Aquarium plants – These are water types of flora that are cultivated in the aquarium (mainly – freshwater). Most of these aquatic plants have tropical origin and are swamp or coastal species – t.e. are quite capable of located both in the water immersed in the water and rise above the surface of the water.
Aquarium with fish is able to decorate and revive the interior of any apartment or public institution. The contemplation of this small aquatic ecosystem in its own house calms, gives a feeling of comfort, tunes in a positive way. In addition to various animals (fish, snails), water plants are certainly present in the aquarium. Depending on the species, they can be completely hidden under water or partially located above it, attached to the ground or swim in water regardless of it. Aquarium plants are mainly flowering, but there are representatives of other departments (mosses and ferns).
Types of aquarium plants
Keep in mind that you need to select plants that can exist in the same conditions as the aquarium fish – For example, for soft water, some fish and plants are needed, and hard requires completely different.
Air is grassy
This is a herbaceous plant, in appearance of leaves resembling cereals. Many of them are characterized by a creeping rhizome, quite powerful (about 1 cm thick) and an extensive rhizome. Air – perennial plant with linear leaves up to 50 cm long: usually they are hard and dark with herbs (although sometimes variegated forms are also).
Aquarium moss
Moss is the most popular plant among watercapers – Its is practically used to design an aquarium. Not surprising – After all, the moss is bright and colorful, and in addition, this plant favorably affects biological processes in the aquarium environment: it has a large useful area, which makes the moss an indispensable participant in the nitrogen cycle, and it is moss that is an ideal source of food and shelter for fish.
Alternanter
This is a longost representative representative of aquarium flora with brightcolored leaves (from pink to lilac shade). Alterner branches reach incredible length – Therefore, it is better to plant it on the side shelves equipped with a high cap. This plant grows throughout the whole year – However, when completely immersed in water, growth slows down a bit.
Ampanius Bonsai
This is a longstroke plant, characterized by a low growth rate, which is perfect for spacious aquariums (here it is usually planted in the foreground), and for small forms, where ammania fits perfectly into a wide variety of colorful compositions (due to a low growth rate, it persists for a long time in group).
Ampanius Gracilis
One of the popular aquarium plants – beautiful and at the same time not whimsical in the content. Ampanius Gracilis can hardly be found in ordinary pet stores – But specialized points of sale will delight you with this unusual plant. Its long stems under good conditions without problems reach the surface of the aquarium – ammania grows very fast.
Anubias
Anubias – A representative of a small kind of tropical plants, cultivated as an aquarium plant. In the aquarium, it requires the nutritional power of the soil with a large degree of organic matter and purity of water (at least 26 degrees).Anubias can bloom in the aquarium as well as in the greenhouse – But it is necessary to ensure that the excessive lighting of the aquarium does not lead to the development of blue-green algae on the plant.
Aponogeton
Aponogeton, growing in the fresh rivers of Madagascar, became a popular aquarium resident (and in his homeland he was practically extinct). This is a perennial plant with oblong wide leaves (up to 65 cm) with mesh plates. And the flowers of the aponogeton rise above the water on the peduncle of about 1 meter.
Bakopa Karolinskaya
This is a long stem representative of aquariums with bright green leaves of oval shape, which are located in pairs. Ideally, the plant exists in shallow aquariums (about 30 cm) and can calmly grow in the greenhouse. The plant can be unpretentious and quickly enough – That is why Bakop has gained such popularity.
Bakop Monier
This bacop is called «Widelyfaced» – and is a selection type of ordinary bacopa. And in nature it is impossible to meet her. Currently, most plants of this species are supplied from Asia – And it is she who is considered the birthplace of this type of bacopa. The plant reaches a height of up to 20 cm and has small rounded leaves.
Barclaya is longleaved
The most beautiful and one of the most interesting aquarium plants, Barclaya reaches a height up to 60 cm. Its leaves are characterized by silky luster and bright delicate coloring. But you need to understand that the plant is sensitive to the conditions of content – Barclaya is quite thermophilic (the temperature should not be lower than 24 degrees, otherwise the growth of the plant will stop).
The swampflowered is shy
Blax Japanese
Bucfalandra
Wallisneria
Water buttercup
Wideswall frog
Wolfia isless
The heteranter is acute
The heteranter is dubious
Hygris
Hygrofil
Hydrocoine is a whiteheaded
Hydrocoin of verticillate
Tripartite hydrocolys
Hydrithe
Glossostigma
Hygrofila Arag
Hygrofila Balsamika
Hygrofila is Ivolite
Hygrofila Limonnik
Didiplis Diandra
Kuboba
Kardamin
The pantry is spherical
Cryptocorin Wendt
The cube is yellow
Lagarosiphon is curly
Limnobium
Martians
Moh Cameroon
Moss flame
Moh Phoenix
Nymphaeus is tiger
Nymphoids Flipper
Nymphaeus dwarf
Paporotnik Azollah
Indian fern
Proserpinaka Palyustis
Rdest Gaia
Rdest Malaysky
Riccia floating
Rotala Bangladesh
Rotala Wallikh
Sagittaria
Heditis Saltsman
Echornia is a Lateral
Eleoharis
Breeding aquarium plants
For the growth and development of aquarium plants, as for any other photosynthetic plants, certain conditions are needed. There are few of them, however, these requirements are necessary in order for the aquarium to delight the gaze of the violent greens of underwater vegetation.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the quality of the soil and the substrate (a nutrient land mixture with the necessary set of trace elements) for the future aquarium. You can use a wide range of substrates, they are suitable for most types of water flora.
Equally significant factor of plants in plants is sufficient lighting. Special phytolamps are used to ensure it: halogen, sodium, fluorescent, LED and incandescent lamps. The choice of the type of lamps depends on the plants that have to be grown. For example, less whimsical cryptocorin, echinodorus, Ludwig, corneal, many types of moss are quite moderate lighting from the fluorescent lamp.
For full growth, carbon dioxide is also needed, which usually gets to plants from air and water in insufficient quantities. The way out of the situation will be a compulsory supply of CO2 using special equipment or by inflicting carbon feeding.
Planting and maintenance of aquarium plants
Plants in the aquarium are an important and fullfledged part of the entire system. With the correct provision of the flora of the aquarium and fish will be bright and beautiful. The inhabitants become healthier and begin to feel more comfortable, living a natural life.
Of course, living plants – This is not a plastic surrogate, and they require a little more attention, but they can exist much longer than plastic. Even in case of certain problems, living plants are preferable to – They will serve as a full decoration with the correct organization of the entire aquarium system (sufficiently a number of light and the absence of herbivores).
Both the usual natural pond and the home aquarium system become a home not only for animals and fish, but also for a large number of plants. And it is the plants that do not make it possible to propagate algae, saturate the water with oxygen, while absorbing nitrogenous discharge.
There are no particular difficulties in the content of plants in the aquarium – They, like living inhabitants, need clean water, proper soil and sufficient level of lighting – In this case, it is necessary to choose the right one of the indicators depending on the type of plant.
How to grow aquarium plant
If you do not mean rare species of aquarium plants, then the difficulties of growing them in the aquarium are not expected. A novice aquarist will not need much: the purity of water and the correct top dressing in combination with the desired level of lighting. And if suddenly problems appear with the flora of the aquarium – then this can mean only one thing: one of these components was not very high-quality.
Before planting plants in the aquarium, it is necessary to trace that they are cleaned of all the extra – algae and other dirt, and one should not forget about the dead parts of the plant, which also need to be cut.
Before planting the plant, it is advisable to subject the disinfection procedure, which usually includes several options for actions:
- premises in a solution of potassium permanganate for a short time (20 minutes) – But you need to ensure that the solution is not too intense;
- Providing kvass bath – It is recommended to place the plant in it for 5 minutes;
- Good disinfecting effect will give a solution of hydrogen peroxide (one part per part of the water).
And do not forget to thoroughly rinse the plant in clean water after the disinfection process.
Like all organisms, it is very important for plants in the aquarium to observe the correct conditions of detention for their prosperous life – It is necessary to take into account the quality of the soil, the presence of nutrients, and the degree of lighting, and the temperature of the water, its rigidity and acidity. But you need to understand that algae and plants in the aquarium – Not the same. Aquatic plants belong to the highest flowering organisms, but algae – These are lower organisms (unicellular or multicellular). Algae never have flowers, and they can bring many troubles to the beginner owner of the aquarium.
Diseases of aquarium plants
Like any living organism, aquatic plants are subject to various diseases. They can be caused by various reasons, mainly factors of the external environment. If the plant has any damage, then first it is necessary to establish whether their damage to the activity of fish or snails is connected. Next, you need to check whether the plants are enough for the available lighting. Its deficiency is expressed in thin stems, pale color of the leaves and their discharge. And an excess of light makes the leaves small. Dense soil leads to blackening and wiping the roots.
The bulk of the disease is associated with a lack of nutrients. Therefore, it is important to determine which elements do not get to plants, and replenish this deficit.
Some diseases and their causes:
- With a lack of carbon, the plant can stop in growth;
- Leaves with light and brown spots indicate a lack of manganese;
- Black and mucus at growth points – little calcium;
- The pale color of the leaves occurs with iron deficiency;
- If the leaves are mesh, then the plant lacks potassium;
- The leaves are stuck from the lack of nitrogen and phosphorus;
- The deficiency of magnesium is expressed in the yellowness of the leaves and their further dying in these places.
Treatment of aquarium plants
Biological balance in the aquarium system is created precisely by plants – After all, they are able to reduce the concentration of harmful substances in water. It is the plants that are an additional link in this chain – And this link requires care and proper attention.
Moreover, each of the owners of the aquarium (at least a professional, at least a beginner) sooner or later faces a matter of planting in the aquarium – with their diseases and, as a result, treatment.
Of course, every disease and every plant have its own specifics – And general recommendations cannot be here. But there is a only, universal way to solve them – This is a visual inspection of the entire system, and most importantly – A clear understanding of all the processes occurring in the aquarium. This will help to track the slightest problem – and stop them in time.
If it is necessary to observe biological balance and ensure a healthy system of existence of the aquarium, it is necessary to closely monitor not only the fish and their general wellbeing, but also the state of all other inhabitants of the aquarium – including plants. Only then will each of them feel optimal.
Conclusion
Sometimes there are absolutely no plants in aquariums, but their presence is very important. Aquatic plants give containers with fish an attractive appearance, making it as similar to the sea bottom. But the aesthetic function is not the only. Aquarium plants help to saturate water with oxygen, and also absorb harmful substances that arise during the vital activity of water inhabitants: nitrates, phosphates and nitrites.
