How To Keep Live Aquarium Plants

The largest aspect of keeping a fish-only aquarium is trying to overcome problems which can be resolved by growing live aquarium plants. Diseases such as Ich and Columnaris are more common and it is harder to keep on top of filtration to keep the aquarium as healthy as possible. The main contributions made by plants are:

1. Filtration -- In a fish-only aquarium, the filter is the only method of filtration available. Regardless of the aquarium inhabitants or how good it is, any filter, when not completely clean becomes less effective.

In a planted aquarium chemical and biological filtration is not as important. Only mechanical filtration (cycling water through filter media) is strictly necessary..

2. Aeration -- Fish-only aquariums often contain an airstone which attempts to keep oxygen levels high enough for fish to breathe. In a planted aquarium, the plants will provide all the oxygen needed through photosynthesis.

3. Protection -- Live aquarium plants are much closer to the natural environment of your fish and they will be comforted by this. Ultimately this in itself leads to lower levels of stress and disease.

4. Food -- Not all fish will eat plants, but of those that do, plants can be a great nutritious addition to their diet. Keeping aquatic plants takes some of the pressure off of us as the owners.

5. Algae Control -- Algae can be a serious problem in aquariums, even in very low light, particularly fish-only aquariums. By competing for nutrients and light to make food, plants literally starve algae to death.

When you are new to growing live aquarium plants, choosing the right kinds may seem daunting, it is important to start with something that will not be too taxing. As with all aspects of fishkeeping, the more research you do the more successful you will be.

Some of the easiest plants to start with are pictured here with Java Fern (top left), Vallisneria Spiralis (top right), Anubias Barteri (bottom left) and Cryptocoryne Wendtii (bottom right).

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It's easy to be overwhelmed when you're starting out with your planted aquarium, but as long as you make sure you have the equipment you need, you'll be fine.

Size matters? -- This is one of the less important factors, but its also the easiest overlooked. As a good rule of thumb, try not to get a tank that is more than 18 inches in depth, or you will need stronger lighting to penetrate the to the bottom. A tank that holds between twenty to fifty gallons is a good size for a beginner, ideally towards the larger end of the scale. Why is this? Having a larger tank means that changes in water chemistry take longer to spread, giving you more time to adapt.

Substrate -- Substrate on the other hand, is the one of the most important parts of growing live aquarium plants. Substrate does two things, firstly it holds the plants in place. Secondly, it is a source of nutrients for them to use. For every gallon of water in your tank, you'll want roughly 1.5-2 lbs of substrate. So, in a fifty gallon tank, you would have about 100 lbs of substrate, of which roughly 1/4 to 1/2 should be Fluorite or similar and the rest gravel.

Heat and Filtration -- Different species of plants have evolved on different parts of the planet. Depending on what you want to keep, you will have to heat the water to different temperatures. You will need 4-6 watts of heating per gallon of water. A decent filter is also necessary, for every gallon of water you have, it needs to filter 5 of them every hour. For a 50 gallon tank, you would want a filter capable for 250-300 GPH.

Which Heater For My Aquarium?
Which Filter For My Aquarium?
How Filtration Works

Choosing the right lighting for an aquarium, be it planted or not, can be one of hardest equipment hurdles to overcome. There a great many methods of lighting available, in a measure of different colour temperatures and wattages. Before you buy anything, it is helpful to understand the spectrum of aquarium lighting. Understanding what type of light your plants need and what the measurements mean should get you off to a good start.

Colour temperature is the second easiest measurement to find and is measured in Kelvins. A colour temperature between 5 000 and 10 000 Kelvins is normally recommended for growing plants. This is the measure of colour as it appears to the human eye. Lower levels of colour temperature will appear reddish, with higher temperatures appearing bluish. Even with two bulbs of the same Kelvin output, they may emit very different light.

Light is made up of many different wavelengths, colour experienced is the result of certain wavelengths being absorbed or reflected. Live aquarium plants want lots of blue and red coloured light. Red light is used for promoting flowering and strong stems. Blue light is used for promoting bushy growth and leaves. The light that chorophyll absorbs is used for photosynthesis, with the different wavelengths of light being needed for maximum efficency.

Any aquarium lighting should produce large amounts of blue and red lighting, ideally. 400-450 nanometers will produce blue light and 650-675 nanometers will produce red. So what does this mean for you? Most manufacturers print the wavelength output on the packaging, which will allow you to easily check.

In the dark about lights? Find Out More Here!

Wattage is much easier to provide in the correct amounts. Wattage, like heat and filtration, is measured for each gallon of water. As a rough rule of thumb, a plant which needs low levels of light should be fine with 1.5-2 watts per gallon. A moderate level of light would be between 2-3 watts per gallon and plants which need high levels of light may need over 3 watts per gallon.

Please note: Higher levels of light will encourage more algae and cyanobacteria growth,

Plants help to clean your aquarium. Give your aquarium and fish more oxygen. Protect your fish from stress and disease. Starve algae to death - and even feed your fish.

Plants must have the nutrients they need, in the right ratios - or they won't grow properly. And you don't get a better aquarium. If your plants have too much of one kind nutrient they prefer, they stop using the others.

Either way, your plants start to turn yellow, brown and black - and die.

A fertilizer with the right ratio of nutrients cures...

• Slow growth



• Yellow margins on leaves



• Leaves that turn yellow



• Leaves that don't grow properly and stay small



• Leaves that rot and fall off



• Stains and pinholes on leaves that can kill the plant



• Whole plants that turn yellow, brown, purple and black

A good fertilizer is low in phosphate and nitogen, so you can feed your plants... and not your algae.

But even if you get it right, plants can grow TOO well. If your plants have too much iron and carbon they'll grow too fast, and the entire plant will be weak. Plants that don't have enough iron turn yellow, then die.

You need to choose the right fertilizer very, very carefully. But, don't worry, there's help.

If you want to cure weakness, illness, slow growth and stop your plants dying, you need a high quality fertilizer. One that's made by people that understand your aquarium's chemistry.

Three Ways That Seachem Helps You and Your Aquarium That Other Companies Won't

You're probably shaking your head, rolling your eyes and thinking, "Yeah, right" - but let me explain. Seachem IS different - and here's the proof.

How Seachem Helps You

1. Seachem publishes high quality guides helping you to get the aquarium you want. They're available here - and include all the information a beginner needs on different nutrients, managing ammonia, managing your aquarium and controlling disease.

2. Seachem started as a small company and has given back to the community as it has grown - today it sponsors forums, clubs, magazines and research institutions that help aquarists grow better aquariums and educate other people about our hobby. Seachem even runs their own active aquarium forum.

3. And anytime you need help - about Seachem's products or your aquarium - you just call 888-SEACHEM toll free to speak to their support team. And even if your question is a challenging one, don't worry - the support team includes Ph.D Chemists.

"Their products have been meticulously researched and tested before they release them to the public... They exceeded my expectations when I arrived at their facility and made a life long impression upon me on how a company is supposed to be operated."

- American Aquarium & Pet Supply Inc., Orefield, PA

The No.1 Reason to Choose Seachem's Flourish Fertilizer for Your Precious Aquarium

Flourish does NOT just "bomb" your aquarium with nutrients . Most other fertilizers try to dose EVERYTHING, all at once, and CREATE sickness and algae problems.

Get the ratio of Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphate in your tank right, and you've got a good chance of having health plants - but there's a problem. Let me explain.

You get nitrogen from your fish, and bacteria turn it into toxic nitrates and ammonia - that's why you need to do water changes. If you have high levels of phosphates as well, you get algae. And plants love potassium... so much they stop using other nutrients.

Flourish carefully adds a SMALL amount of nitrogen, phosphates and potassium. It is carefully balanced to give your plants the best growth.

But your plants also need many other nutrients to be healthy. And the truth is, every aquarium is different. You need to be careful to get everything in the right amount.

Flourish gets you started by dosing all the other nutrients in carefully balanced amounts. So you can focus on keeping your tank clean and healthly and free of algae.

If you're using Flourish, you're helping your plants.

For many low tech aquariums, Flourish is all many of them will need. But even if you don't have a low tech aquarium, there's no reason to ever stop using Flourish because it always helps you get the nutrients your aquarium needs.

When you have more experience you can easily add any of Seachem's other fertilizers that are designed to raise JUST that level of nutrient. You always have total control.

The Easy Solution That's Always There

Seachem's Flourish is a "one-shot" fertilizer that helps take care of your needs in just one dose.

With the online calculator, it's easy to adjust your mixes. But you don't need to unless you want to experiment - you just add a capful. If you want more help, Seachem's calculator helps you get the dose right.

Flourish is cheap. Easy to use. The high quality fertilizer all many simple aquariums will need. But what if you start growing more complicated plants? What if your plants need more of the macro nutrients? What if you want faster growth?

Seachem make it easy for you. Flourish is designed to be used with other fertilizers when you want to try growing new plants. Flourish never stops helping you get your aquarium exactly the way you want.

If you start growing more exotic plants, you'll need more fertilizers. You'll have to work out what extra major nutrients your aquarium - Potassium, Carbon, Iron, Nitrogen, Potassium - need.

Here's how Seachem makes your life easier:

1. Seachem knows it can take time to get every just right for your aquarium - so every product can be used alone.

Each fertilizer for Potassium, Phosphate and Nitrogen is seperate, so you can add all at once if you want faster growth. Or you can add them on their own to get a healthier ratio for your plants.

And because algae grow as BOTH nitrogen and phosphates go up, YOU control the algae risk in your tank.

2. Seachem provides free calculators to help you get the right dose. And doses are easily measured out - you just pour your fertilizer into the cap. Simple as that.

Seachem make it easy for you. Flourish is designed to be used with other fertilizers when you want to try growing new plants. Flourish never stops helping you get your aquarium exactly the way you want.

Start using Flourish today - and you can stop worrying about micro nutrients. It's the simple way to get a healthier aquarium. No matter what else you do, you can always rely on Flourish to help you, your aquarium, your fish and your plants.

Deficiencies

Carbon Dioxide

Symptoms: Plants grow more slowly and water pH begins to rise. Calcium deposits visible on the leaves.
Solution: Refertilize with Co2 and try to limit excess aeration in the tank. Regular maintenance is also important.

Calcium

Symptoms: Can be easily confused for Magnesium overdose. Yellow margins on new leaves, with deformations.
Solution: Water changes to ensure calcium supplies are renewed, some fertilizers and a calcium-rich substrate.

Iron

Symptons: Brittle yellow leaves that become glassy, rot and fall away.
Solution: Regular use of a fertilizer rich with Iron of a substrate which contains iron additives.

Magnesium

Symptoms: Leave that turn yellow with veins that stay green.
Solution: Ensure fertilizers used for the plants also contain extra compounds such as magnesium.

Nitrogen

Symptoms: Old leaves turn yellow, new leaves are small and either yellow or white.
Solution: Rarely seen in aquaria, make sure to use a substrate with all macronutrients your plants will need.

Phosphate

Symptoms: Older leaves turn yellow and fall off quickly. Looks similar to nitrogen deficiency.
Solution: A fertilizer which contains additional phosphates.

Potassium

Symptoms: Yellowing of sections of young leaves near the margin.
Solution: Regular refertilization of the water.

There are two kinds of nutrients your plants need. The first kind of nutrients are macronutrients (Potassium, Phosphorous, Nitrogen, Calcium and Magnesium) and micronutrients such as Boron, Zinc and Selenium.

To ensure you avoid developing deficiencies, or to help cure current problems, regular nutrient dosing is recommended. The more plants, or demanding your plants are, the more you'll need.

It may seem overwhelming when you start a planted aquarium. Do I understand the needs of my plants? Do I have all the right equipment? Will these plants be too hard for me to grow well?

As with any fish you would keep, the more research you do, the better you will be able to provide for them. This may take time, but with a little patience and care, you will see your efforts rewarded many times over.

I hope that you have enjoyed this lens. If you have any comments or suggestions, please leave me a message below.

Enjoy Your Aquarium!