| Anybody who has seen a well-maintained planted | | | | want high temps, etc. Most aquatic plants will live |
| aquarium knows how beautiful aquatic aquarium | | | | within a common range of water conditions, but just |
| plants can be. They add a depth and richness that | | | | be aware that there may be some plants that will |
| turn a plain fish tank into a wonderful aquarium. | | | | not be compatible with your desired setup. |
| However, many people are intimidated by live | | | | The substrate in the tank is important for keeping |
| aquarium plants and wonder if they are worth the | | | | aquatic plants. The gravel should be at least 3" deep |
| trouble. Do they provide any benefit besides looking | | | | so that the roots can grow unrestrained and anchor |
| good? | | | | the plant well. A natural colored quartz gravel mix |
| First of all, adding live aquatic plants doesn't | | | | with rocks 2mm to 4mm in size is a very good |
| necessarily mean creating a densely planted, rich | | | | choice. For plants that require some additional soil, |
| waterscape. An aquarium can be enhanced just by | | | | they can be put in pots that can then be planted into |
| adding one plant, or a few. Live plants can be mixed | | | | the gravel. |
| in with artificial plants, or the aquarium can go to the | | | | Lighting is a necessary component to a planted |
| extreme of a so called "Dutch aquarium" in which the | | | | aquarium, but in most cases a basic fluorescent bulb |
| plants take center stage and the fish are secondary | | | | or bulbs will do just fine. Some plants need higher |
| in the tank. | | | | intensity light and heavily planted tanks have greater |
| Beyond the aesthetics, why should one consider | | | | needs, but that is beyond the scope of this article. |
| plants in the aquarium? Plants are living things that | | | | Two important things need to be kept in mind |
| serve an important purpose in the ecosystem of the | | | | regarding the lights and the hood. The first is that |
| aquarium. Through the process of photosynthesis, | | | | fluorescent bulbs lose significant intensity after about |
| plants take in CO2 and release oxygen that is used | | | | a year, so even though the bulbs are not burned out, |
| by the fish. Nitrate can be bad for the fish when | | | | they should be replaced every year. Another often |
| levels get too high, but the plants use the nitrate in | | | | overlooked task is cleaning the glass underside of the |
| the gravel as food. The plants provide shelter for | | | | aquarium hood. It often gets covered with algae and |
| smaller or shy fish, and this extra sense of security is | | | | residue from evaporation, so clean it every week to |
| reflected in healthier fish. The plants also help keep | | | | keep the light intensity in the tank from fading. |
| algae growth in check by shading the tank | | | | Periodically the plants should be trimmed to prevent |
| somewhat. Certain fish species like to eat plants, too, | | | | overgrowth. Fast growing plants can reach the |
| so they can provide a dietary supplement to some | | | | surface of the tank and start to grow horizontally, |
| fish | | | | thus shading out everything below. Some basic small |
| Keeping live plants in the aquarium can be relatively | | | | sharp scissors will work for the trimming. Any dead |
| easy if a few basics are kept in mind. This one may | | | | leaves or dead plants should be removed from the |
| sound obvious, but it is important to remember that | | | | tank quickly as the decomposing plant material is not |
| plants are living things. They have needs just like the | | | | good for the water conditions. |
| fish in the aquarium do and if one keeps those needs | | | | The beauty of a well-planted tank and all of the |
| in mind, then the plants will be no trouble to keep in | | | | potential benefits of aquatic aquarium plants make a |
| the tank. | | | | convincing case for adding plants to any aquarium. |
| When picking plants out to put in the aquarium, do | | | | Given the fact that their maintenance is no more |
| some research and find out what the preferred | | | | demanding than any fish that are already in the tank, |
| water conditions are for the plants, just as you | | | | it is hard to come up with a reason not to try live |
| would when choosing fish. Some plants thrive in | | | | plants in your tank. |
| higher pH conditions, some like soft water, others | | | | |