Real plants work wonders for aquariums, providing the fish with the necessary oxygen and even food. They keep the pH levels of the water more balanced, and provide a beautiful setting for you and a hiding place for fish and other aquarium inhabitants. They are also easy to care for and allow biological filtration of the water, as well as eliminating harmful ammonia (the one that fish excrete naturally in the water). Many aquatic plants remove ammonia, but not nitrites.
Some enthusiasts use this information for natural aquariums. When we cultivate aquatic plants, we are able to create new underwater worlds, or at least we try to imitate nature.
Steps
Step 1. Choose the plants you want to grow
It pays to inquire a little at this point, look at various sites or forums, and look for various sources of information. Consider the size of your aquarium, the look you want to create and how big you want your plants. But remember that plants grow! Do you prefer something with a lot of leaves, or with more moss? What do you think of something your fish will be able to eat?
You can find small, dwarf aquarium plants that only grow a few inches, or get much larger ones if you have a larger aquarium
Step 2. Purchase the plants you wish to grow
You can get them cheap, small and then wait for them to grow, or a little more expensive and grown, for a larger aquarium. Pet shops or specialized online sites can provide you with cuttings at low cost. Either way, be careful what you introduce into your aquarium. Plants can carry small animals such as snails and shrimps that can have bacteria and diseases. Always try to get the material from a safe source with guaranteed hygiene.
Step 3. Check your aquarium for snails and other unwanted visitors
Some smaller water snails, no longer than a couple of millimeters, reproduce quickly. If you don't have loach fish or other fish that feed on it, they will soon take over. You can quarantine new plants out of the tank for a couple of days to see if any snails appear.
Step 4. Most aquarium plants prefer to live completely submerged, so don't let it dry out
If the tank hasn't filled yet, or if you want to add more plants, use a bucket or bin of water.
Step 5. Secure the plants
Depending on the type, this could be mostly a cosmetic issue, to keep them from moving around. For mosses, consider tying them with a rope, loosely, to a rock to keep them stable.
In general, do not bury the rhizomes in the gravel, which are usually thicker and greener than the roots or stem, as this could quickly kill the entire plant; also try not to bury the crown just above the roots of the other plants that need to be in the substrate
Step 6. Provide adequate light
Aquarium plants, like all others, need light for photosynthesis. Check the amount of light needed for the plants you choose, many require a lot of it. If you have poor lighting, it will be helpful to keep the aquarium near the windows. Otherwise, prevent lighting the tub with full spectrum fluorescent lamps.
- When you activate the lighting system, it is recommended that you have at least 2.5 watt fluorescent lights for every 4 liters of water, unless you activate a carbon dioxide system.
- "Cool white" or "daytime" fluorescent bulbs are economical, efficient and effective enough for most aquariums.
Step 7. Add the fish
While not strictly necessary, fish manure helps feed plants. The plants, in turn, maintain the best water conditions for the fish by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during the day, while at night they naturally emit CO2. Some plants are able to remove ammonia or nitrites. If you don't already have fish, wait a week before introducing them to the lush environment you are creating.
Step 8. Change the water periodically
Plants don't need to change water like fish, but it's still a good idea to replace it. Do not create a siphon on the bottom of the aquarium, as this could kill or injure the plants. Use the siphon above the ground where the plants are planted, and make sure it doesn't damage them.
Step 9. Remove the algae
They tend to form on the walls of the aquarium or on the leaves of plants and compete with them for light. You can remove them by hand by scrubbing or scraping the walls of the aquarium every week when you change the water, and gently rubbing the leaves of the plant between your fingers. By far the easiest method, though, is to let the tank dwellers do the work for you. Shrimp and various catfish eagerly feed on algae and can help you keep the aquarium much cleaner with little or no effort on your part.
Step 10. Separate or prune plants if they get too big
Depending on the aquarium and the plants, you may soon find yourself a small forest. Choosing slow growing plants can help you keep them in check, but it can also mean taking longer to have a thriving aquarium. Find the right balance.
Step 11. Finished
Advice
- Good fun. This is an opportunity to enjoy some plants that land dwellers usually don't see and that are, for the most part, easy to care for.
- Glassfish and ghost shrimp are freshwater shrimp. They fit in with tetra fish and goldfish.
- Aquarium plants come in all sorts of sizes and colors, so shop around a bit before choosing.
- If you find snails, remove them from the plants and aquarium before adding the fish.
- Keep in mind the chemical composition of your water. Many municipal water systems are eliminating radium (Ra) through the exchange of sodium ions. This 'softening' water results in a noticeable change in water quality over time. Consider adding blackwater tonic, or a moss filter.
- Start with a few plants and then slowly add more.
- Choose plants that are compatible with fish, as some will eat or destroy them.
- Pay attention to the nitrogen cycle: [1] Plants do not use nitrogen in the same way as fish.
- Aquarium plants can be good food for your goldfish or other fish [2]
Warnings
- Don't throw aquarium plants into waterways in your area. Many are not native to your places, and they do not belong there. Instead, if you have excess plants, let them dry out and dispose of them in the trash. Invasive aquatic plants reduce fish abundance and damage waterways causing damage worth millions of euros.
- Snails do not arise spontaneously on aquarium plants. Their eggs and larvae may have been introduced by the new plants. Check the underside of the leaves. Many snails prefer a seaweed diet. Some can be beneficial for aquariums as they help maintain water quality, while others are parasites.
- If you want to keep blue crayfish, know that they uproot and eat aquatic plants.
- You may also find yourself hydras, small animals that look like small sea anemones. Remove them as they can eat very small fish, although they mainly feed on small invertebrates such as Daphnia and Cyclops.
