This page explains how I create the content on PlantedBox: who writes, what sources I use, how I handle numbers and claims, and what you can expect from me as a reader. This policy applies to everything on planted-box.com: blog articles, product pages, e-books, guides, emails and instruction manuals.<\/p>\n
I do. My name is Gilles, and I run PlantedBox as a one-person business based in Belgium. Most articles on the blog are written by me, based on what I see in product development, daily customer support conversations, and my long-running experience with planted aquariums.<\/p>\n
For specific scientific topics (plant physiology, CO2 chemistry, nutrient dynamics) I work with Natascha, an external researcher who helps me verify scientific claims and find peer-reviewed sources. When her contribution to an article is substantial, that’s mentioned at the bottom.<\/p>\n
PlantedBox doesn’t have an editorial team, ghostwriters, or an external content agency. When you read an article here, you’re reading something I either wrote myself or read line by line before publishing.<\/p>\n
My experience with planted aquariums goes back further than PlantedBox itself. I have over twenty years of experience with planted tanks, in different styles and formats. PlantedBox launched in 2015, because at that point I noticed it was hard to find good advice and honest products for planted aquariums in the Benelux region.<\/p>\n
From 2015 onwards, PlantedBox was present every year at the Vivarium fair, first as an exhibitor and from 2020 as a sponsor. That fair was at the time one of the leading aquarium events in Europe, and it has since stopped. The years I spent there put me in direct contact with a lot of fellow aquarists, hobbyists, and people from the wider industry.<\/p>\n
For everything I write, I rely on three types of sources.<\/p>\n
My own practice.<\/strong> Products are thoroughly tested during the development phase before they enter the assortment, and I receive customer questions through support every day. What I write largely comes from what I see working in practice, and from what I see going wrong. If a claim comes from this practice and not from published research, I make that clear with phrases like “in practice, I see that…” or “customer reports show that…” instead of dressing it up as science.<\/p>\n Scientific literature.<\/strong> For topics like plant nutrition, CO2 chemistry and algae control, I rely on authoritative sources. The main ones:<\/p>\n When a claim relies on one of these sources, I mention it in the text (for example “according to Walstad, chapter VI…”) or in a numbered bibliography at the end of the article.<\/p>\n My own customer data.<\/strong> Since 2015 I’ve helped many people personally, mainly through support emails, my anti-algae tool and daily customer conversations. The recurring patterns I see, the questions that keep coming back, and what does or doesn’t work, I use to back up my articles. When I mention a number or percentage that comes from this practice, I make it clear in the text where it’s based, for example “based on questions I get every day” or “in practice I see that”. Confidential business numbers are not shared.<\/p>\n What I don’t use as a source:<\/strong> hobby forums, other webshop blogs, or generic aquarium sites. Not because they’re systematically wrong, but because they often copy from each other and are hard to verify. For me, a claim only counts as a claim when there’s a primary source behind it.<\/p>\n I’m strict on this with myself, because this is the difference between content you can trust and content that just sounds plausible.<\/p>\n On planted-box.com I sell my own products: All-in-One fertilizers, CO2 systems, aquascaping tools. In articles I mention these products when they’re relevant to the topic. That’s not a hidden interest: this is my shop, and I want you to buy something that actually helps you.<\/p>\n But there are two things I try to respect.<\/p>\n Product mentions shouldn’t distort the advice.<\/strong> If CO2 isn’t the solution to your problem, I’ll say so, even though I could sell you a complete kit. If your tank would benefit more from a water change or less light than from a new fertilizer, that’s what the article will say. My anti-algae tool<\/a> ends in a significant share of cases without any product recommendation, because the solution lies in behaviour or setup and not in something I sell.<\/p>\n Competitors are treated fairly.<\/strong> When I mention EasyLife, Tropica, ADA or other brands, I do it as neutrally as possible. I don’t write hit-piece comparisons to make my own line look better. Where my product is weaker than a competitor on a specific point, that gets said too.<\/p>\n Sometimes I make comparisons on price or format without naming a competitor by name (“one bottle instead of three separate products”, or “cheaper per litre than the average powder kit”). These comparisons need to be factually correct, even without a brand name. If the price ratio changes, I update the text.<\/p>\n I use AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT) as help in the writing process, mainly for structure, language checks, brainstorming and translations. But I follow three strict rules:<\/p>\n The voice and the substantive choices are always mine. If an article reads like it was written by a human, that’s because it was.<\/p>\n Every blog article shows the publication date at the top. When I make significant content changes, I update that date so you can see when the article was last revised.<\/p>\n When I get signals that an article is outdated (customer questions, new scientific publications, or my own practice having changed my mind), I revise it or take it down. This doesn’t happen on a fixed schedule: it happens when it’s needed.<\/p>\n I make mistakes. If you spot something on the site that doesn’t add up, email me at gilles@planted-box.com<\/a>. For factual errors, I update the article. For differences of interpretation, I’d rather discuss it with you first before changing anything, because not every difference of opinion is a mistake.<\/p>\n If the error has consequences for readers (for example a wrong dosage that could damage a tank), I also publish the correction in my newsletter.<\/p>\n Product reviews on the site come from real customers, through an independent review platform (WiserReviews). Every review is linked to a specific order, so only people who actually bought something can leave a review. That’s not a given: some review platforms claim their reviews are real but don’t verify whether the reviewer is actually a customer.<\/p>\n For writing a review, you get a discount voucher, regardless of how many stars you give. A 1 out of 5 gets the same discount as a 5 out of 5. I do this on purpose: I want honest feedback, not forced star ratings.<\/p>\n Technically I could remove negative reviews to bump up the score. I don’t. You can check this yourself by filtering product pages by lowest rating: the less positive reviews are right there.<\/p>\n When a review says something factually incorrect about a product, I respond publicly with a correction. When someone is unhappy, I reach out to resolve it, but I never ask for a review to be changed.<\/p>\n PlantedBox has its own ambassador programme<\/a> where external creators receive a commission on sales through their link. When an article or social post is created by an ambassador or in collaboration with a partner, that’s clearly mentioned in the content.<\/p>\n I don’t work with paid product reviews, sponsored placements without disclosure, or “advertorials” that present themselves as editorial content.<\/p>\n For questions about this editorial policy, errors in articles, or topic suggestions: gilles@planted-box.com<\/a>. I read everything myself and you’ll get a personal reply.<\/p>\n\n
How do I handle numbers and claims?<\/h2>\n
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What about product mentions?<\/h2>\n
How do I use AI?<\/h2>\n
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When is an article published, and how often do I update?<\/h2>\n
What I do when I get things wrong<\/h2>\n
How I handle customer reviews<\/h2>\n
Affiliate links, sponsoring and partners<\/h2>\n
Questions or feedback?<\/h2>\n
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