Advice on 2 Types of Freshwater Aquarium Plants to Use – Rooted and Cuttings
A small amateur aquarium – tank for 100 liters.- Image via Wikipedia
Freshwater aquarium plants are an important part of the overall strategy in ensuring your aquarium has a satisfactory environment in which to keep and maintain your fish in a healthy state. This report covers two types of plants you can use and their requirements.
It is a mistake to regard plants as nothing to be concerned about. Plants play an important role in aquariums as they not only help to provide a safe and attractive environment for the fish they also help to maintain and improve water conditions in the aquarium by reducing nitrate levels.
Do not treat the selection of plants as a trivial task. It is not. By reducing levels of nitrate in the aquarium, providing a haven for timid and shy fish, helping reduce algae growth and during breeding supplying areas for spawning, plants have great beneficial effect on both the aquarium environment and the fish themselves.
When buying plants make sure they are really proper aquatic plants and check the leaves for discoloration. There are generally 4 sorts of freshwater aquarium plants you could put in your tank cuttings, rooted plants, floating plants and tubers. Here we cover the rooted plants and the cuttings.
Rooted Plants
Rooted plants you purchase are often seen encased in mesh baskets. You can plant them in your tank as they are but in time the baskets may become visible so you may wish to plant with the baskets removed. In some cases plants are in a synthetic media which may cause irritation to your fish so it is best removed.
In other cases you may find more than one specimen in your pot, so separate them all before planting in the substrate. You can feed your plants every quarter if necessary with aquarium fertilizer and if you want to restrict their growth you can cut some of the roots at the base.
Java Fern Wikipedia
Plants like the Dwarf Anubias (Anubias nana) and Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus) are good for giving height to your planting layout. They have rhizomes (horizontal stems) sprouting small roots that will attach themselves onto wood or rocks. And of course, fish that dig around in the substrate will not affect these plants.
The Dwarf Anubia can be fixed to wood or rocks by nylon line initially until established but be careful not to cut through the rhizome. Lighting should be somewhat subdued. The Java Fern grows slowly and is sturdy, requiring moderate lighting.
Cuttings
Cuttings are the tops of plants (no roots) and are useful for both the foreground in your tank or the background, though you will need to trim the foreground plants regularly. You need to place the cuttings so that light can get through to the very bottom leaves, otherwise they will die, rot and pollute the tank.
Locate the cuttings in such a way that when viewed from in front of the tank all you see is a wall of plants. Never plant in bunches as this can cause stem rot due to bruising, especially with vulnerable species. A lot of plants can grow both in and out of water and are easier to cultivate.
The Green Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana) has fine feathery leaves and it is better to have soft water and bright light. But it may be a bit difficult to grow. The Giant Hygrophila (Nomaphila stricta) has large broad leaves, is useful as sites for spawning and for providing a safe haven. They do better with water that is slightly hard and with a good strong light.
Paul Curran is webmaster at Fresh-Water-Aquariums-Guide.com and provides a care information system for fresh water aquariums. Get your FREE E-Course on how to set up and maintain a beautiful aquarium, have the healthiest, happiest fish around AND learn about more freshwater aquarium plants
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This is an article of mine that is on lots and lots of web sites but not on this one until now.
Regards
Paul Curran (Editor)
3 Freshwater Tank Fish For Tropical Aquariums Described
To give you the heads up on more resources we have for you, here is an article of mine on another site covering Freshwater Tank Fish For Your Aquarium ;
Here is the first part of the article …
Three freshwater tank fish suitable for tropical aquariums are described here; the Glass Catfish, the Glass Tetra and the Golden Otoclincus. Discover their behavioral patterns, colors and any unusual physical features, temperature and water requirements, feeding likes and dislikes and optimal breeding conditions
Glass catfish – Kryptopterus bicirrhis (Family: Siluridae)
Behavior:
The Glass catfish is timid and prefers to be in a small shoal with its own kind but is alright in a community aquarium. Its is a delicate tropical fish that will grow to about 11 cms. It has an unusual behavioral mode as it sometimes rests on the tank bottom, quite still, in the plants …
… Click here to read the full article on fresh water tank fish for your aquarium
Till next time,
Paul Curran (Editor)
3 Tropical Freshwater Fish That Are Great For Your Aquarium – B to C
This is an article of mine on tropical freshwater aquarium fish you may not have come across before (I am a Platinum author on Ezinearticles.com). Before you think about setting up a tropical freshwater aquarium you must consider the following 10 issues and how you will deal with them.
This article gives you the information you need to get started. Here are the first few paragraphs and link below to view it on the articles site;
Article begins:
Three tropical freshwater aquarium fish you can add to your aquarium are detailed here (Brown Acara, Cardinal Tetra and Chocolate Gourami). Information is provided on feeding, colors, breeding, temperament and aquarium temperatures.
Brown Acara – Aequidens portalegrensis (Family: Cichlidae)
The main body color of the adult is reddish-brown, the scales are large and the fins are greenish and marbled with a range of colors. A horizontal line of dark colored bars runs from the eye to near the tail at which there is a dark area surrounded by yellow or green dots ……
Read the rest of the article on tropical freshwater aquarium fish
Regards
Paul Curran (Editor)
Top 10 Issues Solved in Setting Up a Tropical Freshwater Aquarium
This is an article of mine on a tropical freshwater aquarium you may not have come across before (I am a Platinum author on Ezinearticles.com). Before you think about setting up a tropical freshwater aquarium you must consider the following 10 issues and how you will deal with them.
This article gives you the information you need to get started. Here are the first few paragraphs and link below to view it on the articles site;
Article begins:
The Tank?
Whether you have an acrylic or glass tank it must be sterilized before you c
aquarium- Image via Wikipedia
an start putting anything in it. And you must have a hood/cover/canopy to reduce water loss by evaporation, stop the fish from jumping out and it holds your lighting system
What About Heating The Water?
You need to maintain the water temperature by means of a heater and thermostat combination. For tanks greater than 3 feet in length you may need ….
Click here to view the rest of the article
Regards
Paul Curran (Editor)
What Goes Into a Freshwater Planted Aquarium?
This is an article of mine on a freshwater planted aquarium you may not have come across before (I am a Platinum author on Ezinearticles.com). Marginal plants, real aquatic plants, terrestial plants, cuttings, rooted plants, bulbs and corms, floating plants, feeding, lighting, water temperature, and propagation are covered. Here are the first few paragraphs and link below to view it on the articles site;
Article begins:
In a freshwater planted aquarium a range of plant types are used and they come in a variety of forms. And in the same way fishes do, they also have requirements for specific water temperatures and lighting so you must find this out before you start planting them in your aquarium.
Planted Aquarium - Feb. 2007- Image by Nat Tarbox via Flickr
Marginal Plants
The majority of aquarium plants come within this category. In nature they are submerged for just a section of the year. Throughout the dry season they will grow out from the water and the majority flower and seed at that time.
Cryptocoryne genus and Echinodorus genus are good examples. There are more than 50 species under the genus Cryptocorynes and the Amazon Sword species, Echinodorus amazonicus), is very popular amongst the genus Echinodorus.
This article about a freshwater planted aquarium continues here …
Regards
Paul Curran (Webmaster)
Choosing Freshwater Invertebrates For Your Aquarium That Will Not Cause Death
To give you the heads up on more resources we have for you, here is an article of mine about Freshwater Invertebrates For Your Aquarium on Ezinearticles.com where I am a Platinum Author;
Here is the first part of the article …
The author identifies certain freshwater invertebrates species you can use in your aquarium and some you certainly cannot. These include snails and shrimp and if you do not make the correct decision there will be a lot of dead creatures and missing plants!
Shrimps are a popular choice amongst the invertebrates when it comes to adding them to your freshwater aquarium. But you … Click here to read the full article on freshwater invertebrates for your aquarium
Till next time,
Paul Curran (Editor)
Freshwater Aquarium Set Up
In this blog post we look at how to set up a freshwater aquarium, courtesy of this youtube video;
How to Set Up A Freshwater Aquarium
Our aquarium experts guide you step-by-step through how to set up a thriving freshwater aquarium! www.FosterandSmithAquatics.com
You could end with a lovely looking simple freshwater aquarium like this one.
Image via Wikipedia
Related articles
- Choosing the Right Freshwater Aquarium Rocks for Your Tank (brighthub.com)
Regards
Paul Curran (Edtor)
3 Fresh Water Fish That Are Great For Your Aquarium – A to B
To make you aware of more resources we have provided for you, I can tell you where you can find this article of mine about Fresh Water Aquarium Fish on Ezinearticles.com where I am a Platinum Author;
Here is the first part of the article …
Here are three fresh water aquarium fish (Angel Fish, Badis and Black Widow) you can add to your aquarium. Their special characteristics and aquarium requirements are covered: colors, temperament, temperature, breeding and feeding.
Pterophyllum scalare - Angel Fish- Image via Wikipedia
Angel Fish – Pterophyllum scalare (Family: Cichlidae)
One of the most beautiful aquarium fish it swims slowly and elegantly and is ideal for a community tank. But note that they can grow to 15 cm long as adults so bear that in mind when calculating the number of fish for your aquarium. They can accommodate a wide range of temperature. Food wise give them a variable diet. ….Click here to view the full article on the three freshwater aquarium fish
Regards
Paul Curran (Webmaster)
