How to Keep Fish Tank Plants Alive?

Everyone loves to see the green lush plants in their fish tank. They seem breathtaking not only to us but also to the fish living in the tank. But they look extremely bad when they are rotten or decayed.

So here comes the thing that how to keep those plants from getting decayed and dull in color. A good plant that is receiving proper light, food, and nutrition will be healthier and more greenish.

A dying plant fades it in its color, becomes soft and looks extremely bad. While the vibrant green hues, green plants, and lush foliage give a gorgeous look to your tank decor.

Contents

1 How to Keep Fish Tank Plants Alive?

How to Keep Fish Tank Plants Alive?

Plants a very important in a tank. They help to build a natural ecosystem. Plants release oxygen inside water which helps your pet fish to breathe properly.

Plants also absorb carbon dioxide and nitrogen and make the living environment comfortable for your pet fish. It helps your aquarium to stay clean and healthy.

Plants can be the best hiding and resting place for your pet fish. Like all of the other living things, plants also required care and other basic requirements to live.

There are thousands of plant species that are best for beginners to use in their tanks. There are many nutritious plants available for fish.

If you face the situation that you put some plants in your tank and they do not survive at all, then Whypetfish.com is going to describe you here about keeping your tank plants survive for a long time. Here we go;

Selecting the Right Plants

First of all, you should know that not all of the plants are for use in a fish tank. There are some specific varieties of live plants that can survive inside the water and are beneficial for your pet fish as well.

Make sure that you are going to buy an underwater plant that can survive in submerged in water. Also, there are nutritious plants and some plant leaves which float over the surface of water properly without decay.

Here are some of the plant species that you can use inside your fish water tank. These are;

Java Moss
Java Fern
Dwarf lilies
Hornwort
Water Wisteria
Amazon Sword
Anubias
Crypt Wendtti
Cryptocoryne
Pygmy Chain Sword

These are just a few common species used in tanks, there are much more than this. Also, make sure that your fish are compatible with the new plant placed in their area.

The plants that you are using should not have any spines. It must be smooth and not – harming. A specified plant for the aquarium which is completely healthy can live alive for a very long time, but it also depends on which kind of water conditions and parameters you are providing to it.

Some of the fish eat the plants as their snack, so it must be safe and nutritious. Wash it just before you put any of the plants into a tank.

Provide Proper Lighting

As you know plant requires light for their proper growth and survival. Plants have a photosynthesis process to generate energy for their survival.

For this photosynthesis process, the provision of light is a must. This process also adds oxygen in the water which helps your water pets to breathe properly.

In order to give proper light to your plants and pets, you will need a full-spectrum, fluorescent lighting. These plants should be given about 10 to 12 hours of lightning per day.

You might be thinking that why to give light for so many hours. Then your answer is that the light you provide is not natural like sunlight. That’s why it needs to be exposed for about 12 hours for the energy-making process.

The plants living in the sea, receive the direct sunlight rays, and make the food earlier because of the natural light. While the aquarium plants get light from artificial sources, that’s why the food or energy making process is slow.

In the light fails to emit its full spectrum on tank plants, it will not survive at all. Hence proper lighting with sufficient timing is necessary for your tank plant life.

Check Nutrient Levels

Check out the nutrient levels on a daily basis. If you cannot check it daily, then check on a weekly basis. As it is an important step to make your plant life longer.

Proper nutrients will help your plants to grow and retain their health. Although your plant can simply survive on proper light by making its food.

But a plant would be more flourished when proper nutrients are provided do it. So it is good to check the nutrient levels of your tank water whenever you get time. Take good care of your plants and they will be alive for longer.

Put Right Substrate in Tank

Aquarium plants need substrate so that they cannot remain floating in the water because of slight disturbance but stay at their place, fixed in the substrate.

Choosing the right substrate is also essential. There must be a proper substrate covering the bottom of your entire tank in which the plants can anchor their roots.

Water plants can easily grow in many different types of substrates. So you do not need to get worried about selecting the substrate.

Buy any of the good quality some substrate for your fish water tank. But it must be enough in amount, two to three inches above from the tank bottom covered with an inch of gravel.

If you do the planting of your plants in the substrate, it will look more natural and the root development and grip would be stronger.

There is some best substrate available in the market which contains all the necessary nutrients for plants and fish as well as SeaChem Flourite. Otherwise lays and laterite can be an inexpensive option but sometimes it creates a mess.

But there are too many other different best substrates available in the market like sand substrate, gravel substrate, etc.

Use a Good Fertilizer

You can also increase the growth of plants in a tank by using a good fertilizer. But make sure that it is a fish safe, iron fertilizer.

It is better to go for special, slow-release fertilizers that aids in submerged water plants growth. You should never use a phosphorus fertilizer.

The right type of fertilizer should be used in the right amount in a tank. You can add fertilizer directly into the substrate. Otherwise, the fish waste can also act as a fertilizer to nourish the plants.

If you are using a liquid fertilizer you can add it into your tank only once or twice. Liquid fertilizers are basically for those plants that are not rooted in the substrate but are floating or tide to some rock or wood.

Maintain Good Quality of Water

Maintaining the quality of water is necessary for your fish and plants both. The water that you are using should not be contaminated with a high concentration of heavy metals.

It should not be mixed with other dangerous compounds and must be safe water. Also, you should keep the plants in the aquarium after washing them so that the dirt and contamination over them can be removed.

It is a must to clean the water weekly in order to maintain good tank health. Some people try to clean their entire tank once in a month but this can disturb the whole ecosystem.

So, instead of trying to clean up everything by taking everything out and then putting back in the tank, try to prefer filters for proper cleaning.

In this way, water will be clean without disturbing fish and plants there. Clean water would not let your plants to decompose and also keep your fish healthy and happy.

Don’t let Algae to Grow

Algae usually compete with the plants for light and growth. First of all, don’t get the algae to grow near plants. If it has grown due to any reason then, try to eliminate it as soon as possible.

There are several ways to remove the algae from the water tank. Like there is a formula Algaecide based on antibiotics or chemicals. It can kill the algae very efficiently but it has negative effects on your fish water tank.

So it’s better not to use an algaecide in an area where other life forms exist like fish and plants. You can remove it manually by using the scraper.

Otherwise, there are many herbivores aquatic life that can keep your tank clean from algae or keep its levels in check. Like there are different snails which are algae eaters.

If you can’t keep them in your fish tank then remove algae manually by spending some time. Scrub alga from your tank weekly and don’t feed your fish too much that the extra food particles remain there.

Because overfeeding can result in the food leftovers that decompose and promote algae growth.

Maintain pH levels

When the pH is too high or too low, then plant nutrients absorption capacity gets disturbed. In this case, the plants get yellow or brown in color.

Sometimes there is yellowish color in plant leave’s veins which indicates iron deficiency. The pH disturbances are also bad for your fish as it can lead them to shock. So, you should know how to control the pH levels of water.

You can check levels by using pH test strips.

Final words

Now, you know all the requirements keep the plants alive, healthy, and well-nourished. If you also want to set beautiful plants in your fish tank, then keep this guide in your mind.

Decorate your tank with beautiful plants and make your fish healthy and happy.