Dutch Style Plant Grouping Walkthrough Guide: Streets and Stems
A Dutch aquarium is the planted-tank world’s botanical garden — formal, dense, with no rock or driftwood interrupting the wall-to-wall stem-plant choreography. Mastering dutch style plant grouping means learning the named compositional rules that NBAT competition judges have refined over 80 years, including streets, contrast, and the exact ratio of plant species to tank length. This walkthrough from Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park covers the planting plan from substrate up, the species lists that work in Singapore conditions, and the trimming schedule that keeps the scape competition-ready.
The Core Rules at a Glance
Dutch composition follows a handful of strict rules: 70-80 per cent plant coverage, no hardscape visible, one plant species per 10 cm of tank length, strong colour and leaf-shape contrast between adjacent groups, terracing from short-front to tall-back, and the use of “streets” — diagonal lines of low plants that lead the eye into the scape. Break these and the composition reads as a stem-plant jungle rather than a Dutch.
Substrate Preparation
Dutch tanks are heavy feeders and need full-depth aquasoil. Lay 5 cm at the front rising to 9-10 cm at the back. Some Dutch tradition uses a base layer of nutrient mineral mix below the aquasoil; modern Tropica or ADA aquasoils alone are sufficient. Source through the aquasoil substrate range. Add 30-50 root tabs evenly spaced for tanks above 90 litres before planting.
Designing the Streets
A street is a low-growing diagonal plant line that runs from one side of the tank to the back centre, drawing the eye into the depth. Use Lobelia cardinalis mini, Hemianthus micranthemoides or Staurogyne repens for streets. A 90 cm tank should have one or two streets. Plant the street species at 1 cm spacing in a line 4-5 cm wide along the chosen diagonal. The street should be visible and unbroken — never cross another plant group.
Plant Group Counts and Spacing
For a 60 cm tank, plan five to six plant groups. For 90 cm, seven to eight. For 120 cm, nine to twelve. Each group occupies 10-15 cm of tank length. Use the rule of contrast — adjacent groups must differ in at least two of three attributes: leaf size, leaf colour, leaf texture. Place a fine-leafed red Rotala wallichii next to a broad green Limnophila aquatica; never two similar species side by side.
Terracing From Front to Back
Foreground (first 8-10 cm from glass): carpet plants 2-4 cm tall — Eleocharis parvula, Marsilea hirsuta, mini Hydrocotyle. Midground (next 15-20 cm): bushy plants 8-15 cm — Cryptocoryne wendtii, Lobelia mini, Pogostemon helferi. Background (rear 15-25 cm): tall stems 20-40 cm — Limnophila aromatica, Ludwigia palustris, Cabomba caroliniana. Each tier is trimmed to maintain proportion.
Colour Distribution Across the Scape
Dutch judges look for colour balance — typically two to three red species distributed asymmetrically across the tank length. A common arrangement places one strong red bush at the golden-ratio focal point (38 per cent or 62 per cent of tank length) with smaller red accents at the opposite end and centre. Greens dominate (60-70 per cent of plant mass) with reds and yellows as accent groups.
Lighting and CO2 Requirements
Dutch tanks demand high light — 80-120 PAR at substrate level — and 30 ppm CO2 minimum. Run an 8-hour photoperiod with proper ramp. Equipment from the aquarium tank and lighting range covers the requirements at the high-tech end. The aquascaping tool range is essential too — Dutch tanks need surgical trimming weekly and dull scissors crush stems instead of cutting cleanly.
Trimming Schedule
Trim background stems weekly once they reach 80 per cent of intended height. Replant the cut tops if you want denser groups. Midground bushes get a side-shaping trim every 10-14 days. The carpet and streets are trimmed every two to three weeks with curved scissors. After every trim, do a 50 per cent water change to remove released organics. A neglected Dutch becomes a tangled mess within a fortnight.
Singapore Plant Availability and Pricing
Tropica 1-2-Grow cups at SGD 14-18 each and Iwarna pots at SGD 8-15 cover most Dutch species. A typical 90 cm Dutch tank uses 25-35 cups across all species, putting plant cost at SGD 350-650 for the initial scape. Local hobbyist trimmings on Carousell can substitute for common species at half the cost. Build the scape over two planting sessions one month apart — first foreground and midground, then add background stems once the front establishes.
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5 Everton Park #01-34B, Singapore 080005 · Open daily 11am – 8pm
