Each year, thousands of new fishkeepers discover the natural wonder of aquariums. Fishkeeping provides them, and now you, the unique opportunity to not only observe another world, but to create it as well. In the process, you'll learn about aquatic animals and observe their behavior firsthand. There is nothing quite like an aquarium to generate an appreciation and respect for our environment.

 

Whatever your degree of participation in this hobby, you will continue to find new challenges to spark your interest, capture your imagination, and stimulate your creative abilities. ANDRE'S CHOICE Aquarium Equipment M Aquarium Plants     The tropical freshwater aquarium plants   M WELCOME SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP Andre's Aquarium Club Ask all your aquarium related questions!   Join... Andre's Aquarium Club today! Ask all your aquarium related questions. Setting up an Aquarium? Aquarium Plants? Sick Fish? Invertebrate Problem? Water Problems? Breeding? Propagating ? CLICK HERE The Aquarium Landscapes family of products was developed to ensure the success of the natural planted aquarium enthusiast. The Aquarium Landscapes product line includes a variety of supplements, a simple to use Potassium Test Kit as well as our exclusive 3 piece Landscape Kit.

Aquarium Plants

What follows is a compilation, edited and condensed,

of the best of the articles on aquarium plants which have

appeared in aquarium club newsletters from across the country.

It is by no means comprehensive, but it does lay the groundwork

for success with plants and should stimulate ideas as to how

to set up your individual tank. Included also are specific details on

growing some of the more popular plants.

Setting up a New Planted Tank

Natural Environment Aquarium

Plants for the Home Aquarium

All photos on this site, I believe are in the public domain, if they are not and you need any removed please let me know and I will do so at once. Most of the graphics on this page are found at this site.

PLANT CARE

Live aquarium plants are a worthwhile addition to the fish tank. In a well planted tank, the fish have better colors, live a more natural life, and appear more comfortable than in an unplanted tank. Though they need more care than plastic replicas, live plants can be kept with few problems as long as there is plenty of light and no plant-eating or plant-destroying fish.

Waterscapes Plants.

Trouble-shooting with Plants

Besides algal infestations, plants can suffer other ailments, especially when the water conditions are not favorable. Water with incorrect properties can cause as much or more damage to a plant than nutrient deficiency. If plants begin to wane (i.e. prematurely yellowing and losing leaves, leaf damage), first check that the water conditions are in order. If they are, see the chart below for help.

Symptoms Possible Cause Action

-slender stalks

-smaller leaves

-lower leaves on plant stem

-lower leaf loss insufficient lighting Make sure that the plants have the right illumination period. Change the light bulbs if they have been used for longer than a year. Make sure that the lights are strong enough for the types of plants kept.

-small brown spots, developing into holes

-yellowing leaves high nitrate content from lack of water changes Make a series of moderate water changes.

-small, irregular holes with sharp edges in otherwise seemingly healthy leaves snail feeding Remove snails by hand.

-stunted growth

-premature die off carbon dioxide deficiency Start fertilizing with carbon fertilization. Decrease aeration.

Recommended Aquatic Plant Resources

Check out the following sites for quality information on aquarium plants:

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/articles.htm

http://www.aquabotanic.com/index2.cfm

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/

http://home.infinet.net/teban/

http://www.tropica.com/default.asp

Tropica

Tropica – the best start an aquarium plant can get

Every year Tropica makes a number of expeditions to remote and often inaccessible rivers, lakes and streams in the tropics. We are constantly on the look-out for new, exciting plants and varieties to offer to aquarium owners all over the world. At the same time we collect a good deal of plant material to supplement and replace material used for propagation in Denmark.

Tropica is a commercial enterprise. A business that (like any other) lives and dies by its ability to be profitable.

But the natural environment – not least the threatened rain forests from which we extract our plant material - is the real basis of Tropica´s existence. For this reason alone we feel we should make a special effort when it comes to protecting our environment (both at home in Denmark and abroad). Over the course of a quarter of a century our expeditions to find new plant material have taken us to natural regions in more than 40 different countries. Everything we have seen and experienced on all these trips convinces us that it is important to support organisations working to protect threatened fauna and flora.

For many years Tropica has supported the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In particular, we have been interested in projects whose aim is to ensure sustainable exploitation of the rain forests in collaboration with local populations. Via the Nephentes group the employees of Tropica have so far purchased 16,222 square metres of rain forest in Costa Rica, which has been turned into a national park for the benefit of the flora and fauna that live there. Finally, our propagation work means that we are helping to preserve threatened plants. The efforts invested in tissue propagation also mean that we now only need to remove a small number of plants from their natural environment

WHY IS SUBSTRATE HEATING IMPORTANT?

There are many opinions as to the benefits

of substrate heating. Some will insist it is

useless and merely another "gimmick".

Others, particularly those that have

implemented it, champion it as a valid if not

mandatory addition in the quest for long term

biological stability in any planted aquarium.

Substrate Heating Coils

I had a e-mail exchange with a rec.aquaria reader some time ago that I think would be useful to describe the benefits of substrate heating coils. He had some questions regarding Dupla's "10 Golden Rules" for an Optimum Aquarium. In the exchange below, the Dupla rules are in bold type and the reader's questions are in bold italics.

Do-It-Yourself Substrate Heating Cables

There has been much interest and discussion lately concerning the use of heating cables to create gentle currents of nutrient-bearing water through a planted tank's substrate. Many of us who use heating cables have found them to be an excellent aid in providing an optimal environment for plant growth; when combined with the right balance of nutrients and light, the results can be spectacular.

The high cost of commercial systems, however, have discouraged many people from trying heating cables. Others have wanted to build their own systems but have had second thoughts because of concerns about submerging any `homemade' electrical device into their aquariums.

In this article we present the plans for building a safe and inexpensive heating cable system that is well within the capabilities and budget of many plant tank enthusiasts. These systems have been used in the authors' tanks with results equalling commercial systems.

The Krib

Aquatic Plants

This section concerns itself with all

facets of keeping aquatic plants.

Aqua Design Amano

The Art of Simplicity: an ADA 60cm Nature Aquarium System.

At Aqua Design Amano, they believe that your aquarium

should look as good on the outside,

as the aquascape does on the inside.

M

Waterscapes Plants.  

Start Right

There are few things as frustrating to the aquarist interested in a beautiful aquarium as algae. After spending a small fortune the aquarist is often rewarded with a lush carpet of algae. Unsightly and stubbornly resistant to eradication, the algae destroys the aesthetics of the tank while limiting plant growth by competing with them for light and nutrients.

In desperation, the aquarist experiments with various forms of algae control, including algicides, bleach dips, antibiotics (for cyanobacteria), physical removal, and the introduction of an assortment of algae-eating fish and invertebrates. Feed levels are reduced, light duration is decreased, until through trial and error an uneasy truce is sometime reached.  

Since this is a basic information article we should first answer the question of why you should choose live over artificial plants. Simply put, live plants enhance water quality and in doing so provide a healthy and more stable environment for our fish. In addition live plants provide a food source for many fish. Lastly, the varieties, colors, and constant changing of the aquascape with live plants can't be achieved with static artificial plants. Few things of this hobby can rival the beauty of a healthy planted tank.

There is nothing you can do on a continual basis to help minimize algae and promote plant health as well as fish health as the simple water change.

This is one area where there is no such thing as too much too often. A stream or river may change water thousands of times a day. Best of all worlds would be a tank that is set up to allow for a constant replacement of water on a daily basis. Unfortunately it isn't practical. Change at the least 25% on a bi-weekly basis.

You'll find fish and plants will do better and the algae will be none existent. There is no better prevention for a algae build up than this, water changes.

Compare that to the alternative of constantly fighting algae it becomes time well worth spending.      

M

Eliminate algae

Growth

Safe for fish, plants, animals and humans

Degrades and dissolves organic bottom solids and scum. End result is carbon dioxide releasing through the top of the water

after BI- AQUACULTURE consumes the nitrates & phosphates. Other products require the tank or pond to be vacuumed

creating excess maintenance

Improves water clarity and quality; no more green water

Will work in fresh and salt water

Cuts and eliminates odors

Converts nitrites to nitrates

Oxidizes Ammonia to nitrite

BI-AQUACULTURE

Aquatic Concepts

The Web site for Aquatic Gardeners by Aquatic

Gardeners

Aquatic Concepts is a hobbyist run web site that caters to the

information and technical needs of all levels of aquatic

gardeners. We have been in the aquarium hobby for most of

our adult lives and have specialized in planted display tanks

for the past 10 years.

The Plants Themselves

PLANT CARE

Live aquarium plants are a worthwhile addition to the fish tank. In a well planted tank, the fish have better colors, live a more natural life, and appear more comfortable than in an unplanted tank. Though they need more care than plastic replicas, live plants can be kept with few problems as long as there is plenty of light and no plant-eating or plant-destroying fish.

To Order Plants