KEEPING PLANTS IN YOUR AQUARIUM:
A flourishing, planted aquarium looks beautiful and encourages your fish to display their natural colours. Your fish will be happier in a healthy planted aquarium as many fish are used to plants in the wild and love the foliage they provide. Plants provide them with essential 'hiding-places'. Plants also help maintain a healthy biological balance by producing Oxygen and using up Carbon Dioxide (the bi-product of fish respiration) during photosynthesis. Plants also absorb ammonia / nitrates (aid the biological filtration) and help suppress algae which would otherwise be detrimental for your fish.

Approximately 70% of aquarium plants draw their required nutrients directly out of the water through their leaves. The main function of the roots is to serve as an anchor in the soil. Plants need sufficient light (approx. 2 watt/dm 2), minerals and salts to grow properly. The growth of plants is dependent on what nutrients are available and the lack of one or more nutrients leads to pale colours, insufficient leaf development and general poor health.

One problem often encountered is that plants are eaten by fish so you need to check that your fish are not the plant eating types and that the plants you choose are compatible with the fish in your aquarium (ask your shopkeeper).

Keeping plants is not easy but with a little perseverance the rewards can be stunning. Plants vary a great deal in terms of ease of growth, some plants require special water quality, intense lighting and added CO2. These type of plants are very difficult so if you are new to plant keeping we would recommend plants that require no special conditions for successful growth aside from plant food and maybe a new light bulb of a special spectrum (Lighting is essential for plants, with fish it is more for decorative purposes).

Results will vary depending on a variety of factors that contribute to plant growth. For example, if there are not enough available nutrients, plants can not flourish. A number of areas require attention for successful plant growth and a balance must met between them (read an authoritative plant keeping guide).

• Light levels (10-12 hours per day of the correct wattage).
• Soil type.
• Flow / Circulation.
• CO2 levels.
• Correct Pruning.
• Non-plant eating Fish.
• Frequent trimming of plants.
• Calcium (Hardness needs to be 4-10GH).
• Nutrient levels (Specifically:- Iron, Magnesium, Calcium).

You will also need to wait until you have achieved the correct pH for your chosen plants - they don't like rapid pH fluctuations. We wouldn't recommend adding plants for the first 6 weeks of owning an aquarium.

Many nutrients required for healthy plant growth are not present in the aquarium. An aquarium is an 'artificial' environment and therefore differs from the conditions that plants and fish are used to in the wild. Therefore, you will need to use a plant food to supplement your plants and ensure healthy growth, colour and condition. The best aquatic plant foods are absorbed through both the plant leaves and roots.

Plant food should be used regularly to prevent nutrient depletion and ensure quick growth of healthy green plants. Quick growing green plants such as (Nomaphila stricta, Cabomba, Vallisneria etc.) can produce small, pale leaves without plant food. Other plants may suffer from poor growth, lack of green leaf colour (chlorophyll), and pale or slimy leaves without plant food.