Aquarium plants: types, care and maintenance of grass

Greening an aquarium is one of the key activities carried out in the process of arranging and decorating it. The reservoir, decorated with living aquatic plants, acquires an integral and complete appearance, and an optimal biological environment is formed in its space in a short time. What types of algae are commonly used by aquarists? How to choose, plant, maintain and breed representatives of the aquarium flora correctly? What diseases do aquarium plants suffer from?

The world of aquarium flora is surprisingly diverse. Among its representatives there are shade-tolerant and light-loving, unpretentious and capricious, tall, medium-sized and dwarf plants. Before you start filling the aquarium with the specimens you like, you should familiarize yourself with the description and characteristics of each of them. Such foresight will allow in the future to avoid unpleasant situations associated with the incompatibility of algae, with the difference in their requirements for conditions of detention or for care. Below are the most popular varieties of representatives of the aquarium flora.

Duckweed - a group that unites several popular varieties of unpretentious aquarium plants. This group includes small, multi-rooted, three-lobed and humpback duckweed. Plants have round or elliptical leaves, reaching a length of 3.5 to 10 millimeters. The size and shape of the leaves depends on the type of duckweed. A feature of the aquarium duckweed is its tendency to grow rapidly.Under favorable conditions, it can fill the entire aquarium in a matter of weeks.

Elodea - a very common type of aquarium plants with long, branching and fragile stems. A characteristic feature of this representative of the aquarium flora is the ability to grow phenomenally fast. Another feature of Elodea is its ability to absorb impurities and impurities present in the water. Thanks to this valuable quality, the water in the elodea aquarium stays clean and transparent longer.

Javanese moss - a kind of unpretentious water moss of the hypnum family. It is notable for its lush and voluminous sponge-like structure. In the aquarium hobby, this type of moss is commonly used to decorate tanks. In addition, it is often used as a soft substrate in spawning grounds, since it is able to reliably hide eggs from fish.

Vallisneria - a group that unites many varieties of aquatic plants-perennials of the family of water-races. The popularity of these plants in the aquarium hobby is due to their grace, beauty and unpretentiousness. Numerous emerald Vallisneria rosettes, extending long narrow leaves to the water surface, look very impressive in the aquarium space. With light circulation of water, the leaves flutter smoothly in its thickness, creating an interesting optical effect.

Cryptocorynes - an extensive group of herbaceous amphibious plants of the aroid family. In the aquarium hobby, the most popular are purple and yellow Cryptocorynes. Both varieties are notable for their spectacular habit, unpretentiousness to lighting conditions. Plants have long and upwardly elongated rounded leaves, collected in rosettes. The indisputable advantage of Cryptocoryne is that they can easily tolerate a lack of lighting. At the same time, the maintenance of these beautiful plants suggests the creation of quite specific conditions for them, which only an experienced aquarist can provide.

Riccia floating Is another popular aquatic plant that is surprisingly unpretentious. This representative of the aquarium flora has neither leaves nor stems. They are replaced by thallus - a cluster of twisting twigs intertwined with each other, branched at the ends. With good lighting and a comfortable temperature, Riccia grows rather quickly, forming beautiful voluminous "islands".

Marsilia - a group of aquatic ferns, including about 30 plant species. In aquarism, some types of marsilia have become widespread - in particular, crenate and four-leafed. These plants are notable for their small size, attractive appearance, and a tendency to vigorous growth. Visually, plants of this genus resemble a four-leaf clover. Due to their amazing unpretentiousness, Marsilia is recommended for novice aquarists as the first aquatic ground cover.

Echinodorus - a group of marsh annuals and perennials, including some species that can grow under water. Plants have short stems, elliptical, heart-shaped or rounded leaves, united in a dense rosette. The color of the leaves depends on the variety, hybrid or plant shape. Despite the fact that Echinodorus are considered very hardy representatives of the aquarium flora, many of them are quite demanding in terms of keeping conditions.

Hornwort - a perennial herbaceous aquatic plant, which has become widespread.This representative of the aquarium flora has long, thin stems, pubescent with many dissected leaves. This lush ornamental grass is not only a decoration for the aquarium, but also serves as a refuge for fry and small fish. Also hornworts are used in the arrangement of spawning grounds, in which they play the role of a support and shelter for eggs.

Before purchasing certain types of aquarium plants, it is necessary to calculate their number based on the volume of the tank and the size of each representative of the world of underwater flora. It is worth noting that the dimensions (height and crown diameter) of only adult plants should be taken into account. It is also necessary to take into account the number and size of aquatic inhabitants that are planned to be kept in the aquarium. Excessive vegetation can negatively affect the well-being of the inhabitants of the aquarium, limiting their freedom of movement in space. To a greater extent, mobile and energetic fish suffer from this - for example, zebrafish, swordtails, barbs.

Besides, Excessive vegetation often leads to a decrease in oxygen in the aquarium water, which also leads to a deterioration in the well-being of the inhabitants of the tank... This is due to the fact that in the dark in plants a process occurs opposite to photosynthesis.

When choosing aquarium plants, you also need to consider the conditions of their maintenance. It is important that they coincide with the conditions that are required by fish and other inhabitants of a home reservoir. This applies to the temperature, hardness, acidity of water, the level of salt, carbon dioxide and other parameters in it. Another important aspect that needs to be taken into account is the food preferences of the inhabitants of the home pond. It is known that many representatives of the aquarium fauna love to feast on underwater vegetation. So, goldfish are able to almost completely destroy the green aquarium decor from hornwort and duckweed in a short time.

Experienced aquarists recommend filling the pond with about 50% vegetation. However, here you should also take into account the number of decorative items, and the thickness of the soil, and the size of the stones that will be used in the design of the tank. When choosing plants for a home aquarium, it is worthwhile to draw a plan for their subsequent placement on paper in advance. It is drawn up taking into account the following parameters:

• dimensions of the aquarium;
• plant habit, their color;
• combination of plants with each other in color and shape;
• plant height, crown diameter;
• growth rate and direction;
• translucency of green mass (foliage, stems).

Tall plants are placed along the back and side walls of the aquarium, ground cover and dwarf plants - at the front wall. The center of the tank is usually left free so that nothing can interfere with the view of the interior. Recommended list of unassuming plants for selection:

• plants for the frontal part - miniature echinodorus, duckweed and water lilies, Javanese moss, New Zealand grass;
• plants for the central part (free-standing and bush) - Indonesian thistle, Sumatran fern, red lotus, green and striped calamus, small strelitzia;
• plants for the background - vallisneria, pinnate, giant echinodorus, elodea.

When choosing and buying aquarium plants, special attention should be paid to their appearance and general condition. These characteristics make it possible to judge the health of the representatives of the aquarium flora. Visually, the plant should correspond to its biological description. Leaves, roots and stems should be of the size, color, texture and turgor typical of the species.

On examination, there should be no signs of rotting and decomposition, sticky mucous plaque, black or brown spots and dots. Bright white or brownish black roots, holes and frayed edges on the leaves, yellowing of the edges of leaves, tops of stems and growth points can also indicate the defeat of plants by a fungal or viral disease.

Some representatives of the aquarium flora can be germinated from seeds, others can be planted in the ground with full-fledged plants, and still others can be simply sent to "free swimming" in the tank.

Before planting, seeds of aquatic plants must be treated with a stimulant by keeping them in a solution of "Kornevin" or "Heteroauxin" for several hours. After that, the planting material is germinated in a jar with clean, settled water, placed in a warm place. The temperature of the water in the jar must be stably maintained at 24 ° C and no more.

After the seeds germinate, they are grown in a jar with water and fine-grained soil. - clean sand, fine stone, vermiculite. The distance between seedlings should be sufficient so that young plants can fully develop. It is allowed to germinate seeds in a jar with moist soil.

Before planting, the aquarium must be filled with soil and nutrient mixture (substrate). The need to lay the substrate is due to the fact that the vegetation in the aquarium will require micro- and macroelements for full development and growth. The shortest way to obtain them is through the root system of plants. The substrate is placed on the bottom of the tank, after which a layer of soil is poured. The thickness of the substrate and substrate is calculated according to the size of the aquarium and the length of the roots of the selected plants. Typically, aquarists cover the nutrient mixture and substrate with a layer of at least 5-7 centimeters.

Before planting in the ground, each plant is carefully examined, weak and damaged stems and leaves are removed. The root system is slightly shortened by pruning it with a clean, disinfected knife or scalpel for a couple of centimeters. Next, the plant is briefly sent to a container with a saline solution. This procedure will destroy harmful bacteria and parasites that may be present on the leaves, stems and roots.

After processing the plants in a saline solution, proceed to planting. To do this, a hole is made in the soil, the depth of which will allow the roots to be fixed in an upright position. It is not allowed to plant plants in tight and shallow pits, in which their root system will be tightly compressed, flattened or bent upward.

After planting, the seedling is carefully fixed by squeezing the substrate around its stem from all sides. This is followed by the turn of filling the tank with water. Aquarists recommend doing this procedure gradually over several days. During this time, the root system will be able to solidify in the substrate.

So that the plants do not float up, it is recommended to fasten small weights on their stems or the bases of the sockets before planting even before planting. - small fishing weights, stainless steel nuts. When decorating snags and large stones with Javanese moss, the plants should be carefully tied to the support with a thin line in several rows. Over time, the moss will grow and hide the fishing line under it.

Instead of fishing line, you can use a piece of nylon, which is wrapped around an object (snag, stone) with a lump of Javanese moss fixed on it. After a while, the moss will break through the microscopic holes in the nylon and completely cover its surface.

Special attention should be paid to representatives of the aquarium flora that do not require planting. These include the following plants:

• duckweed;
• nayas;
• naiad;
• salvinia;
• limnobium.

These specimens are not planted in the ground, but simply released into a filled aquarium. By floating on the surface, they extract the necessary nutrients from the water and participate in the process of photosynthesis along with other vegetation.

In order for aquarium vegetation to fully develop and grow (and some of its species even bloom), it is necessary to provide it with optimal conditions for keeping. They believe the fulfillment of such requirements:

• adequate lighting;
• optimal water parameters (hardness, acidity, temperature);
• optimal level of carbon dioxide in water;
• optimal content of micro- and macroelements in water (provided by periodic feeding);
• regular care.

Most of the aquarium flora are light-loving plants. The duration of daylight hours for them should be at least 10-12 hours. Experienced aquarists recommend focusing on the following luminous flux in organizing aquarium lighting:

• 50-55 lumens (lumens) per liter - for unpretentious plants;
• 70-80 lm per liter - for plants with an average level of light requirements;
• 110-130 lumens per liter - for plants with high light requirements.

When organizing lighting, it is important to consider the height of the plants and the water level in the aquarium. Naturally, ground covers and dwarf plants that cover the bottom will receive less light than their taller and larger counterparts.

Optimal for most aquatic plants are the following indicators of acidity and hardness of water:

• pH - 6.5-7.3;
• dH - 6-12 ° (but not higher than 15 °).

Some rare and exotic species of aquarium vegetation require different water parameters. For some species (for example, for representatives of marine aquatic life), salt levels are also important. The optimal level of water temperature for many types of aquatic vegetation is considered to be the interval 24-25 ° C. When the temperature drops below 22 ° C, some representatives of the aquarium flora significantly slow down their growth, while others pale and change color.

It is important to keep in mind that cool water is most comfortable for some types of aquarium fish. Such representatives, in particular, include goldfish.

For a full-fledged process of photosynthesis, aquarium plants need the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the water. Usually, a deficiency of this component is noted with increased water hardness or in the absence (a small amount) of fish in the aquarium. To make up for the lack of carbon dioxide in this case, it is possible to use special equipment - an automatic CO2 supply system.

Nitrogen, potassium and phosphates (NPK) play a colossal role in the full development of the aquarium flora. With a deficiency of these components, the health and appearance of plants begin to deteriorate - their growth slows down, foliage becomes smaller, deformed and loses color saturation. To avoid imbalance or lack of these components in the water, experienced aquarists recommend using ready-made complex feeding - for example, "PlantaPro Macro" from the well-known brand "Tetra". Before using this product, you should use special test strips to analyze the water for the content of these chemical elements.

When preparing macroprocessing with your own hands, take into account that the ratio between nitrogen-containing (N) and phosphate-containing (P) components should be on average 15: 1 (N and P, respectively). The volume of potassium supplements should vary between 10-20 mg per liter of water. Ordinary clay - green, blue, white - can serve as a universal feeding for green inhabitants of the aquarium.

Taking care of most of the aquarium flora is very easy and not burdensome. In general, the main care of plants is reduced to their regular thinning, removal of old and damaged fragments (leaves, stems) and cleaning from contaminants (microalgae, fish waste products, food residues).

Most often, aquarists propagate aquatic vegetation. with help:

• cuttings;
• shoots;
• division of the colony (for mosses).

When propagating by cuttings, a suitable fragment about 16-17 centimeters long is separated from adult healthy plants, on which at least 3 nodes are present. Then the foliage is removed from the lower 2 nodes and the cutting is dropped into the aquarium soil. The cutting should be dug in so that the substrate completely covers the lower nodes, freed from the leaves - in the future, they will form the root system. Plants with long stems, for example, Elodea, are propagated in this way.

Many aquarium plantings can be propagated with side or creeping shoots (layers). When these daughter parts of the plant are strong and fully formed, they are separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place. In this way, Vallisneria, Cryptocoryne, and some ferns are propagated. Mosses (in particular, Javanese) are usually propagated by dividing a large fragment into smaller ones. They are fixed with a thin strong thread or fishing line on stones, branches and other items of aquarium decor. Over time, young colonies of mosses will grow and completely hide the supporting surfaces.

Most often, aquarium plants begin to hurt or die due to violation of conditions of maintenance or non-compliance with the rules of care. So, if plants suddenly stop growing, and limescale begins to form on their leaves, this indicates a sharp and significant reduction in the amount of CO2 in the water. The issue is addressed by increasing the number of fish and installing an auto-feed system for carbon dioxide. If the leaves of aquatic plants turn yellow, turn white, grow poorly or die off, it is necessary to urgently feed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Additionally, the water temperature should be lowered by 2-3 ° C. This will make up for the nitrogen deficiency in the water, which is usually the source of the problem.

Unpretentious plants such as Cryptocorynes often suffer from a disease, the etiology of which has not yet been precisely determined. With this disease, the leaves of the plant turn into a slimy substance, rot, dissolve in water or disintegrate. Most often, this problem occurs when the plant gets into unusual conditions. It is usually not possible to preserve the remains of green mass (even when the plant is transferred to another reservoir). However, the roots of this disease do not suffer and in the future, after adaptation to new conditions, form new healthy shoots.

One of the most difficult and unpleasant diseases that is difficult to treat is a black beard. Its characteristic feature is a dense black bloom that covers not only the plants, but also the decor and the walls of the tank. Dealing with this problem requires an integrated approach and quite a long time (usually it takes about a month to eliminate a black beard).The first thing to do in this case is to urgently remove plaque accumulations from the aquarium. Additionally, you should thoroughly clean the soil, make a partial replacement of water (by about a third).

The fish can be temporarily deposited in another tank, since the remnants of their food after each feeding will serve as food for the parasitic algae. Partial water changes should be done at least twice a week.

In the next video, you will find all the secrets of growing aquarium plants.