How to Dutch Style Streets (Intermediate Guide)

The Dutch aquascaping style captivates hobbyists with its lush planting and tapestry-like beauty. Among its iconic features, Dutch style streets create eye-catching, structured lanes of contrasting plants. If you’re looking to advance your skills and make your planted aquarium stand out, this intermediate guide will teach you how to design bold, harmonious Dutch streets with precision and artistry.

What Are Dutch Style Streets?

In Dutch aquascaping, a street refers to a neatly defined row or band of the same plant species arranged in a straight or gently curved line. The effect mimics garden borders or avenues, giving depth, rhythm, and an organized feel to the aquascape. Mastering Dutch style streets will elevate your planted tank design and push your aquascaping skills to the next level.

Essential Principles of Dutch Style Streets

Before diving into the how-to, it’s important to understand the core principles of Dutch style aquascaping:

• Rich Planting: Dutch aquascapes are densely planted, often with more than 70% plant coverage.
• Contrast and Structure: Plant streets alternate in color, leaf shape, and height.
• Layering: The layout features distinct foreground, midground, and background sections.
• Minimal Hardscape: Stones and wood are rarely used; the focus is on plants.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Dutch Style Streets

1. Planning Your Layout

Start by sketching your tank’s dimensions and drafting the layout. Decide on the number of streets (typically 3–7 in a standard tank) and plan their flow. Use soft curves or straight lines for more natural depth. Consider classic rules of aquascaping composition, like the Rule of Thirds, to place the streets for pleasing balance.

2. Plant Selection for Streets

Choose stem plants that contrast in color, size, and leaf texture for each street. Some popular choices include:

• Ludwigia repens (red tones, broad leaves)
• Rotala rotundifolia (delicate, small leaves)
• Hygrophila polysperma (light green, narrow leaves)
• Cabomba caroliniana (fine, feathery texture)
• Bacopa caroliniana (rounded leaves, vertical growth)

For each street, use a single species and alternate them with streets of visually contrasting plants. Ensure all plants are compatible in terms of water parameters and light requirements.

3. Layering and Depth

Arrange your streets in tiers:

• Foreground: Use low-growing plants such as Staurogyne repens or short varieties of Cryptocoryne.
• Midground: Place medium-height stem plants that bridge the height gap.
• Background: Level-up with fast-growing stems for dramatic height, like Pogostemon stellatus or Limnophila aquatic.

Arrange the streets so they stagger and overlap slightly as they rise from front to back, creating layers and visual flow.

4. Planting Techniques

For well-defined Dutch streets:

• Group stems in tight rows—about 5–10 stems per street, depending on tank size.
• Replant taller species behind shorter ones, maintaining the stair-step layering.
• Use plant spacers (or small rocks temporarily) during planting to keep lines straight.
• Trim regularly to maintain the crisp lines and prevent streets from blurring together.

5. Color and Contrast

The key to Dutch style is contrast. Alternate bright and dark greens, reds, and different leaf shapes. Place red or purple plants, such as Alternanthera reineckii, beside green varieties to create vibrant, eye-catching lanes.

6. Maintenance of Dutch Streets

Streets require regular trimming—about once a week—to keep the lines sharp and encourage bushy, compact growth. Remove any encroaching stems and replant tops as needed to avoid gaps or uneven lines. Keep your tank parameters stable, dosing appropriate aquarium fertilizers and providing consistent CO₂ injection if needed.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing plant species within a street: Each street should be a single species for a bold stripe effect.
• Poor contrast: Avoid placing similar-looking plants side by side.
• Neglecting trimming: Overgrown plants blur the streets and lose their structure.
• Ignoring tank maintenance: Healthy plants are essential for crisp streets and vibrant colors.

Recommended Dutch Street Combinations

Try these combinations for classic Dutch street impact:

• Rotala rotundifolia (pinkish-green) next to Hygrophila polysperma (lime green)
• Ludwigia repens (deep red) beside Bacopa caroliniana (pale green)
• Alternanthera reineckii (dark red) against Pogostemon erectus (bright green needles)

Further Reading & Resources

• Discover more about Dutch style aquascaping
• Learn how to trim and propagate aquarium plants like a pro
• Find the best stem plants for aquascaping

Conclusion: Elevate Your Dutch Aquascape with Stunning Streets

Mastering Dutch style streets will bring refined structure and vibrant color to your aquascape, transforming your aquarium into a living work of art. By applying thoughtful planning, plant contrast, precision in planting, and regular maintenance, your intermediate Dutch tank will stand out as a showcase of aquascaping excellence.

Ready to elevate your aquascaping skills even further? Contact the experts at Aquascaping Academy for personalized advice, or explore our extensive library of aquascaping tutorials for more inspiration!