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 absorb carbon dioxide and waste product and increase the oxygen level, aside from producing tiny worms, rotifers and protozoa the fish eats.

Lighting is important if you want your plants to grow successfully. You will need to provide 12-14 hours of light each day. Opinions vary concerning how much light live plants need, but generally 3-5 watts per gallon works well. You can choose a compact fluorescent bulb, or a 20, 50-watt halogen bulb.

Plants also require the proper nutrients to stay healthy and green. Everything works together in a well-planned aquarium, so keeping the plants fed isn’t a difficult prospect. Nutrients to feed the plants come from the fish in the tank – you can add more if needed. Fertilization is easy as well because plants are able to naturally use fish waste as fertilizer. You can add a commercial fertilizer when you change the water, but it’s usually better to follow the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to fertilizing your plants. A level of fertilizer that’s too high will cause too much algae in the tank.

And, is water temperature a concern? The majority of aquatic plants thrive in water temperatures between 72f and 78f. The pH of the water is also important a pH of 6.8 to 7.8 is ideal.

Snails are another natural component that help the overall health of the aquatic environment. They eat food and algae from plants. However, some snails can actually cause problems. Ramshorn, pond and some other species eat the leaves and should not be used. Removing bad snails is very simple. Place some lettuce on top of the water and let the snails congregate on it, and then remove the whole thing with a net.

Before placing new plants in your aquarium, rinse them thoroughly in warm water to remove any insects you don’t want invading the aquarium. Healthy plants have solid roots and firm leaves, so this is what you should look for when purchasing aquatic plants. Avoid plants that give off a strange smell, especially bulbs, as this is an indication that the plant is not healthy and may not grow properly once placed in your tank.

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. There is nothing unusual about that. Remove the leaves without damaging the roots.

Adding live plants can give your aquarium a lift, and it can benefit your fish more than you imagine.

Author bio: Writer Luis Hinton is a dog enthusiast. If you’re looking for the pick of the litter, check these English bulldog puppies for sale. These litters of English bulldogs for sale are wrinkly with a massive nose rope and overdone. One of these classic dogs is perfect for your family.