| From extra filtration, to additional food, hiding places, | | | | easily seen on the packaging by most manufacturers. |
| controlling algae and extra oxygen in your tank, the | | | | You will also need to know what intensity of lighting |
| range of benefits for your fish from using plants is | | | | that individual plant species require, or they will |
| huge. The aesthetics of a fully planted and well cared | | | | becomes very ill very quickly. |
| for tank can be truly stunning. | | | | With the right level of lighting, heating comes next, |
| There are a huge range of plants you can potentially | | | | which will again vary from species to species. You will |
| use in your tank, ranging from easy to keep varieties | | | | normally need four to six watts of heat per gallon of |
| such as Java Fern and Moss, to the more exotic such | | | | water in your tank, depending on how hot or cold |
| as Tiger Lotus and Magenta Water Hedge. What you | | | | the water should be. The biggest hurdle to keeping |
| choose to plant in your tank should come down to | | | | plants once you have all your equipment is |
| your experience and comfort level with planting. Just | | | | deficiencies of substances in the water such as |
| like fish, there are a range of needs your plants have. | | | | Magnesium, Phosphates and Calcium though there are |
| If your plants do not get everything they need, the | | | | many more. If you are keeping plants, you can keep |
| right light and heat, nutrients and care, they will die | | | | on track of what your water does or does not |
| very quickly. It takes some understanding of water | | | | contain by buying test equipment to discover what's |
| chemistry and the needs of the different kinds of | | | | in your water. |
| plants to do well with them all. | | | | Keeping live aquarium plants can be greatly rewarding, |
| The first major aspect of plant keeping is lighting. | | | | from the direct benefits to the visual effects. You will |
| Plants will use both red and blue light from the | | | | do well the more you understand and the more time |
| spectrum for photosynthesis and reflect green light | | | | and care is taken to maintain the delicate balance of |
| back to us, which is why they appear green. Blue | | | | water chemistry in your aquarium through a nutrient |
| light is roughly 400-450 nanometres and red light is | | | | rich substrate and good quality fertilizers if needed. |
| roughly 600-650 nanometres. The output of bulbs is | | | | |