dutch aquarium by Raymond Duindam 2015

Dutch Aquascaping – Short History

The Dutch style started in the Netherlands ~80 years ago. It was the first serious aquascaping movement. Unlike modern Nature aquariums (Takashi Amano), Dutch ignores hardscape and focuses entirely on plant contrast. The rules were refined over decades, not days.

Best Aquarium Sizes for Dutch Aquascaping

Buy a tank with a large bottom area. Width matters more than height.

Minimum volume: 200 liters (50 gallons). Optimal: 500 liters.

Wider tanks create better depth. High tanks reduce light at the bottom and make maintenance harder. Skip the diffusion formula — it’s outdated and not used by modern aquascapers.

Dutch Aquarium by Henk Bretvelds

Dutch Aquascaping Rules

Dutch style = planted groups, not single scattered plants. No imitation of nature. It’s a decorative garden, period. Plants aren’t just thrown in; they follow strict biological and visual rules. Here is exactly how to build one, the equipment you need, and the rules you cannot break.

1. Plant contrast

Each plant group must differ from its neighbor in size, color, or leaf shape. Green against red. Large leaves against small leaves. No smooth transitions. If one plant blocks another, you failed.

2. Combination of colors

In the general composition, red-leaved (including pink, yellow, etc.) plants should occupy not more than 25-30 %. It’s important to remember that the dominant color of the Dutch aquarium is green.

Go over 30% red and the composition looks like a stoplight, not a garden.

Note: Dutch tanks almost always use a dark background (black paint or film) to make the plants pop.

3. Plant levels

Foreground: low plants. Mid‑ground: medium height. Background: tall plants creating a solid wall.

4. The density of plants

Minimum 80% of the bottom planted. Ideal: no visible substrate. Each group of plants should be close to the other. The ideal aquarium is the one where there is no free space at all on the bottom.Only small carpet plants go in the foreground, and they can cover larger areas.

5. The planting area

Each plant species occupies at least 10 cm (4 in) of substrate. In tanks under 200L, 5 cm (2 in) allowed. Never let one species dominate an entire plane (foreground, mid, or back).

The number of plant species is also limited, while their excessive number can spoil the impression of the aquarium. According to the principles of the Dutch Aquascaping, each type of plant has to be located only in groups.

In such aquariums, a planting area of up to 5 cm (2 inches) is allowed.

6. One plant rule

Do not plant the same species in multiple locations. Exception: Leyden street may repeat up to 2 species for visual effect.

7. No centering / symmetry

Never center anything. Avoid mirror arrangements. Symmetry kills the natural feel.

8. Number of species

The number of plant species is limited, while their excessive number can spoil the impression of the aquarium. In general, we may use not more than 3 types of plants per 30 cm of space.

However, small aquariums with a volume of 40 – 80 liters (10 – 20-gallon tanks) can contain 5 to 7 species of plants (2 – 3 in the foreground, 3 – 4 in the middle and the background). An aquarium of 200 liters (50 gallons), on the contrary, allows one to use 10 – 15 species (3 – 5 for the foreground, and 5 – 10 for the middle and the background).

9. Rule of thirds

Divide the tank into 3 columns and 3 rows. The 4 intersection points are your focal anchors. Place your strongest accent plant (bright red, large leaf, or solitary species) on one of these points — never in the exact center. Ignore the rest of the geometry. The foreground points are irrelevant for Dutch style.

10. Dead zone (mandatory)

Leave a small empty area near the center of the aquarium. Water bends light (lens effect). Without a dead zone, the center of your layout will look distorted. No plants, no hardscape. Just open substrate.

11. Hidden equipment and the background

All equipment installed in the aquarium must be completely covered with plants. The viewers should not even guess about its existence.

Ideally, the walls (back and even side) of the aquarium should also be completely covered with plants.

12. The Leiden-street

To diversify the landscape, the Leyden street technique is used.

In Dutch aquariums, the Leyden street is a common element in the form of a narrowing strip of moss or small plants. They can be planted obliquely through a wall of plants that contrast in color and shape with the rest.

At the end of the “street”, there has to be a remarkable fragment: driftwood, a stone, or a single large plant that will stand out from the general background.

Use Dwarf baby tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) or Monte Carlo (Micranthemum Tweediei) for the street. Keep it trimmed low.

Stones and driftwood in case of the Dutch Aquascaping

The Dutch aquarium provides a very high density of plants, so stones are not really used in the landscape. Sometimes it is possible to place driftwood on the bottom of the aquarium. However, it has to be small, so only some parts shall be slightly visible through the plants.

Note: Do not forget that unlike, for example, Iwagumi aquascape, rocks and driftwood are not focal points in Dutch Aquascaping.

Michael C.W.Wong – 3rd place – 65L Aquatic Garden “Winter is upon us”

Plants for Dutch Aquascaping

The main difficulty in creating and maintaining a Dutch aquarium is related to the choice and care of plants. You need to know each plant and have a clear understanding of the results you plan to achieve.

It’s important to choose the right species and varieties that are able to grow in dense groups, as well as provide enough fertilizers and set the necessary level of illumination. In addition, regular pruning and thinning of plants, the fight against algae are an integral part of the work to maintain a beautiful design.

In the case of the Dutch landscape, the most suitable are fast-growing plants, which are undemanding in care. In addition, you may have dense thickets in a matter of days.

Note: Experienced aquarists often use the method of planting plants in pots, hidden in the ground. This will facilitate the division of bushes and streamline the growth of the root system.

Common mistakes in Dutch aquascaping

• Too many red plants → over 30% looks chaotic.
• Skipping the dead zone → distorted center view.
• Planting the same species in two spots → breaks the rule.
• Visible equipment → kills the illusion.
• Infrequent pruning → background shades foreground in 3 weeks.

Stones and driftwood in Dutch Aquascaping

Almost none. Dutch style uses plants as the only focal points. If you add driftwood, keep it small and mostly hidden behind plants. Rocks are rarely used. This is not Iwagumi aquascape.

Plants for Dutch Aquascaping

Use fast-growing plants for the background (Rotala, Pogostemon). Mid‑ground needs contrast in leaf shape (Cryptocoryne, Lobelia). Foreground: low carpet plants (Dwarf hairgrass, Glossostigma). Single planting: Echinodorus or Crinum as focal points. Regular pruning is mandatory. Skip it and the tank turns into a jungle.

Dutch Aquascaping: Single Planting

If the aquarium is large enough, then we can use single planting. Usually, 2 – 3 large plants are used for this purpose. Unlike plants in the middle and background that are planted in quite numerous groups, single plants are placed as separate bushes in several strong points

Use large species of Echinodorus as single plants: Echinodorus Bleheri, Echinodorus Parviflorus, Echinodorus cordifolius, Echinodorus Uruguayans and many other plants of this type. Crinum (Crinum Thaitanium) and Nymphaea (Nymphaea Lotus) are also great for single planting.

In small aquariums, it’s better to avoid using single planting, since such plants can take up the entire volume and hide remaining plants.

Fish for Dutch Aquascaping

Aquariums of this type may not even contain any aquatic life. Since the main role is given to plants that occupy a large volume of the aquarium, the fish are not that important.

You can use flocks of miniature fish swimming in the water column or near the surface. You can use Neon tetras, Brilliant Rummynose Tetras, Zebrafish, Angelfish, etc.

When creating such an aquarium with your own hands, it’s important to compare the compatibility of the selected plants and fish that will populate it. For example, fish that live in an aquarium should not have the habit of digging up the ground and do not perceive plants as food.

Dutch aquarium by Geert Hoogeveen

The harmony of the green composition seriously depends on a detailed scheme of planting. It has to be started long before the arrangement of the aquarium.

This stage consists of taking a sheet of paper according to the size of the bottom and marking out areas for different types of plants on it. You can do this in the aquarium itself by using the soil.

It’s recommended to study the range of plants in pet stores in advance. Here’s what you need to consider when selecting them:

• the similarity of habitat conditions
• growth rate and maximum plant size
• the color of the vegetation
• find plants to make required focal points, and plants to highlight the overall style
• define which plants are best placed behind, in the middle and in the foreground.

I want to repeat that there has to be no symmetry since the Dutch Aquarium will look ridiculous and unnatural. The bright plants should be shifted from the center in order not to attract too much attention.

Note: Mark each plant group with a colored pencil. Red for background stems, green for mid, blue for foreground. Overlap nothing

Dutch Aquascaping Soil

A dark-colored soil is good for the Dutch Aquarium. Use a nutrient-rich substrate layer. In the future, it will contribute to more active growth and development of plants.
The ground level at the front glass should be very low.

Dutch Aquascaping Equipment

At first glance, it may seem that the Dutch Aquarium is an aquarium without filtration, with natural light and minimal equipment. This opinion is formed because all the equipment in such aquariums is hidden behind plants and it seems that all the water is filtered and purified by the plants themselves.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Dutch Aquarium is a high-tech tank. Period. And one of the main parameters for growing both land and water plants is the correct selection of equipment.

Dutch Aquascaping Lighting

Light is fundamental and one of the most important points. Don’t overthink it when we talk about lighting, everything is too conditional. For example, for an aquarium with a depth of up to 50 cm (20 inches), even 30 – 50 PAR can be more than enough.

The correct selection of light sources plays an important role in the development of the Dutch Aquarium. It is necessary to provide comfort to plants so that they do not experience light hunger. But each plant is individual, which should be taken into account when placing artificial lamps.

The length of daylight for aquatic plants is usually around 10 hours.

If possible, you should hang specialized lamps over the aquarium without a lid. In a classic aquarium with a tight lid, lighting is enhanced with reflectors that can be made from foil or aluminum. 

Read more about it in my article “Advanced Guide to Planted Tank Lighting”.

CO2 and Fertilizers

The most important element of nutrition that plants require is carbon. In the Dutch Aquarium, the density of plants is so great that everything will be eaten in the first hour of daylight.

Plants living on the surface of the earth get the necessary amount of carbon from the carbon dioxide contained in the air. Aquarium plants cover their need for carbon from various sources, primarily from free carbon dioxide released during fish respiration.

Many aquarium plants are able to live with a low content of carbon dioxide, but their growth will undoubtedly be better with a significant concentration of free carbon dioxide in the water.

You can also read my article “CO2 in a Planted Tank Guide”.

Equipment For Dutch Aquascape

Skip the theory. Here’s what works:  without good lighting, CO2 system, CO2 bubble diffusor, and filter, it will be difficult very hard to achieve amazing effects. Therefore, the list of necessary items (with some examples) looks like this:

The maintenance schedule for the Dutch aquarium:

Daily:

• Add liquid fertilizers
• Check the water temperature
• Adjust the CO2 supply
• Feed fish
• Remove floating and unhealthy leaves

Weekly:

• Clean the walls of the aquarium
• Remove accumulated dirt around plants and on the ground, with further substitution of 50% water
• Clean filter elements
• Prune and transplant plants as necessary

Final thoughts

Dutch aquarium follows strict rules: tank proportions, plant density, color limits, dead zone, and hidden equipment. Break any rule and it’s not Dutch anymore. Follow them, and you get a garden that stands out.

Michael G.W. Wong, Happy Valley n/a Hong Kong | Aquascaper Website

More aquascaping guides:

• Aquascaping For Beginners: 7 Styles & Setup Guide
• Iwagumi Aquascape: Stone Layouts, Rules & Setup Guide
• Top 5 Substrates For Planted Aquariums