photo credit: threefingeredlord
Setting up an aquarium is an exciting if somewhat nerve wracking business. After all, the typical fish keeper doesn’t just want to keep some fish alive, but wants to create a focal point in a room.
A well-stocked aquarium filled with colorful fish, rocks and plants can be an amazing draw for the eye and indeed I find I spend more time watching my fish than actually my TV which it is near.
Creating this intoxicating “underwater world” takes time and effort and one key ingredient in creating the right look is the use of plants in the aquarium.
Now I should say that there have been entire books written on the subject of aquarium plants so I shan’t be covering every aspect and element in this article but rather giving you a general overview of the use of plants in an aquarium. Future articles will deal with specific species.
Aquarium plants can typically be divided into two broad categories. Fake plants and real plants.
In days gone by fake plants looked just that and so were typically shunned by many fish keepers though these days the artificial aquarium plants are looking more and life lifelike.
On the flip side, an aquarium filled with live plants really has to be seen to be believed. The beauty and grace of the plants, the way they help to aerate the water by giving out oxygen and the way the plants, like the fish, will grow and multiply, has the benefit to add extra appeal to your tank.
One should be aware, however, that whilst aquatic horticulture has grown over the years, live aquarium plants still require considerable effort if you are to be successful with them.
Not only do they require the correct lighting, but many also require some form of aquatic fertilizer to be used if they are to be fit and healthy. While some fish will live happily and peacefully with live plants, other species may eat the plants or rip then to shreds “just because” and decaying plant matter in an aquarium can lead to problems with water quality which may, if left unchecked, cause problems for tank inhabitants.
Indeed some fish keepers use a combination of both live and artificial plants. The live plants are typically placed closer to the front of the aquarium whilst the artificial plants are placed behund to add “bulk” without looking too unnatural.
The question as to whether you should use live aquarium plants or artificial ones really comes down to the matter of effort versus appearance.
How essential are live plants to your plan, and are you will to put in the (considerable) extra effort that they will require? Or would you rather save yourself some work and simply invest in the best fake plants going?
Only you can make that decision.
I was wondering if I could put any regular plant in an aquarium with fish, without the plant harming the fish. Because I have regular plants in pots that I would rather see in an aquarium than the kinds you buy in the store. So I was hoping i could put them in my aquarium