Selecting Aquarium Plants

Aquatic plants aren’t just for decoration; they serve an important function to the health and happiness of tropical fish. Growing plants not only provide large amounts of oxygen to the aquarium, they also clean the water of harmful contaminants such as nitrogen which is produce from left over fish food and fish poop.

Aquatic plants will create shelter for shy fish, provide spawning sites, and makes it easier to establish territorial boundaries for some species. Having plants in your aquarium will also help control the growth of algae.

Planning your Aquarium

Choose the largest tank possible, with small aquariums you’ll need to check the water quality more often. A problem with plants, algae and fish diseases occurs more often in smaller tanks. With a standard aquarium that holds 52 gallons of water, you will be able to provide a natural looking landscape and fish will have room to swim around freely.

Decide what species of fish you want to keep so you can become familiar with their natural environment. For instance, Discus prefers warm water and plants that provide plenty of cover. Some cichlids like to eat plants and are aggressive swimmers; they like to stir up bottom plants. Schooling fish like the Neon Tetra need plenty of swimming room so tall plants should be planted at the back of the aquarium.

Aquatic plants have requirements similar to tropical fish. Poor water quality will damage plants. If the pH and water hardness is high your plants won’t get the nutrients they need to thrive. Another reason for poor plant growth is insufficient light. The type of light you choose will depend on whether you have an open or closed aquarium. Fluorescent tubes can illuminate both types of aquariums more evenly and they come in a variety of power ratings for any size tank.

Types of Aquatic Plants

The two types of plant species are rosette plants and stem plants. Rosette leaves grow from a single base and require little care. You will need to thin out the plants occasionally. If you want low maintenance, choose rosette plants. Stem plants produce leaves on new stems as they grow. Pruning will keep the plants from getting too leggy.

Unsuitable Aquarium Plants

Occasionally you’ll see houseplants being sold as aquarium plants. Plants such as the Chinese Evergreen, Spider Plant, Umbrella Plant and Belgian Evergreen are unsuitable under water and will eventually die.

Transporting Aquarium Plants

Pet stores usually pack plants wet in a plastic bag. Two things to remember is to not leave the plant bag in the sun and if it is cold weather, wrap the plant bag in insulating material such as wrapping in several sheets of newspaper. As soon as possible, put the plants in warm water. Aquatic plants are very fragile.

Creating a natural landscape with aquatic plants will provide your fish the opportunity to live a long and healthy life.