Care of Live Aquarium Plants

To add that special effects and improve the natural environment in your aquarium, try using live plants instead of fake plastic plants. The use of living plants not only add a nice visual appeal, but also help keep your tank. By addition of oxygen to water, the use of live plants helps keep your aquarium balanced and will help fish health.

The most important factor in the growth and maintaining healthy aquarium plants is the lighting used. For a well planted aquarium, it is suggested to use 3.2 watts per gallon of water. The use of fluorescent bulbs is practical and adds a nice lighting effect. Be careful when deciding to use fluorescent lights if the tank has a depth of 20 "or more. The low-growth plants or plants with multiple leave levels suffer from a lack of fluorescent light as the rays do not provide enough light.

Once you've figured out what type of lighting to be used, you should turn your attention to the hardness of water. Most aquarium plants grow in water has a hardness between 4-12 dH, and between the range of 6.5 to 7.2 by pH. Plants need clean and clear water to survive best in, so proper cleaning and maintenance should be performed in the aquarium. Most plants will not survive if there is too much junk or debris in the water, so keep up with cleaning is essential.

Once your plants are established in a clean tank, well-lit, you must take care of them by making sure they get the nutrients needed for healthy growth. Plants need nutrients, both macro and micro. Macro nutrients are usually found naturally in tap water and the fish themselves. These nutrients are nitrates, sulfates and phosphates. Macro nutrients should not be necessary to supplement water tank. They exist for themselves. Micro nutrients are needed in very small quantities. Copper, iron and zinc are among the micro nutrients live plants need to survive in the aquarium.

In general, water and fish in the tank to provide the nutrients and fertilizers needed for plant growth. It is rare supplements should be added. An important factor in the healthy plant life you have is your filtration system. Stay away from under gravel filters and that produce a steady stream of bubbles that disturb the surface. The filter plate gravel filters also limit's the composition of the gravel in which plants have their roots. All other types of filtration systems work well. All you care about is if the filter is too much disturbance to the surface of water. When this happens, the carbon dioxide is lost and the plants will suffer. Also make sure the filter creates a current that keeps nutrients moving throughout the tank.

By having a good chemical balance in the aquarium and having an efficient system of filtering, you are sure to have a healthy growth of living plants. These plants add to the beauty of the tank and also keep your fish relaxed because it will be a natural environment for them. If you are considering adding plants decoration in the aquarium, keep in mind the significant benefits of using live plants.

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