Aquarium plants for beginners

It is not hard to understand why plants are present in so many
aquariums. Lush and healthy plants are stunning to look at and
will create a much more natural environment in the aquarium.
Most fish species feel safer and less stressed when they have
plants to hide among, and many species will never thrive in an
unplanted aquarium. If your fish species inhabit densely grown
waters in the wild, they will feel very insecure in a plant
without any vegetation. A lot of fish species are however rock
dwellers and can get the same sense of security from caves and
rocky formations in the aquarium. If your fish disturb the
plants and damage them by nibbling of the leaves or digging up
the roots, caves and wood can be a better solution than plants.
If uprooting is the main problem, you can choose plants that
float and do not require any anchorage in the substrate. If your
fish are vigorous plant eaters, artificial plants can be used
instead of live plants. It can also be possible to find a few
live plant species that your fish do not like the taste of. If
your fish only nibble on the plants, you can choose strong and
fast growing live plants that can tolerate some snacking.

Plants will not only provide your fish with valuable shelters
and make your aquarium look beautiful; they will also help you
to keep the water quality up. Fish and plants coexist in the
wild and will complement each other well in the aquarium. The
waste products released by fish will contain compounds that the
plants can use as nutrition. Organic waste will therefore be
contained within the plant instead of floating around in the
water where it can harm the fish. You should however keep in
mind that these compounds will not “disappear”, they will just
be confined within the plant. If you allow dead and decaying
plant material to stay in the aquarium, the organic compounds
will be released again and begin to pollute the water. Plants
must therefore be regularly pruned and unhealthy parts must be
removed from the water as soon as possible. In return for the
organic compounds that they receive from the fish, the plants
will produce oxygen which is essential to the fish. The plants
will also use dissolved carbon dioxide and thereby lower the
levels of carbon dioxide in the aquarium.

The direct exchange between fish and plants is important, but it
is not the only thing that help keeping the water quality up.
The plants will also provide a home for a wide range of micro
organisms that are beneficial for the ecosystem in the aquarium.
Plants are also capable of inhibiting ugly algae growth since
plants and algae compete over the same nutrients.

Many fish species will never spawn in an unplanted aquarium.
Some species need the plants to feel safe enough to spawn, while
others need leaves to attach their eggs on. A densely planted
aquarium will also increase the fry survival growth if you wish
to raise fry in the same aquarium as adult fish, since the fry
will hide among the plants. Busy plants with a lot of smaller
leaves are ideal for this purpose. It should however be noted
that there are other ways to provide fry with good shelters.
Newly hatched fry can for instance hide among larger marbles on
the bottom of the aquarium. Caves, roots, stones and artificial
aquarium decoration will also give the fry hiding places where
they can stay out of harms way.

A plant relies on photosynthesis and light is therefore
essential to it. A fish only aquarium requires little light, but
if you wish to keep a densely planted aquarium you might be
forced to install new lights. Fluorescent light is better than
the standard incandescent light in planted aquarium. Some plant
species are very demanding in require even stronger light than
the fluorescent, but these species are not recommended for
beginners. Fluorescent lights are more expensive than
incandescent lights, but fluorescent lights will on the other
hand burn cooler and use less electricity. Java Fern and Java
Moss are two examples of suitable beginner species. They are
tough plants that can survive in a wide range of pH-values and
water hardiness. They can even be kept in a slightly brackish
aquarium, such as a Molly aquarium. Unlike many other aquatic
plants, Java Fern should not be planted in the substrate in the
aquarium. Java Fern should instead be attached to rock, wood or
aquarium decorations where it will form roots. Once your have
purchased your first Java Fern or Java Moss, the plants will
propagate themselves. New plants will develop on the old plants,
and eventually break off. You can attach these tiny plants to
some type of decoration in the aquarium and wait for them to
grow large.