Plants in the aquarium are far more than decoration and provide places for the fish to hide along with the rocks and roots. The main purpose of the freshwater aquarium plants is to inhibit development of the blue-green algae, which is anything but blue-green color! It's also a good rule of thumb to use plants that are native to your fish's original habitat.
Generally speaking there are many types of Freshwater aquarium plants that can be used:
Plants grown by bulbs: Usually large plants often too large for a normal sized freshwater aquariums instead more suited to outdoor pond settings.
Floating Plants. A good example of this is the Fairy Moss an Driccia which provides a great place to shield young fry and a area as some fish nest in floating plants. The Ceratoperis species with large leaves and decorative suspended root stocks are also recommended. Floating plants however have a tendency to reduce the amount of light need by the plants growing in the substrate below.
Aquarium plants growing on the bottom are either stemmed plants or bottom dwellers such as the Rhizomes, roots on the bottom and a runner over the surface of the substrate. It grows new leaf and roots as it spreads. Anubias and African Fern are two types of Rhizomes that can be tied to a piece of driftwood in your aquarium.
The Rosette is a type of plant with leaves growing from nodes off a single stem with the end of the plant rooted in the substrate. The Amazon Sword and the Sagittaria are examples of the Rosette and produce flowers.
The Java Moss or java fern is the most common aquatic starter plant. As it is a hearty plant and can thrive in different types of pH levels and water.
Another great first aquarium plant is the Water Wisteria, quick growing and beneficial to keep the algae content low. Be aware this plant takes many of the same nutrients from the water.
Amazon sword (echinodorus bleheri), the most popular of all aquarium plants. Easy plant to care for, even for beginners. It grows fast which helps to control the algae content of your tank as well.
Although live plants require a little more care the rewards are worth it creating a more beneficial dimension to your fresh water aquarium. Starting out slowly and as you gain experience expand on the types of plants you use. An enjoyable experience while your fish enjoy the comforts of home.
Nick Freeman is an Author and freshwater aquarium enthusiast. For more freshwater aquarium plant tips check out the website at http://www.UltimateFreshWaterAquarium.com and sign up for the free ecourse.
Good information, Nick. When I had an aquarium, it never occured to me to use live plants. I always got the plastic ones. If I ever set up an aquarium again, I will use live.
Hi Nick, welcome to searchwarp! Thanks for this great information. My mom is a freshwater tank buff, we had them all over the house when I was a kid, the live plants make a big difference.
I would encourage you to go back through this article and edit the few typo's. This will make this great article and excellent article.
Blessings to you! Keep sharing your knowledge with us. Teresa
Thanks for this write. My Moms always told me to use plants and other figurines in the tank for our fish. I'm thankful that she made me do that, after reading your write. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Very good article and quite informative. We have several plants in our tank but one in particular grows a flower in February/March reminiscent of the Calla Lily. When one is anxious for warmer weather, the sight of those flowers are a sign that Spring is just around the corner.
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