Should You Add Plants To Your Aquarium?
Adding live plants to an aquarium does more than just improve aesthetics - plants provide shelter, food for vegetarian fish, and prevent green water. Plants also soak up carbon dioxide, waste products, contribute oxygen to the water, and promote the growth of algae, tiny worms, rotifers, and protozoa, providing live food for the fish.
Lighting is important if you want your plants to grow successfully. They need 12-14 hours of light each day, just like in nature. The amount of light you need to provide is around 3-5 watts per gallon. Compact fluorescent bulbs and par 20, 50-watt halogen bulbs both do the job right, so experiment with different types of lighting to find out what works best for your plants.
You will also need to add nutrients to keep your plants thriving. This is not a hard job. The nutrients are provided by the fish in the tank, though it might become necessary to add more. And fish waste provides fertilizer. Of course you can add artificial fertilizer to the water as well, but it is not necessary. Too much fertilizer will cause algae growth.
And, is water temperature a concern? The majority of aquatic plants thrive in water temperatures between 72f and 78f. The Ph level of the water should be between 6.8 and 7.8.
Snails are also helpful in maintaining a good aquarium environment. Snails clean plants of food and small algae, as they crawl over leaves and foliage. Some snails, however, should not be used. Ramshorn, pond and some other species eat the leaves and should not be used. But, if you notice bad snails, removing them is very simple. Simply place lettuce leaves at the top of the aquarium to attract the snails - remove everything with a net once all the snails have assembled on the lettuce pieces.
Rinse the plants thoroughly before you place them inside the tank, to avoid bringing in any insects you don’t want in the aquarium. Purchase plants with strong roots and firm leaves. Do not buy plants that smell strange, especially bulbs.
And, try to buy younger plants that can adjust easily. Although the plants you buy will need a period of time to adjust, and may lose some leaves, don’t be alarmed. That’s very common and normal. Simply remove the dead leaves without damaging the roots.
Aquatic plants make a beautiful addition to any aquarium and help keep the fish comfortable, healthy, and happy.
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