How to Choose Plants for an Aquarium

There are myriad plants for your aquarium. Here are a few suggestions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Consider the amount of space you have to work with. Some plants have wide leaves and some resemble grasses. Some grow quite tall.

2. Think about lighting. How much light is available in different parts of the tank?

3. Put the shorter plants toward the front of the tank and the taller ones at the back.

4. Select aponogeton, which is a good plant for the front of the tank. Some species bloom. This plant grows from a bulb.

5. Opt for either elodea or egeria; these do well in cooler temperatures and are good for adding oxygen to the water. They can be planted or left floating free.

6. Floating liverwort, also sold as crystalwort, is an ideal plant for tanks with live bearers. The plant forms a mossy chunk that's ideal for fry (baby fish), and it grows well under bright light.

7. Go for strength with hornwort, which is very durable. It can grow in medium and full light and can be planted or left to float free. Keep in mind that this plant grows to about 21 inches.

8. Consider Indian hygro, also known as green hygro. This spreads rapidly. This plant doesn't like a lot of light and does best under medium lighting conditions.

9. Watch out for some plants that are sold as aquatic plants, but really aren't. They'll look good for about a month and then die. These range from hedges to bog plants, and include fountain plants, Chinese evergreens, Brazilian swordgrass, alligator plants, club mosses and umbrella pines.

Tips & Warnings

• To avoid introducing new algae to your tank, soak new plants in a solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. Dip the plant for about 2 minutes and rinse it immediately in cool running water. Next dip it in water treated with a dechlorinator to neutralize any remaining bleach.

on 7/22/2006 Other good plants for the aquarium are the Java Moss and Java Fern. Java Moss can grow quickly under virtually any condition, is phenomenal for reducing nitrate levels, and provides good hatching/hiding grounds for many baby fish. Since it does not need to be planted, it is perfect for a Betta bowl without gravel. Java Ferns look similar to the Amazon Sword plant and look very attractive in the tank but needs to be planted.

on 11/22/2005 The Amazon Sword, along with the Borneo Sword and others, is an excellent aquarium plant. Just place it in an area that gets a small to large amount of light and that gets somewhat good water current. Make sure you choose fish that will not eat the plant, like Oscars. You will most likely notice a shoot with several baby plants on it growing from the base of the parent plant and extending about a foot. Once the baby plants grow to have large roots and about 10 leaves, you may plant them by clipping part of the stalk, including the baby plant, off about an inch from another baby. Do not expect all the young and baby plants to grow or survive. If you see the leaves becoming clear, this means your fish are munching on them or you have bad water. I now keep newts, geckos, eels, cherry barbs, platies, hatchet fish, corys, ottocinclus, sail fin mollies, and shrimp in my room. Take my advice and your aquarium shall flourish!