Advantages Of Plants

[007_gaz]

hi, what are some of the advantages of plants in tank? i heard that heavily planted tanks can absorb alot of whats harmful to your fish and also release oxygen but at night plants would use it which might be hard on the fish. i wonder with those clay pot plants u can get, can just a few of them in tank have advantages? i feel it mostly helps making your fish feel safe but it seems only heavily planted tank is where it helps.

 

[mike455555]

plants take in nitrates. from the water. as for oxygen i wouldn't worry to much about that after all plants produce more O2 than they take in. long if you have good surface movement for o2 to defuse in and co2 to defuse out it should help. also planted tanks look amazing (all 3 of my tanks are planted)

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Any plant will help in any tank providing its healthy.

 

[snazy]

I can't imagine looking at a non-planted tank all day long. There's nothing better on the eyes, for the fish and all the benefits of plants. They take up ammonia and nitrItes from the water, and when these are gone(as when the tank is well cycled and the filter does most of the job), they feed on nitrAtes.
They play a huge part in the overall chemistry in a tank and provide natural food and shelter, reducing fish stress as well, not to mention oxygenating the water and also the substrate which in a non planted tank will produce the wrong type of bacteria(saves you siphoning the gravel too as plants will eat the organics produced)
If you've got the patience to pick the right plants for your tank, depending on light/water/temperature requirements, also a bit of fertilisers too, then go for it.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Well said snazy, I'm too tired to type all that right now lol.

 

[007_gaz]

thanks, i find it intresting. i did have those clay pot ones u can buy but they were attacked by angel fish and silver dollars lol so i been sticking with plastic plants for now. but i am thinking of real plants again to help in tank and make it look more natural. i might get a few moss balls aswell i heard that keeps algea down a bit.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Forget the moss balls mate for keeping algae down, they are such slow growers, and btw are actually a type of algae lol, get some stems if you want to fight algae. Faster growing plants can out compete it.

 

[mike455555]

id say go with stems as well or swords. maybe java fern and anubias (as angles and silver dollers might eat a little of them) iv heard java fern and anubias taste bad to fish of course theres no facts about the taste of it. but my friend has anubias in with angles fine

 

[ryan136]

angel fish shud b ok with ur plants ones u get them all in. they will stop eatin them after a few day. but sliver dollars will strip down a full

planted tank in a week or too mate. i dont no any one who keeped plant with them mit b only java fern cus of the bad taste.

as well as for plants to keep algae down floating plant are best for that. cus they can get lots n lots of co2 n take up excess nutrients so the algae cant grow.