BY BETH ANN BATES
A well-maintained, planted tank is a magical underwater garden. Growing freshwater
aquatic plants has become a major hobby in itself, separate from fish-keeping. Plant
enthusiasts even have their own national group, the Aquatic Gardeners Association
(www.aquatic-gardeners.org).
The AGA hosts well-attended conventions and sponsors contests, among other things. A
quick browsing of their website is sure to amaze and intimidate the novice. If you are like
me, you may appreciate the beauty of these tanks, but fear that you have a black thumb.
Yes, I have killed a lot of house plants in my day. Nevertheless, the breathtaking pictures
of freshwater tanks, lush with greenery, made me want that for my first fish tank. Not to
worry! Like all elements of this hobby, information abounds, and you can start out slowly.
Let’s talk about the basics.
As with all pursuits, there are pros and cons. You should know that live plants will involve
more work and cost more money than their plastic counterparts. Just like your lawn,
aquatic plants require some maintenance. You will trim dead leaves off the plants. You
might experience some frustration before they grow successfully, and aquatic plants can
be costly. However, a well-planted tank is a stunning and peaceful addition to your
home.
The focal point of my living room is a 30-gallon high tank, dominated by one enormous
plant, an Amazon sword, with leaves about two feet tall. When my regal Angel fish glide
around this plant, it is truly a sight to behold. For me, the beauty of live plants wins out
over plastic every time.
Another plus is the joy of the challenge. Shortly after I first started keeping fish, I was
surprised to find that the complexity of the hobby was drawing me in, fascinating me. I
love to learn, and when it comes to this hobby, boy is there a lot to learn! Everything that is
engaging and healthy about hobbies is here for the curious to dive in to. By working to
keep both my fish and their surroundings healthy, I found myself utterly enthralled.
Biological concepts that I never understood were becoming clear to me as I watched
them come alive in my aquariums. And learning to arrange the plants in a pleasing way
inside the tank is a satisfying, artistic pastime.
Perhaps the best reason to use live plants in your aquarium is for the benefit of your fish.
Real plants create a comfortable, healthy habitat for them. An abundance of plants
affords fish the opportunity to behave in ways that are instinctual to them, such as hiding
when they feel threatened or are spawning. This helps your fish to enjoy a more relaxed,
natural lifestyle.
Stress is a major contributor to fish illness. Just like our immune systems that can be
compromised by a lot of stress in our daily lives, the same is true of our fish. Plants
make them feel more at home.
Plants also help to keep the tank healthy. Live plants use fish waste and undesirable
biological ingredients to help them grow. Growing plants can also prevent ugly algae
from gaining a foothold, and help clear cloudy water in the tank. “My friend has a 75-
gallon aquarium and for months we couldn’t resolve his cloudy water problem,” Sarah
Molnoski told me. “We tried everything from changing the carbon to siphoning the water,
to less feeding but nothing seemed to work. I had asked one of our fellow NJASers [club
members] what I could do to help clear up the cloudy water, and they said to put in some
live plants.
Would you believe that in about a three-day time period it worked? The tank was crystal
clear.”
Chuck Davis, veteran fish keeper and life member of the North Jersey Aquarium Society,
says, “Planted tanks are not only more natural looking, they are clearly better for the other
tank inhabitants. They do more than decorate the aquarium, they aid in all sorts of ways
including conversion of fish waste, filtration, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, dietary
supplement and security for the tropical fish.”
Okay, so I’ve sold you on the idea of real plants for your aquarium. Great! Where shall you
begin? Even before you choose your plants, consider these fundamentals: substrate
(gravel), fertilizer, lighting and CO2. If you are setting up a new tank, you can plan
accordingly. If you are interested in adding live plants to an already existing aquarium,
you may need to make some adjustments to insure success.
The first thing to think about is the substrate or gravel. In order to grow healthy plants in a
healthy tank, you should use a substrate that is neither too small or too large. Very fine,
sand-like gravel will pack too tightly and impede the growth of roots. It can also trap
unwanted bacteria. Gravel that is too large does not offer proper support. You can choose
gravel that is specifically made for planted tanks with fertilizer in it. A popular one is called
Fluorite, made by the company Seachem.
Fertilizers also come in liquid form or tabs that can be buried in the gravel. I’ve had
success with both Fluorite and plain gravel with fertilizer tabs. One comment about
substrate: consider the color. While color will not effect the growth of your plants, planted
tanks are all about natural beauty. So neon pink gravel will look just silly; go for a natural
tone instead. Some serious hobbyists have opinions as to what color substrate is native
to a particular species of fish. I’m not convinced that these theories are important to the
fish, but they are interesting. For the sake of appearance, I suggest beige, brown, reddish
or black tones that mimic the look of natural stone or earth.
Ample lighting is critical to the growth of plants. A number of manufacturers make bulbs
specifically designed for planted tanks, that will fit into standard aquarium hoods.
Standard bulbs that often come with the hood will not work well for your plants. Most
hobbyists are already using a timer to turn the aquarium lights on and off at regular times
daily. For a planted tank, the length of time that the light is on is important. I set my timers
to shift the balance of light in the plants favor: 14 hours per day on, 10 hours off. This has
the added benefit of giving me lots of time to view my tanks, both before I go to work and
in the evenings.
CO2 is the last fundamental component. It’s difficult to talk about CO2 without getting into
the biological science behind plant growth. I am not much of a scientist, so it’s all quite
murky to me. However, I do know that CO2 is a natural substance that plants need to
grow. You can buy or make contraptions that will put additional CO2 into your tank. Most
hard-core plant lovers will have this type of apparatus, because it is very difficult to get the
super-lush tanks seen in pictures without it. I confess that I have yet to try a CO2 device,
because they can be costly. I know I will give in eventually and treat myself to one of these
systems. In the meantime, I’m doing fine with the low-tech method.
When you are ready, you should consider the species of plants you want before you buy.
Plants, like fish, have preferences as far as water parameters. Some like hard water,
some soft, cool or warm temperatures, etc. As with fish, it is wise to choose plants that
like your water. Size will play a role in your choices. Small tanks call for small plants, and
large tanks need plants that will grow tall.
Also like fish, plants can be hardy or delicate. For the beginner, hardy is certainly the way
to go. I suggest that you start with a few hardy species that like the same water chemistry
as the fish you keep. Some people are purists, and insist on plants that are native to the
same part of the world as their fish. If they keep fish that are indigenous to the black
waters of the Amazon, they want only plants that grow naturally in that region. If this idea
appeals to you, then by all means go for it. To me, it seems needlessly complicated. Very
few admirers of your tanks will be educated enough to the complexities of the topic to
appreciate your efforts. Ditto for the inhabitants. Whatever your preference, read up on the
different species of plants and their needs. The book Aquarium Plants by Christel
Kasselmann is considered by many to be the bible of aquatic plant indexes, but it is a
large and pricey volume. Many general fish-keeping books and magazines have good
coverage of basic plants, and much information is available on the web as well.
Where do you buy aquatic plants? Most stores that specialize in tropical fish will carry
plants too. There are also plenty of web-based companies that will ship plants right to
your door. One company that I use (although not for live plants) and like, is That Fish
Place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (www.thatpetplace. com/MainPro/IndexFish.aspx). They
carry everything and their customer service is excellent. I normally buy my plants at
auctions sponsored by my local aquarium society (fish club). This affords me the
opportunity to examine the plant and its roots closely before I buy it.
As with any plant, you want one that looks strong and healthy. Often the plant will not be
potted. Look for ample roots, unless you are buying cuttings that will root later in your
tank. There are also floating and moss-type aquatic plants, which have no roots. I like to
keep Hortwort, a floating plant with delicate leaves, in my tanks with livebearers. These
fish give birth to tiny live babies who like to hide in the Hortwort, and thus avoid their
cannibalistic tankmates.
Some common rooted plants that I have grown successfully are Anubias (nana, barteri
and coffefolia varieties), Vallisneria, Amazon swords and moss balls.
Once you have decided which plants to get, you will choose where in the tank to place
them. The art of arranging plants in the tank, called aqua-scaping, has become hugely
popular in the hobby, thanks in large part to a man named Takashi Amano of Japan. His
books, Nature Aquarium World (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) are favorites amongst hobbyists. His
planted tanks, which are photographed expertly in the books, are breathtakingly beautiful.
His designs may overwhelm the beginner, but it is something to aspire to. Standard
recommendations for aqua-scaping are to place taller plants in the back of the tank, mid-
sized in the middle ground and small plants in the front. This technique prevents tall
plants from blocking your view of the fish and smaller plants, and leaves room in the front
of the tank for the fish to swim.
Another basic idea is to vary the type of plant by color and/or texture to make a more
interesting arrangement. This is not always easy, as more colorful plants (i.e. those with
red leaves) are often tricky to grow.
There are a few things to beware of when you first start working with plants. One is
checking new plants for snail eggs. Now I can really have a good laugh at myself over
this, but the first time I saw a snail in my tank I was dumfounded. Within two weeks of
setting up the new tank with plants, the snails were taking over the neighborhood!
There are products that can be used to soak new plants before you add them to your tank
to prevent this problem. Read the labels and follow the directions carefully. Or you could
examine the leaves closely for eggs, which look like tiny, clear pancakes with spots,
stuck to the plant. Snails are not all bad, so if you get some, don’t panic, but an ounce of
prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure for this problem.
Another word of caution: beware the duckweed. While you are looking for hardy plants,
there are a few plants that proliferate so easily that they can overrun your aquarium in no
time. Duckweed, a tiny floating plant, is a very common example. Most aquarists I know
avoid it, because once you have it in your tank or outdoor pond, it is hard to control. This
illustrates how researching before buying will benefit you later.
That covers the very basics of freshwater, planted tanks. I hope you will try some live
plants in your aquarium. Not only will you enjoy the beauty of the natural, green
aquascape in your living-room, your fish will thank you for it too!
First published February 2007 in The Animal Companion.
A well-maintained, planted tank is a magical underwater garden. Growing freshwater
aquatic plants has become a major hobby in itself, separate from fish-keeping. Plant
enthusiasts even have their own national group, the Aquatic Gardeners Association
(www.aquatic-gardeners.org).
The AGA hosts well-attended conventions and sponsors contests, among other things. A
quick browsing of their website is sure to amaze and intimidate the novice. If you are like
me, you may appreciate the beauty of these tanks, but fear that you have a black thumb.
Yes, I have killed a lot of house plants in my day. Nevertheless, the breathtaking pictures
of freshwater tanks, lush with greenery, made me want that for my first fish tank. Not to
worry! Like all elements of this hobby, information abounds, and you can start out slowly.
Let’s talk about the basics.
As with all pursuits, there are pros and cons. You should know that live plants will involve
more work and cost more money than their plastic counterparts. Just like your lawn,
aquatic plants require some maintenance. You will trim dead leaves off the plants. You
might experience some frustration before they grow successfully, and aquatic plants can
be costly. However, a well-planted tank is a stunning and peaceful addition to your
home.
The focal point of my living room is a 30-gallon high tank, dominated by one enormous
plant, an Amazon sword, with leaves about two feet tall. When my regal Angel fish glide
around this plant, it is truly a sight to behold. For me, the beauty of live plants wins out
over plastic every time.
Another plus is the joy of the challenge. Shortly after I first started keeping fish, I was
surprised to find that the complexity of the hobby was drawing me in, fascinating me. I
love to learn, and when it comes to this hobby, boy is there a lot to learn! Everything that is
engaging and healthy about hobbies is here for the curious to dive in to. By working to
keep both my fish and their surroundings healthy, I found myself utterly enthralled.
Biological concepts that I never understood were becoming clear to me as I watched
them come alive in my aquariums. And learning to arrange the plants in a pleasing way
inside the tank is a satisfying, artistic pastime.
Perhaps the best reason to use live plants in your aquarium is for the benefit of your fish.
Real plants create a comfortable, healthy habitat for them. An abundance of plants
affords fish the opportunity to behave in ways that are instinctual to them, such as hiding
when they feel threatened or are spawning. This helps your fish to enjoy a more relaxed,
natural lifestyle.
Stress is a major contributor to fish illness. Just like our immune systems that can be
compromised by a lot of stress in our daily lives, the same is true of our fish. Plants
make them feel more at home.
Plants also help to keep the tank healthy. Live plants use fish waste and undesirable
biological ingredients to help them grow. Growing plants can also prevent ugly algae
from gaining a foothold, and help clear cloudy water in the tank. “My friend has a 75-
gallon aquarium and for months we couldn’t resolve his cloudy water problem,” Sarah
Molnoski told me. “We tried everything from changing the carbon to siphoning the water,
to less feeding but nothing seemed to work. I had asked one of our fellow NJASers [club
members] what I could do to help clear up the cloudy water, and they said to put in some
live plants.
Would you believe that in about a three-day time period it worked? The tank was crystal
clear.”
Chuck Davis, veteran fish keeper and life member of the North Jersey Aquarium Society,
says, “Planted tanks are not only more natural looking, they are clearly better for the other
tank inhabitants. They do more than decorate the aquarium, they aid in all sorts of ways
including conversion of fish waste, filtration, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, dietary
supplement and security for the tropical fish.”
Okay, so I’ve sold you on the idea of real plants for your aquarium. Great! Where shall you
begin? Even before you choose your plants, consider these fundamentals: substrate
(gravel), fertilizer, lighting and CO2. If you are setting up a new tank, you can plan
accordingly. If you are interested in adding live plants to an already existing aquarium,
you may need to make some adjustments to insure success.
The first thing to think about is the substrate or gravel. In order to grow healthy plants in a
healthy tank, you should use a substrate that is neither too small or too large. Very fine,
sand-like gravel will pack too tightly and impede the growth of roots. It can also trap
unwanted bacteria. Gravel that is too large does not offer proper support. You can choose
gravel that is specifically made for planted tanks with fertilizer in it. A popular one is called
Fluorite, made by the company Seachem.
Fertilizers also come in liquid form or tabs that can be buried in the gravel. I’ve had
success with both Fluorite and plain gravel with fertilizer tabs. One comment about
substrate: consider the color. While color will not effect the growth of your plants, planted
tanks are all about natural beauty. So neon pink gravel will look just silly; go for a natural
tone instead. Some serious hobbyists have opinions as to what color substrate is native
to a particular species of fish. I’m not convinced that these theories are important to the
fish, but they are interesting. For the sake of appearance, I suggest beige, brown, reddish
or black tones that mimic the look of natural stone or earth.
Ample lighting is critical to the growth of plants. A number of manufacturers make bulbs
specifically designed for planted tanks, that will fit into standard aquarium hoods.
Standard bulbs that often come with the hood will not work well for your plants. Most
hobbyists are already using a timer to turn the aquarium lights on and off at regular times
daily. For a planted tank, the length of time that the light is on is important. I set my timers
to shift the balance of light in the plants favor: 14 hours per day on, 10 hours off. This has
the added benefit of giving me lots of time to view my tanks, both before I go to work and
in the evenings.
CO2 is the last fundamental component. It’s difficult to talk about CO2 without getting into
the biological science behind plant growth. I am not much of a scientist, so it’s all quite
murky to me. However, I do know that CO2 is a natural substance that plants need to
grow. You can buy or make contraptions that will put additional CO2 into your tank. Most
hard-core plant lovers will have this type of apparatus, because it is very difficult to get the
super-lush tanks seen in pictures without it. I confess that I have yet to try a CO2 device,
because they can be costly. I know I will give in eventually and treat myself to one of these
systems. In the meantime, I’m doing fine with the low-tech method.
When you are ready, you should consider the species of plants you want before you buy.
Plants, like fish, have preferences as far as water parameters. Some like hard water,
some soft, cool or warm temperatures, etc. As with fish, it is wise to choose plants that
like your water. Size will play a role in your choices. Small tanks call for small plants, and
large tanks need plants that will grow tall.
Also like fish, plants can be hardy or delicate. For the beginner, hardy is certainly the way
to go. I suggest that you start with a few hardy species that like the same water chemistry
as the fish you keep. Some people are purists, and insist on plants that are native to the
same part of the world as their fish. If they keep fish that are indigenous to the black
waters of the Amazon, they want only plants that grow naturally in that region. If this idea
appeals to you, then by all means go for it. To me, it seems needlessly complicated. Very
few admirers of your tanks will be educated enough to the complexities of the topic to
appreciate your efforts. Ditto for the inhabitants. Whatever your preference, read up on the
different species of plants and their needs. The book Aquarium Plants by Christel
Kasselmann is considered by many to be the bible of aquatic plant indexes, but it is a
large and pricey volume. Many general fish-keeping books and magazines have good
coverage of basic plants, and much information is available on the web as well.
Where do you buy aquatic plants? Most stores that specialize in tropical fish will carry
plants too. There are also plenty of web-based companies that will ship plants right to
your door. One company that I use (although not for live plants) and like, is That Fish
Place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (www.thatpetplace. com/MainPro/IndexFish.aspx). They
carry everything and their customer service is excellent. I normally buy my plants at
auctions sponsored by my local aquarium society (fish club). This affords me the
opportunity to examine the plant and its roots closely before I buy it.
As with any plant, you want one that looks strong and healthy. Often the plant will not be
potted. Look for ample roots, unless you are buying cuttings that will root later in your
tank. There are also floating and moss-type aquatic plants, which have no roots. I like to
keep Hortwort, a floating plant with delicate leaves, in my tanks with livebearers. These
fish give birth to tiny live babies who like to hide in the Hortwort, and thus avoid their
cannibalistic tankmates.
Some common rooted plants that I have grown successfully are Anubias (nana, barteri
and coffefolia varieties), Vallisneria, Amazon swords and moss balls.
Once you have decided which plants to get, you will choose where in the tank to place
them. The art of arranging plants in the tank, called aqua-scaping, has become hugely
popular in the hobby, thanks in large part to a man named Takashi Amano of Japan. His
books, Nature Aquarium World (Volumes 1, 2 & 3) are favorites amongst hobbyists. His
planted tanks, which are photographed expertly in the books, are breathtakingly beautiful.
His designs may overwhelm the beginner, but it is something to aspire to. Standard
recommendations for aqua-scaping are to place taller plants in the back of the tank, mid-
sized in the middle ground and small plants in the front. This technique prevents tall
plants from blocking your view of the fish and smaller plants, and leaves room in the front
of the tank for the fish to swim.
Another basic idea is to vary the type of plant by color and/or texture to make a more
interesting arrangement. This is not always easy, as more colorful plants (i.e. those with
red leaves) are often tricky to grow.
There are a few things to beware of when you first start working with plants. One is
checking new plants for snail eggs. Now I can really have a good laugh at myself over
this, but the first time I saw a snail in my tank I was dumfounded. Within two weeks of
setting up the new tank with plants, the snails were taking over the neighborhood!
There are products that can be used to soak new plants before you add them to your tank
to prevent this problem. Read the labels and follow the directions carefully. Or you could
examine the leaves closely for eggs, which look like tiny, clear pancakes with spots,
stuck to the plant. Snails are not all bad, so if you get some, don’t panic, but an ounce of
prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure for this problem.
Another word of caution: beware the duckweed. While you are looking for hardy plants,
there are a few plants that proliferate so easily that they can overrun your aquarium in no
time. Duckweed, a tiny floating plant, is a very common example. Most aquarists I know
avoid it, because once you have it in your tank or outdoor pond, it is hard to control. This
illustrates how researching before buying will benefit you later.
That covers the very basics of freshwater, planted tanks. I hope you will try some live
plants in your aquarium. Not only will you enjoy the beauty of the natural, green
aquascape in your living-room, your fish will thank you for it too!
First published February 2007 in The Animal Companion.
| Real Plants In Your Fish Tank The Joy of Underwater Greenery |
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