Aquatic Plant Care And Information

Having live aquatic plants in your aquarium is not essential however there are many advantages such as

1. They make the aquarium look better and more complete
2. They help to oxygenate the water
3. They offer good filtration which in turn gives you a low maintenance aquarium
4. They create a natural environment for you fish
5. They give your fish hiding and sometimes breeding places
6. Some fish such as catfish like a shaded area - aquatic plants wil provide them with this

So as you can see there are many good reasons to put aquatic plants in your aquarium. But there are so many different species of aquatic plants how do you know which ones you should get? Well firstly it's basically up to you, however, where you are going to position your plants may have an impact on which species you buy. For instance some plants grow tall, which are known as background plants, so these would not be ideal at the front of the aquarium. But if you do want some aquatic plants at the front it's best to buy foreground plants which are relatively short. And lastly there are middle ground plants which are obviously inbetween the extremes of the bacground and foreground varieties of aquatic plants, and are best placed in the middle or even the sides of your aquarium.

There are also diferent coloured aquatic plants and plants that are suited to being planted singularly, known as specimen plants, and plants that are suied to being planted in groups, known as bunch plants. It really is up to you to experiment until you have a layout in your aquarium that you are pleased with. Also some aquatic plants require more light than others, so it is a good idea to check which species of plant you are getting, and if the light conditions in your aquarium are sufficient enough to enable this particular variety of aquatic plant to thrive or not.

Maintenance

It is important to understand that aquatic plants will need some maintaining, much like the plants you would have in a garden. Firstly regular water changes are beneficial to your aquatic plants, we do a 25% water change every week. Secondly, it's also a good idea to give your aquatic plants some form of fetilizer, this can be obtained from your local pet/fish store where you will be able to ask for detailed and specific advice. And lastly, prune your aquatic plants regularly as this wil help to reduce the amount of algae growth within your aquarium.

To summarise aquatic plants can be very beneficial to your home aquarium and your fish for many reasons, which were discussed in the list above. Having aquatic plants in your aquarium is just one of the many things you can do to care for your fish. But as with anything it is important to research what is right for you and the fish you have in your home aquarium before you buy.