Selecting freshwater aquarium plants for your aquarium should not be undertaken lightly. By reducing levels of nitrate in the aquarium, providing a haven for timid and shy fish, making the aquarium look great, helping reduce algae growth and during breeding supplying areas for spawning, plants have great beneficial effect on both the aquarium environment and the fish themselves.
Adding aquarium plants to your aquarium can be a good idea because these plants use nitrates which may be troublesome to your tropical fish if your nitrate levels are high enough. When all is said and done plastic plants can never compete with the beauty of real live plants.
Some are easier to take care of than others. The Java Fern, Hygrophila polysperma and Vallisneria spiralis are amongst the stronger aquarium plants.
Before you begin your plant adventure you must make a few decisions.
Water Parameters
Aquarium plants and tropical fish are identical in their requirements when looking at water parameters. Different water conditions are required by different aquarium plants. The plants you want need particular water conditions so it is important to find these out. Make sure that for each plant you know its preferred ph, water hardness and lighting levels.
Good Substrate
For your plants to survive it is essential to have a good substrate. You can place some plants straight into the gravel but you can also place your plants in clay planters. If you place your plants directly into the gravel you will need to use an iron supplement for your aquarium water since these plants won’t be getting the nutrients they need from the iron fortified clay.
Good Lighting
Poor lighting is the one main reason why plants do not do well in an aquarium. Generally speaking the 20 -30 watts of lighting which comes as standard with many fish tanks is totally inadequate. Each plant will require different levels of lighting, this is usually measured in watts per gallon. If you want your plants to thrive you must pay attention to this measurement in order for photosynthesis to take place. CO2 is also required for photosynthesis. The fish respiration process which goes on in the aquarium can produce enough CO2. However, if you have a heavily planted tank, you may want to get a CO2 injector for your aquarium because you won’t be getting enough CO2 from your fish.
Fish Compatibility
Certain fish species will make aquarium plant keeping a nightmare. For instance, Silver Dollars really enjoy nibbling on live plants, likewise, Oscars and Goldfish will enjoy uprooting any aquarium plants you place in the tank. If you already have fish, do some research on your particular species before embarking on your live plant journey.
Before buying any plants you must find out their exact needs and whether you are able to provide those needs, otherwise you will be wasting money.
Finally, you should feed your plants with special freshwater plant food. I usually feed mine about once a week.
Some Recommended Plants
All of these look fantastic in the aquarium and only a few require very high levels of lighting.
- Java Ferns. pH 5.5-7.5, temp. 20-28 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, tolerates low light levels. These do better tied to floating driftwood rather than planted in the gravel.
- Amazon Sword. pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 22-28 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water. These should be planted in loose substrate and supplemented with iron fertilizer.
- Argentine Sword. pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 16-25 Celsius, Water hardness 1-5 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water. These should be supplemented with iron fertilizer and planted in loose substrate.
- Hygrophila Polysperma. pH 6.5-8.0, temp. 20-30 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water. Small reddish or green leaves atanding at 24 inches, they should be placed in the center back of the tank so they have room to grow.
- Umbrella Plant. ph 5.0-7.0, temp. 22-25 Celsius, Water hardness 4-12 degrees, Lighting Intense. They can be anywhere between 8-12 inches tall. They have tall, thin stems with small leaves at the top of each stem that branch out into a star shape. They will die if completely submerged in the aquarium water because they are not really aquatic plants. You can still have this gorgeous greenery as a part of your fish’s habitat-Just grow the plant on the surface and submerge the roots below.
- Vallisneria Spiralis. pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 15-30 Celsius, Water hardness 5-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 50 Galls water. Vallisneria Spiralis can grow up to 24 inches in length and is like grass. Because Vallisneria spiralis is not too fussy with its water parameters, it is a good choice for beginning aquarists. These plants look best along the sides or in the back of your aquarium
- Anubias Barteri. pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 22-28 Celsius, Water hardness 8 degrees, Lighting Moderate. Anubias Barteri has broad green leaves that grow as much as 16 inches long. They grow best with CO2 fertilization.
- Other low light options include: Cryptocoryne, Dwarf Hairgrass, Water Sprite, Anacharis, and Cabomba.
For more information on Freshwater Aquarium Plants go to my website www.freshwateraquariumsecretsonline.com