Why and How to Add Plants to Your Aquarium

Plants help in balancing the ecosystem in the aquarium and hence provide an environment that is healthy for the fishes and are aesthetically pleasing. Through the process of photosynthesis, live plants provide oxygen to the fishes and absorb the carbon dioxide released by the fishes and other creatures in the aquarium. Since adding plants to your aquarium promotes good health to the fishes it is a wise idea to add plants.

Other advantages of plants in the aquarium are they control the level of ammonia that are released from fish waste and consumes the nutrients from algae, which helps to control the growth of algae as well. Moreover live plants are a good source of food as well as provide shelter for the fishes. The plants have to suit to the characteristics of water as well as there are plants specific to the fish species that live in the aquarium. Hence it is important to do a little research on the plants suitable to the fishes and condition of your aquarium before buying them.

There are certain factors that promote the growth of the plants such as the temperature and hardness of water and the pH level. Usually tropical plants are comfortable in soft water but can also adjust to survive in hard water. The preferred pH level for aquarium plants are between 6.5 and 7.5. The temperature of the water as required by most of the fish breeds is between 60 and 85°F (16 and 29°Celsious), so the plants must be chosen taking into consideration their ability to survive that temperature.

Plants require light for photosynthesis. So lighting to your aquarium should be available for about 10 to 12 hours everyday for the plants to live healthy. However if the lights are available more than what is required then it promotes the growth of excessive algae and that will be a hindrance.

This situation can be brought under control by introducing algae eating fish to your aquarium. Substrates like Laterite and Flourite promote quicker and easier plant growth. Fertilizers suitable for aquarium plants are available that are safe for the fishes as well. The aquarium safe fertilizers are available in tablet or liquid forms. Tablet fertilizers are suitable for plants that feed from root and liquid fertilizers are ideal for plants that feed from leaves.

The aquarium plants may get eaten up by herbivorous fish, so it is better to avoid herbivorous fish if your aquarium is planted. To identify the location in the aquarium tank where the plants are apt, it is important to learn the maximum height each plant may grow up to. You could place the shorter plants in the foreground and taller plants in the background and medium sized plants in the middle.

When adding the plants to the aquarium, the pH level, level of hardness and other elements of the water changes. So the plants have to be introduced to the aquarium before adding fish. Add some water while anchoring the plants securely to the desired location. After they are fixed properly you can then fill the rest of the tank so that the plants are submerged. You may then turn on the filters and check the temperature and perform water level tests.

Until the plants have established it is better to add only few fish to the aquarium. The fishes may nibble them occasionally and the plants have to be grown up strong enough to withstand that.

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