How to Maintain Live Plants in an Aquarium

An aquarium with live plants looks very nice

Having an aquarium doesn’t mean just looking at the aquatic show it is offering to you but also taking care of the fish inside the tank, keeping them alive and healthy, and, also, knowing how to maintain live plants in an aquarium.
Any natural plants you choose, they need special attention, good conditions for growing: temperature, food, substrate, light, and proper water.
These conditions must be appropriate to the species of fish and to the types of plants, also. When buying the plants you should ask the shop assistant for details or, at least, read and learn in special books or over the internet.

Soome aspects to take care of

● The substrate must be 1 to 2 inch deep, and it must be a good medium for the water to circulate through, so that the nutrients can get to the plants’ roots. The preferred substrates are fine gravel or coarse sand, in which the plants can strike roots.

● The temperature the plants love must be similar to the temperature needed by your fish, in order to be healthy. Most of the freshwater aquariums’ plants love warm water and a cold water causes their death.

● Filtration is important for the plants because clean water is needed for a healthy vegetation in your aquarium. The power filter and the canister filter are your best choices to get a clearer water, less dirty. The water must be periodically changed removing the waste and harmful substances, getting the light to your plants for a correct photosynthesis. Cloggy leaves can be softly cleaned with the help of a tooth brush.

● Lighting is very important for a freshwater aquarium because tropical plants need a proper intense lighting, at the minimum eight hours every day. Obviously there are some species of plants that do not love that much light, but you must read about them their growing conditions before purchasing them. A solution for mixing the plants is to place the ones which do not love light that much between and under those tall plants who love light.

● Feeding the plants with the necessary nutrients will help them be beautiful and grow strong, because the water from the tap does not contain the elements the plants need. Special tablets are used for feeding by putting them into the gravel, at plants’ roots. There are special plugs that can be placed into the substrate in order to provide constant healthy feeding for the plants.

● Supplements of iron are often necessary because the aquarium plants need it for photosynthesis.

Natural plants are wonderful and they are creating a natural aspect on your aquarium, but they need special attention.
It’s your choice if you put natural or artificial plants inside your freshwater aquarium. However, natural plants are more likely to be loved by most species of fish.
You must always remember that plants are also alive as the fish are, and they must be carefully maintained clean and healthy, in order for the aquarium to look great.