Plants in Aquarium

[spookykid927]

I've never before had live plants in any of my aquariums, but I would like to try to now in an experimental tank. What kind of water conditions or special requirements do these plants need in order to grow compared to regular fish inhabited water (without plants)...?

 

[Slyspy]

I've never before had live plants in any of my aquariums, but I would like to try to now in an experimental tank. What kind of water conditions or special requirements do these plants need in order to grow compared to regular fish inhabited water (without plants)...?

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Try reposting in the Planted Tank forum for more responses and expert help.

No special water requirements are necessary for most plants, though you may need to add liquid and/or tablet fertilizer.

A nice deep substrate is good for many plants, for their roots to grow properly.

Lighting is important. At least 2 watts per gallon is recommended although different plants require different light levels.

Choose plants wisely, taking into account light levels, tank size, plant size and the position in the tank.

Some people also have CO2 systems to help nourish their plants but this is only really necessary in large, heavily planted tanks. As something of a novice myself I ignore this part!

Luckily many of the hardiest plants are also the most commonly available. Tough plants include anubias, java fern and vallis. I started out with these in a tank with low/medium light levels.

For hints, tips and plant info try this top site:
www.plantgeek.net

 

[Mr Miagi]

Id read through some of the pinned topics in the fact file forum and perhaps reading through some old threads in the planted section to really get you started with the basics!

Different plants thrive in different water params, so you will find it helpfiul if you buy a good book or two on aquarium plantsand get a feel for what plants need what type of water params, as its a little difficult to tell you in one post!

So get some ideas and research planbted tanks, and come back with some more specific or defined questions we can help you with!

 

[laurasmithuk]

you'l need to feed em. i made mistake of not doing that when i first got tank and they slowly all died!

 

[jkeylounatic]

i planted my tank with real plants instead of plastic and my 10 gal looks so much better, its suprisingly easy to do it too, i have a gravel substrate and a flourescent hood light and the plants are doing fine. My fish love them and im sure yours will too. IMO real plants are amazing

 

[spookykid927]

Hm...you see, I thought it'd be quite difficult to get plants to stay alive without monitoring water contents (Nitrites, Nitrates, CO2, etc) 24/7. I know that I would need certain lighting; I've seen special bulbs that promote growth. I need to feed them? Is that completely necessary or can they thrive without it in good water?

 

[Slyspy]

Hm...you see, I thought it'd be quite difficult to get plants to stay alive without monitoring water contents (Nitrites, Nitrates, CO2, etc) 24/7. I know that I would need certain lighting; I've seen special bulbs that promote growth. I need to feed them? Is that completely necessary or can they thrive without it in good water?

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I would feed them. Not all the nutirents are available in the tank normally. My plans perked up beautifully when I started using liquid fertilizer. Just use a combination fertilizer like florapride unless your plants are suffering from a clearly defined deficiency. You don't really need to monitor nutrient levels unless there are clear problems, you have more specialist plants or you require a show tank!

 

[@ombomb]

Spooky, some plants will be fine whatever you throw at them, others need special care and attention. Plants in your aquarium, to a degree, are harder to care for than your fish, but are equally rewarding when they are doing well. Personally I have spent a lot of time a resonable amount of money trying to get my lighting / C02 / feritlisers balanced, am starting to see the results and wouldn't even consider fake plants.