7 pro tip to speed up plants growth in your aquarium
- Jan 18, 2021
- Anshika Mishra
- 1304 0 0
Almost all freshwater aquarium hobbyists want to grow plants in their aquarium at some point in time. But the growing plant is a time taking process, and there are chances of plants dying too. There are a few shortcuts, though, that can significantly increase your plant growth success rate.
So, down below are 7-pro tips that will help your plants grow healthy and beautiful:
1. Good Lightings
Tip number one is having good lightings in your tank. It is essential because plants use light for photosynthesis, and if you don't have the right enough light in your aquarium, they will perish.
It is essential that you have bright enough lights for the plants to receive the light and use it to grow. Plants in aquarium photosynthesis about 14-hours a day at max. Which makes the light during this time necessary for their growth. They should have periods where they can produce energy during photosynthesis and periods to use the power to grow.
It is also essential to be cautious about how bright the light is because if the light is too bright in an aquarium, it can stress out fishes and shrimps in the tank.
2. Nutrient-rich substrate
While most plants use nutrients from outside the leaves, it is also essential that you have nutrients outside the ground for the roots to soak up. These new trees are significant for the development of the plant's origins, so the plant needs to soak into the substrate so it can't float away, and nutrients inside the substrate are super essential for this.
It would help if you didn't use grains, like pebbles, or too big of a mineral size so that the plants can grow into it. Excellent gravel or sand is perfect for growing healthy plants.
Adding fertilizers to the soil will also increase the growth of the plants.
3. Carbon Dioxide
It is vital to have carbon dioxide in your aquarium water. CO2 can be quite expensive to have and quite tricky to maintain in an aquarium. Its kits can range from $100-$600 depending upon the quality.
Adding carbon dioxide can dramatically increase the growth rate of plants. It is not essential, though, because having a CO2 kit requires a lot of maintenance and attention. It can poison your fish if overdosed.
4. Good Fish to Plant Balance
Plants use nutrients from fish waste to grow and develop; having a good fish ratio to plant in your aquarium is beneficial for both parties. One will take inadequate nutrients and toxins out of the aquarium, and the other will maintain it.
But if you don't have enough plants and too many fishes in your aquarium, the plants will not keep up with the number of toxins in the water and kill off the fish. In most cases, plants and fishes balance out each other and create a well-balanced ecosystem by themselves.
5. Avoid too many floating plants
Floating plants are very beneficial for the aquarium because they take large amounts of toxins out of the water, but having too many of them can cover the aquarium water's surface and obstruct any light from going through the bottom aquarium plants.
This will limit the plants' growth in the substrate and often kill them, so it is essential to make sure that you don't have too many floating plants covering up your aquarium's surface.
6. Good Tankmates
You have to make sure that you have good tankmates for the plants that you are keeping. Some fishes will eat the plants in your aquarium, and of course, this isn't going to work because the plants will die straight away.
It is essential to do research before buying any fish or plant and mix them because cichlids and other aggressive fishes will often eat the plants in the aquarium. Goldfish are also known for eating plants too. Therefore before buying any plants, make sure that they will make good tankmates with the fish in your aquarium.
7. Know The Type of Plant You Are Growing
There are different types of aquarium plants, some grow fast, and some grow slow. Some require additional parameters, and others. So, it is essential to know what plants you are growing and what you need to thrive.
So, do your research before buying any plants and see if you can provide it a suitable environment or not. For beginners, the best plants would be:
- Water wisteria
- Java moss
- Bacopa
But if you are after something a little bit riskier and something a bit hard to take care of, you can for dwarf hair grass or other carpeting pants because they are quite challenging to take care of, and they are also quite rewarding.
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