Planting Techniques for a freshwater aquarium with live plants

For decorating an aquarium, a few planting techniques are needed to be known, so that your home tank will look natural and equilibrated in the same time.
Everybody has possibility of choosing natural or artificial plants. It is a matter of taste, but also of money and time to spend on the aquarium.

If natural plants are your choice, you must be aware that the plants and the fish must have the same living conditions, so that they can cohabit in the same created environment.
Otherwise, the fish or the plants are going to have health problems. So, before purchasing the plants you must know what species of fish are keeping in the aquarium, in order to fit together.

Some recommendations for planting

It is recommended to make a plan on a piece of paper, drawing how your aquarium you want look like. The plants must be added into the aquarium only after adding the substrate, the decorating rocks, and other ornaments.
It is preferred to place the natural plants into the aquarium only after adding a half of the quantity it is needed in the tank. Otherwise, when adding the water, the whole set up is going to be disordered and will look different than you planned.
Anyway, trying to plant natural plants in an aquarium without water might be mission impossible because you can’t have an appropriate idea about how will they look in the water. After finishing decorating, the other half of water quantity should be added into the tank.

Plants must be placed into the substrate at some space from each other, allowing them to grow, nourish, and breath. Their roots must have enough space to spread into the gravel.
If the aquarium has too many plants inside it, problems are going to appear: the fish won’t have enough space for swimming, they’ll get caught between the plants and will be stressed.
The plants are going to suffocate each other and they are going to fade. Some algae might grow faster into such an aquarium and the tank is going to look muddy, less clear and clean.

Taller plants must be placed near the rear glass of the tank, while the shorter ones should be planted in the center. In front can be planted the short ones, those which are not going to grow very tall.
The aquarium should look as natural as possible, as if it is a corner from a real aquatic environment. Symmetry should be avoided because it will cause an unwanted artificial look.
If you already have plants in the aquarium, you should know that a possibility to enrich vegetation is to replant sprout from the plants you already have into the tank.
A great aquarium contains live plants but it also needs special attention and maintenance. Don’t forget to match the fish, the plants, and the aquarium conditions.