Purchasing and Transporting Your Plants for a Freshwater Aquarium

Local pet shop is the first option

As a beginner aquarium hobbyist, you are interested in purchasing and transporting your plants for a freshwater aquarium.
The local pet shop is your first option for buying plants, but you must take into consideration purchasing from a dealer in your town.
You can’t always find the plants that you want in the nearest pet shops and that’s why the internet pet shops are a good choice.
Obviously, the best choice for purchasing plants is to buy them from a dealer.

What to know before buying the plants for your aquairum ?

Make a plan for your aquarium, have a clear image of what it is going to look and then make a list including all the plants that you need.
It is best for your aquarium to add the plants all plants from the beginning, in this way you will avoid problems with algae and in time you can remove some plants that you do not want.

How many plants should i buy for my aquarium?

As much as you can but you can use also the formula: Number of plants= (the length of the aquarium x the width)/6. Every plant lives on every six square inches of substrate.
But some plants grow faster, some slower, some are more brushy then others. Common sense, taste, and study are going to tell you what to purchase.

How to handle the plants for your aquarium?

Plants must be carried home carefully, with their roots in water, in bags with water or wrapped in wet paper.
If they dry out on the way home, you can’t use them anymore, your efforts are going to be useless, don’t put them into the tank.
In the cold seasons, you must use a heater in order to maintain water’s temperature until getting the plants home. If it is too cold, plants’ tissue are going to be destroyed, an irreversible process that kills the plant.

How to avoid bringing parsites or snails into your aquairum when you buy new plants?

Here you must put the new plants in a solution of water with potassium permanganate (10%) so that the unwanted germs and parasites are destroyed. Another possibility is to wash every plant under clean tap water and to brush it gently with a toothbrush. A scissor can be useful for removing unwanted, damaged parts or leaves of the plant. You should avoid to pull them with your fingers because you’ll harm the delicate plants.

Can i use plants from nature in my aquarium?

Sometimes you are tempted to take plants from nature and put them in your aquarium, because you like their aspect, or you think they fit into your aquarium’s water landscape.
If they fit the conditions of your aquarium’s environment, you can put them inside.
These plants must be cleaned very well with a toothbrush in clean tap water, so that the existing microorganisms, snails or parasites to be removed. Otherwise, these plants are going to infect the whole aquarium and you’ll lose the other plants and the fish as well.
Your new plants need time to get used into the new aquarium. After about month you’ll see if the plant is doing well or not. You must be patient in finding the right plants for your tank.
You’ll find soon equilibrium inside the water, an environment that fits perfectly conditions, plants and the species of fish.