Aquarium Plants

[jeuxydizzer]

I want to know more about aquatic plants which will be suitable to grow in a tropical aquarium. Feedback on the requirements, and other cultural practices for these plants would be highly appreciated.

I also want to know if it is worth it to put aquarium plants in order to "balance" the ecosystem in the tank. I have heard of horror stories where the plants have actually polluted the plant after dying and I don't really want that to happen to me. ;-)

 

[Trellum]

Hi there! I'm not sure you will be able to find a lot info on that kind of plants over here, but you can try! You'd be more lucky (I believe) if you find a forum on this specific subject or any forum on tropical fish. But who knows, maybe a fellow fish lover on here might be able to offer some hints

 

[LIcenter]

I would like to say, growing aquarium plants is a like a walk in the park, but the fact is; It is not. Yes you can buy a few plants, stab them in the gravel, and watch them hang on for a few months only to wind up using them in the compost bin. That being said, there are some plants like Cabamba that will grow very well in a normal aquarium setup. The problem with this plant, and a few others are they are very invasive, and will take over your tank. As a matter of fact two lakes by me are under attack by this very plant because someone thought it wood be best to dump their unwanted aquarium plants in the lake rather than just tossing them in the trash. Here is a link to some pretty good advice on the types of plants that are not all that hard to grow. http://bettasplendid.weebly.com/easy-care-plant-guide.html

Now if you really want to grow aquarium plants to their fullest capabilities; You will need an undergravel heating system. The warmer the roots the better the growth, and longevity of the plant.
Next you will need a good substrate. Fine sand on the bottom, followed by a good planting substrate that can be bought in any aquarium store, and lastly the top layer can be anything from gravel to coarse sand no less than two inches deep.

The next important part is a good filtration system that is no less than three stages, as shown in this link. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+16744&pcatid=16744

And last but certainly not least is a good lighting system. many people think they can get by if they just park the tank near a window, and the sunlight will take car of everything. Very bad idea! First you will notice algae growing everywhere. Then as summer rolls around the tank starts to heat at a rapid pace, and finally all is lost because the bio diversity has been nullified, and all the fish die for lack of oxygen. The best lighting is a four tube T5 setup with the proper bulbs for growing plants.

My last tank was a 200 gal tall that was strictly for breeding Angel fish, and growing beautiful plants. I loved that tank, but had to sell it when I was out of work for 2 1/2 years. Hope I don't sound to blunt with my response. What I lack in grammar, I more than make up for with humor.

 

[Mockingbird]

OP you don't say what type of aquarium you have so I am going to guess it is a freshwater one. I have a very large aquarium with real plants and I think it makes a huge difference. I have been lucky in that the conditions are just right. Cold enough in the winter and enough light. You could start with Amazon Sword plants, they are very hearty and easy to grow. They are tall and good if you have many small community fish. Anubias is also a great plant if you have enough light, make sure this is near the front of the tank. It will flower a lovely white calla lily type flower. I always used a plant grow light made for aquariums. The only time I ever had problems was when I used a liquid plant food. I don't recommend that, just do your ph test when you do a water change.

Some fish will eat live plants, don't worry about that, saved you from cleaning them up when they are finished in their growth cycle. You might want to read a book on aquarium plants for ideas on gravel and plant needs. Good luck, I love my fish plants the most, they are always very relaxing when I get home after a long day.