| Aquarium plants offer a whole range of benefits to | | | | Food - Although a great many species of fish are not |
| your fish and aquarium and there are a variety of | | | | herbivores, some species of fish love to eat plants |
| good reasons to keep live aquarium plants. Keeping | | | | and they can make a great nutritious addition to their |
| live aquarium plants ultimately results in a cleaner | | | | diet. Resistant plants such as Anubias can withstand |
| tank, healthier and happier fish. | | | | this attention from aggressive fish such as cichlids, |
| Filtration - Keeping aquatic plants offers additional | | | | meaning that whatever fish you have there are |
| biological and chemical filtration. Strictly speaking, only | | | | viable plant choices. |
| mechanical filtration is technically necessary if you are | | | | Algae Control - The bane of many an aquarium, algae |
| keeping live aquarium plants. Any given filter, when it | | | | is an unfortunately common problem. Plants |
| is not 100% clean, does not work as efficiently as it | | | | competing with algae for nutrients from the |
| would otherwise have done. You can always rely on | | | | substrate and water column offer you an excellent |
| your plants to be active in keeping your aquarium | | | | way to keep algae under control, as by doing so, |
| cleaner than it would have been without them. | | | | they literally starve algae to death. A combination of |
| Aeration - Aquariums which do not contain live plants | | | | live plants, regular maintenance and controlling |
| often use air-stones in a desperate attempt to | | | | phosphates and nitrates should ensure a largely |
| provide enough oxygen for the fish to breathe | | | | algae-free aquarium. |
| properly. In an aquarium which keeps plants, oxygen | | | | The combination of these benefits from keeping |
| is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis, | | | | plants means that if it is possible, it is an extremely |
| where the plants use a combination of hydrogen, | | | | good idea to grow live aquarium plants in your tank. |
| carbon and oxygen molecules to produce their food. | | | | Suitable plants for beginners include Java Moss, Java |
| Protection - Many fish are comforted by the | | | | Fern and various species of Anubias as these plants |
| presence of plants, particularly vulnerable herbivores. | | | | do not require especially large amount of attention, |
| Introducing plants to your aquarium gives them | | | | lighting or nutrients. If you are beginning a planted |
| somewhere to hide making them feel safer. In turn, | | | | aquarium, floating plants are also recommended, as |
| this leads to lower levels of stress and diseases such | | | | these will be easier to keep than plants which require |
| as Columnaris and Ich. | | | | substrate. |