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*AQUASCAPING*
**It is interesting to learn that it was actually the cultivation of aquatic plants that gave rise to the hobby of keeping fishes in aquaria. Early botanists learned that their water plant speciemens fared better and were more interesting to oberve when a few native fishes were added to the aquarium. Thus was conceived the notion of keeping fishes in tanks (in the west anyway; Orientals have been keeping goldfish and koi for several centuries).
**There are quite literally hundreds of varieties of plants that can be included in your tropical aquarium. We want our aquariums to look natural, and there is no more satisfying way to achieve this objective than by the cultivation of an underwater garden. Anyone can have healthy greenery if they follow a few simple steps.
**First of all, timing is critical. It is obvious to those of us who have tried and failed, that nothing much is going to grow in a new tank. Only plastic plants will survive in a recently set up tank. That is a fact. In a newly set up tank, there simply aren't enough nutrients in the substrate to keep the simplest of plant forms alive. The basic source of nurishment comes from your fishies waste products. Even after your aquarium has been set up for weeks, don't expect the substrate to contain enough fish fertilizer to support more than an algae bloom. One way to circumvent the waiting period is to buy pre-potted plants that already contain a built in food supply adequate for a few months while waiting for the fishes and bacteria o do their job.
**Lighting is just as important to aquatic plants as it is to the roses that so love the sunny spots in our gardens. However, we never place our aquariums in sunlight. This may seem foolish since plants need to photosynthesize, and the fishes probably wouldn't mind basking in the afternoon sun, but we would lose too much control over temperature and algae growth, so rule out a southern exposure for your aquarium. What we want to do is use that flourescent gro-light we just bought with the tank cover.
**There are three main types of plants to choose from. The first type to consider are floating plants. When choosing your plants, only choose those which are healthy and crisp. A plant should have lots of tiny hair like roots. Be sure the leaves are green and crisp. Avoid plants that have yellow mushy leaves. These plants rely on nutrients strictly from the water itself and they do not need to be anchored to the substrate. In addition, these plants supply excellent places for bubble nest builders, such as gouramis and bettas, to build their nests. These floating plants will enhance the purity of the water because they do not rely on the gravel bed for their nourishment and utilize wastes from the water itself. One potential problem is that these plants can easily overwhelm the surface of the aquarium and cause light to be blocked to the lower levels, interfering with any plants below. So cull these plants when they get too out of hand. A 50% coverage is probably not out of line. Among the most commonly floating water plants is the water sprite, duck weed, water lettuce, floating ferns, and salvinia.
**The next group include the bunch plants-- usually these are the culprits that give aquatic plants a bad name. The true villian may actually be the rubber band that holds the plants together in a bunch. Remove this as soon as you get your plants home. These plants are often floated and then planted in the substrate as soon as a good root system developes. The most common of these plants are Elodea species which are often very hardy. Fanwort is a favourite for plant-eating fishes. Hygrophilia and Ludwiga are also very hardy and popular. These bunch plants are prolific and grow very quickly.
**Fully rooted plants are the third basic type and are the ones most often available in pots. Good choices in this area would be full-looking plants with many leaves and evidence of new growth. There are many species to choose from, some of the more popular being swordplants, arrowheads, and eel grass.
**When planting your new specimens, be careful not to break off any more of the roots than possible. Remove any damaged or yellowed leaves. Rinse the plant in tepid water to minimize the possibility of introducing unwanted guests (snails) into your aquarium. Sometimes it is difficult to anchor the plants to the ground, especially if your have substrate digging fishes that like to uproot plants. Your pet shop will offer lead anchors that can help. Only if the plant is allowed to remain in the same spot undisturbed, will it then survive. Be careful when doing your maintenance not to disturb the roots of the plants. So, try not to plant the whole aquarium all in one day, you want your plants to grow and look beautiful, not to slowly die to death in a tank that just doesn't support the plant's growing needs.
AQUATIC PLANT SPECIMENS
BUNCH PLANTS:
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ROOTED PLANTS:
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