What Exactly Do Plants Do For My Tank?

[Benakaben]

What exactly do plants do for my tank?

What benifits do keeping live plants have?

how many is to many?

 

[Toady]

Not a pro at all but plastic plants could scratch your fish and real plants look much better!

 

[Benakaben]

Do plants not help to remove ammonia and other nasties?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

They help remove nasties, filter the water, oxygenate the water and make a more natural habitat for your fish.

 

[Man of fish]

They remove some ammonia but what would you call "other nasties"

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Nitrate

 

[Man of fish]

Oh ok yeah they'll do that add oxygen to the tank, some fish nibble on them, they'll also look better! The fish will like them more too!!

 

[Benakaben]

ok thanks

Also what cause ammonia in the water? is it basically fish poo?

 

[Livewire88]

If your fish have no room to swim round in the tank you have to many plants, but I am yet to see a tank with to many plants.

 

[Man of fish]

Fish poo and decaying food and rotting matter all make ammonia.

 

[Benakaben]

yeh i thought so, so this poo and excess food will then be absorbed by the live plant roots. The same way of putting compost on your garden flowers?

 

[Man of fish]

Yeah its like natural fertilizer.

 

[Benakaben]

ah i see so how do they get the co2 they need if i do not have a co2 system set up?

 

[SO19Firearms]

ah i see so how do they get the co2 they need if i do not have a co2 system set up?

If your lighting is low they'll use what is already in the water, otherwise you could use a liquid carbon as a substitute.

 

[Benakaben]

ive got a juwel 438mm t8 15 watt light on a 60L tank would this be classed high or low light?