Selecting freshwater aquarium plants for your aquarium should not be undertaken lightly.      Plants reduce levels of nitrate in the aquarium, make the aquarium look wonderful, help reduce algae growth, give shy and timid fish a hiding place and during breeding provide spawning areas, so altogether they have a great beneficial effect to both the fish and their environment.

Nitrates in the water can cause problems to your fish in high enough levels, the good news is that aquarium plants use up these nitrates. Live plants do more than that though, they always look nicer than their plastic counterparts.

Some are more difficult to look after than others. The Java Fern, Hygrophila polysperma and Vallisneria spiralis are amongst the stronger aquarium plants.

You will need to check out a couple of things before embarking on your live plant adventure.

Water Parameters

Aquarium plants have the same needs as tropical fish when considering water parameters.   Each aquarium plant has different requrements as far as water conditions are concerned. The plants you want need particular water conditions so it is important to find these out. You need to know things like ph, hardness levels and lighting levels for each plant.

Good Substrate

You will need to have a good substrate in order for your plants to survive. There are clay planters you can get to place your plants in or you can even place some plants directly into the gravel. If you place your plants directly into the gravel you will need to use an iron supplement for your aquarium water since these plants won’t be getting the nutrients they need from the iron fortified clay.

Good Lighting

Poor lighting is the one main reason why plants do not do well in an aquarium.   Generally speaking the 20 -30 watts of lighting which comes as standard with many fish tanks is totally inadequate.   Different aquarium plants require different levels of aquarium lighting, usually measured in watts per gallon.   If you want your plants to thrive you must pay attention to this measurement in order for photosynthesis to take place.   Photosynthesis also requires CO2. The fish respiration process which goes on in the aquarium can produce enough CO2. However, if you have a heavily planted tank, you may want to get a CO2 injector for your aquarium because you won’t be getting enough CO2 from your fish.

Fish Compatibility
Some fish varieties make looking after live plants a really difficult job.   For instance, Silver Dollars really enjoy nibbling on live plants, likewise, Oscars and Goldfish will enjoy uprooting any aquarium plants you place in the tank.   If you already have fish, do some research on your particular species before embarking on your live plant journey.

Before buying any plants you must find out their exact needs and whether you are able to provide those needs, otherwise you will be wasting money.

Finally, you should feed your plants with special freshwater plant food.   I usually feed mine about once a week.

Some Recommended Plants

All of these look fantastic in the aquarium and only a few require very high levels of lighting.

1. Java Ferns.   pH 5.5-7.5, temp. 20-28 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, tolerates low light levels.   These grow best when tied to floating driftwood rather than planting their roots.
2. Amazon Sword.   pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 22-28 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water.   These should be supplemented with iron fertilizer and planted in loose substrate.
3. Argentine Sword.   pH 6.5-7.5,   temp. 16-25 Celsius, Water hardness 1-5 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water.   These need to be planted in loose substrate and will require iron fertilizer.
4. Hygrophila Polysperma.   pH 6.5-8.0, temp. 20-30 Celsius, Water hardness 2-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 25 Galls water.   Small reddish or green leaves atanding at 24 inches, they should be placed in the center back of the tank so they have room to grow.
5. Umbrella Plant.   ph 5.0-7.0, temp. 22-25 Celsius, Water hardness 4-12 degrees, Lighting Intense.   They can be anywhere between 8-12 inches tall. They have tall, thin stems with small leaves at the top of each stem that branch out into a star shape. They will die if completely submerged in the aquarium water because they are not really aquatic plants. What you do is submerge the roots and grow the plant on the surface.
6. Vallisneria Spiralis.   pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 15-30 Celsius, Water hardness 5-15 degrees, Lighting 50 watts per 50 Galls water.   This looks like grass and grows to 24 inches.   Vallisneria spiralis have wide ranging water parameter needs and are therefore a good choice for beginners. These plants look best along the sides or in the back of your aquarium
7. Anubias Barteri.   pH 6.5-7.5, temp. 22-28 Celsius, Water hardness 8 degrees, Lighting Moderate.   Anubias Barteri has broad green leaves that grow as much as 16 inches long.   They grow best with CO2 fertilization.
8. Other low light options include:  Cryptocoryne, Dwarf Hairgrass, Water Sprite, Anacharis, and Cabomba.

For more information on Freshwater Aquarium Plants go to my website www.freshwateraquariumsecretsonline.com