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Success With Aquarium Plants
Posted by: iamlost2 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 12:54 PM
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by Sharon Lyon
Based on my experience, the first step to insuring a plant will survive and thrive in a aquarium is to be sure that it's supposed to be there. If a plant looks suspiciously like a houseplant, it probably is. For example, dwarf palm, various ferns, dumb cane (diffenbachia), arrowhead plants, corn plants (draceana), "red waffle" plants (also sold as "red crinkle"), polka dot plants, and spathephyllum (i.e. peace lily and antherium lily) are commonly sold in local pet shops for your tank. These are usually sold as potted plants. If the store you are frequenting has knowledgeable and reputable sales staff, they should be able to tell you if a particular plant is truly an aquarium plant. Though many of these plants will survive for a short while under water (a few months at most) they will eventually rot.
The next thing to consider when choosing a plant for you tank is the lighting requirements of the plant. As a rule, plants sold in bunches, finely leafed (like Cabomba) and with red tints on the leaves require very bright light to survive and grow. I have had problems with even getting supposedly "low light" plant varieties like anubias and sword plants to do well with the fluorescent light that comes with a traditional tank light set up. On almost all my tanks -- any taller than 13 inches -- I have replaced the plastic hood with a glass canopy and added extra light fixtures, usually two to three times the original number. All of the fluorescent tubes that came with the lights have been replaced with special plant lights. When money is not a hindrance, I have had a lot of luck with Spectrum 5 and Trilux tubes sold at aquarium stores. These cost about $10 - $20 apiece. A cheaper alternative that works almost as well can be picked up at a hardware store. GE brand Grolux fluorescent tubes are available in 24 inch and 48 inch lengths and seem to work well for aquariums. These are bout $5 - $10 apiece. In addition, light output can be increased by using the shiny side of aluminum foil as a reflector behind the bulb.
For larger tanks (four feet or more), shop lights that hold two to four bulbs can be used in conjunction with glass canopies to provide a less expensive, though somewhat less aesthetically pleasing, light source. I have purchased very basic ones for about $10. Additional lights can also be added by using 24 inch fluorescent strip lights available at hardware stores. Since I really like the look of heavily planted tanks, my rule is the more light the better. All of my lights are on timers; most are on 14-16 hours per day. Additionally all the electrical gadgets for my tanks are plugged into a strip outlet with a circuit breaker.
The last thing that seems to have a big impact on the health of the plants is regular supplements with a good plant fertilizer rich in iron. This seems especially true for Vallisneria and some sword plants. Without the supplement these plants tend to yellow and grow fewer leaves. I have recently set up a tank using laterite, an iron-rich clay, in the substrate. I'll let you know how it works.
A number of people have expressed to me their desire to grow flourishing plants without the special lights and without special fertilizers. All I can say is that it didn't work for me. When making the special efforts for my aquarium plants, I remind myself that if these were house plants or garden plants, I wouldn't expect them to grow with poor light or soil conditions. So in some ways, aquarium plants are easy -- at least I don't have to remember to water them.
Copyright:1996-1997 Columbus Area Fish Enthusiasts
Note: Published at FishGeeks with express permission from the author. This article can not be copied or reprinted, either physically or electronically without the permission of the author. Copyright 2003.
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