Live Plants

Question
Hi Nathan, I'm just wondering, what would be the benefits of adding live plants to my 10 gallon aquarium with 5 neon tetras in it? Right now, I have plastic plants and a silk one, but I want to get some live ones, because they look more natural. Thanks.

Answer
Hi James,
That's a really good question. Why get live plants? Well, here's some great reasons, and the pros and cons of keeping live plants:

Pro's:
-Live plants give your aquarium a 'natural' look
-Live plants promote natural fish behavior and character
-Live plants reduce fish stress (and human stress!)
-Live plants consume Nitrate, as a fertilizer. Nitrate buildup can be harmful to fish.
-Live plants consume carbon dioxide in the water
-Live plants produce oxygen as a by-product through photosynthesis
-Live plants provide a place for newborn fry to hide
-Live plants provide a place for more shy fish to hide from aggressive ones

Con's
-Occasional pruning is required for faster growing species
-Decomposing leaves need to be removed/trimmed
-At least 8 hours of light from a light fixture is needed

As you can see, getting live plants is a great addition to any aquarium, and your Neons won't consume live plants like goldfish and some Cichlids do. Here's some plants I would recommend:

-Java fern
-Hygro (Hygrophilus polysperma)
-Amazon Sword
-Wisteria

Good Luck with your aquarium!