Mary Allen
What is an aquarium without the right plant landscapes? Not only do they look good, but they also visually fill the aquarium and offer protection to its inhabitants. But not all plants are the same. Find out here which aquarium plants you can distinguish and how to properly care for them.
The variety of aquarium plants
Plants are not only visual eye-catchers, they also take on other important functions in the aquarium. In this way, they provide oxygen and free the aquarium from excess nutrients. Therefore, when looking into a planted aquarium from above, around 50-70% of the soil should be covered with plants. So that the planting used grows and develops well, various things must be observed. This includes temperature, placement, and lighting. Because even with plants there are preferences and factors that favor healthy growth.
Aquarium plants in the background
Alternanthera reineckii: Red plants are usually very demanding. However, this type is also ideal for beginners. In good lighting, it develops an intense red color and is such a color highlight. The plant is usually planted in a group and requires a sunny to partial shade. Regular fertilization with iron is recommended for the color.
Pogostemon erectus: This plant grows up to 40 cm high and has very filigree leaves. It comes from South Asia and loves temperatures between 20-30 ° C. Propagation takes place via side shoots. Alternatively, you can just cut off a shoot and plant it back in. In this way, you achieve nice compaction of the plant. Pogostemon erectus is grateful for a lot of light and rather soft water.
Aquarium plants in the middle field
Cryptocoryne wendtii: This medium-sized, robust species is also called the “brown water goblet” and, as the name suggests, is chocolate-brown to olive-green in color. It thrives best in water temperatures between 20 and 28 ° C. Just like the Alternanthera reineckii, it prefers a sunny to partially shaded place.
Rotala rotundifolia: When kept in an aquarium, Rotala rotundifolia forms elongated, thin leaves. In contrast to other Rotala species, it is relatively undemanding, although it needs a lot of light to form red leaves. It develops side shoots very readily and quickly attains a dense, bushy shape. This makes it difficult for light to reach the lower leaves, which is why the plant has to be pruned frequently. It prefers very warm temperatures from 30 ° C and is therefore suitable, for example, for Amazon aquariums.
Aquarium plants in the foreground
Echinodorus tenellus: This small type of aquarium plant forms a dense cushion of lawn on the bottom of the aquarium. When exposed to strong light, the plant can take on a reddish color. Due to its low stature, it is well suited for use in the foreground. It grows best at a temperature between 18 and 26 ° C. Because of its simplicity, this aquarium plant is also suitable for beginners.
Eleocharis pusilla: With its short leaves, airy growth, and countless runners, this plant is one of the best carpet-forming foreground plants. Completely easy to care for and undemanding. It is planted in small clusters on the area to be covered and, in good light conditions, quickly grows together to form a dense, lush “lawn”. Warm water from 24 ° C is preferred! It can be easily cut down if the “lawn” gets too high.
Complete plant landscapes
If you are still relatively inexperienced and/or do not want to go wrong with the plant selection, you should deal with aquarium plant sets: Some companies already offer ready-made plant landscapes that can be easily positioned correctly using the plan provided. Thanks to the different sets in different sizes, everyone can find the perfect combination for their aquarium and can also design the aquarium differently by using a different set.
Tips for insertion
Many plants were fertilized by the grower or dealer and protected from vermin. So that these substances do not get into your own aquarium, where they could harm plants and animals, you should remove the substrate from the roots of the plants after buying them. After that, the plants are placed in a large bucket of water for a longer period of time (up to 2 weeks). If the water has been changed several times and the plant has been rinsed off with it, it can be assumed that enough pollutants have been washed away.
This annoying procedure is not necessary with in-vitro plants. They are free from snails and algae and not contaminated with harmful substances because they are grown in an almost sterile manner. So you are sure not to drag anything into the pool. You just have to be patient so that the small plants grow to a comparable size. But they made up for that quickly and you can enjoy the splendor of the plants.
When you have planted the plants, please do not be surprised if the plants develop yellow leaves or change their growth habit. They do not perish, they just shed their old leaves and then form new ones. After all, you first have to adapt to the previously unfamiliar conditions. So do not immediately remove a supposedly “incoming” plant from the aquarium. You should remove yellow leaves so that the water quality does not suffer from the degradation processes. With the right lighting conditions and the right nutrient supply (if necessary through fertilization) you will soon have great planting in your aquarium.