Live plants endow immense benefits when planted in the aquarium. They add to the beauty of the tank and, at the same time, provide oxygen for the fish. But as they say, good things don’t come easy; live plants also require special care and maintenance for proper growth and development. Although there are aquarium plants that are easy to maintain, some eventually die when not looked after properly.
It takes a fair amount of time and effort to get a lushly planted aquarium. Right from choosing the right kind of plants and substrate to deciding how and where to plant them is a real issue. The plants easily get disturbed in the tank due to a number of factors like-
Therefore, here we are with some simple tricks that could help the new aquarists to have live aquarium plants. In this article, we will talk about rooting, anchoring, and pruning and propagating the plants in an aquarium. Also, we will provide a brief detail about the different types of aquarium plants you could have.
Types of aquarium plants
If we start categorizing the aquarium plants, there will be different sections like floating plants or bottom dwellers, background plants or mid-ground plants, rooted plants or rhizomatous, etc. When you visit the pet shop, you will see that these plants are sold in different ways. These are:
These plants are treated in different ways when it comes to planting them in the tank. Some need proper rooting, and some require additional anchoring to grow and develop. The easiest are the potted plants that only need planting in the place where you need and the roots anchor tightly into the substrate. Floating plants keep on floating on the upper water surface, and the moss balls roll at the bottom.
However, the real thing comes up when you have to deal with stem plants. They require a proper anchoring and some kind of framework to retain their place in the tank.
How to anchor the live plants?
In general, aquarium plants are lighter than water. No matter whether they are floating type or not, they will come at the surface when not anchored properly. If you think about giving them weight, the substrate will frustrate you. It is when a proper anchoring that will neither pollute the water nor alter water’s chemistry becomes important.
There are different ways with which one can provide support to the roots and stem of the aquarium plants. These are:
Take the mesh and place it at the bottom of the tank. With the help of a fishing line or cotton thread, tie the bundles of roots to the mesh. Once tied properly, place the substrate all over the mesh and secure it.
As soon the plants get rooted, place the lid wherever you want. Cover it up with the substrate and let the plant grow fiercely now.
Likewise, always buy driftwood from the store and make sure it is free from tannins. Use cotton thread or fish line to tie one of its ends to the plants, and the other end to the driftwood or rock. Now position the plant in the tank at your desired place. Remove the loose ends of the thread to get a professional look.
Some important tips while anchoring the plants-
How to prune and trim the live plants
The plants proliferate in no time when the water conditions and substrate of the tank are in their favor. There are plants that grow faster than others and require regular pruning. Your tank may get denser in no time. Therefore, regular trimming of the extra shoots becomes necessary.
Since there are different types of aquarium plants, some can be pruned from anywhere; other require some specifications. It largely depends upon the plant types and their growth pattern. Here are some general tips on how to prune the live aquarium plants.
Stem plants– Stem plants can grow abruptly when not rimmed at regular intervals. These are also those plants that need trimming more often than the other aquarium plants. Therefore, knowing the right ways to prune them is necessary.
Trim off the top two inches of the stem plant when or overgrows. Make sure the 50% of the plant length is retained. At the same time, you can also propagate the cut portion into the substrate, not deeper than an inch, and later relocate wherever required.
Potted Plants– Potted plants are generally slow growers. Different varieties of crypts and Amazon sword are some common potted plants that people use in their aquarium. They are not only easy to grow and maintain but also make the tank look beautiful.
For trimming a potted plant, pinch off a few leaves, preferably from the base of the roots. Perform the same with the dead and yellowing leaves to make the plant look fresh and healthy. If the plant is growing sideways with longer leaves, cut them alternately and allow only the young and small-sized leaves to grow. Cutting the leaves directly can out the plants in stress, so try to avoid it.
Mosses- For trimming or pruning the moss, you have to remove it out from the tank. Once you have removed, cut the moss to whatsoever length and width you want. When you replace, you have to provide a proper anchor to it, either with the help of a rock or driftwood. This way, the moss will remain in one place and keep on growing.
Rhizome– Rhizome plants like different types of ferns and anubais are the easiest to prune. The best thing is you can even propagate them while pruning. All that you need is splitting the rhizome at the base of the plant and make it short. You can root this pruned section at some other location to get a new plant altogether.
Final words– Although there are people who prefer artificial plants in their aquarium, the beauty a real plant can give is profound. You may face a few difficulties in the initial stages, and there could be chances that your plant dies. However, with practice, patience, and perseverance, you will eventually learn how to deal with live aquarium plants.
Always start with the easy maintenance plants and keep on adding more in your bunch with time. Décor your tank with the live plants to get a lively looking aquarium!
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