Learn Some Great Reasons to Keep Aquarium Plants

There are many reasons for keeping an aquarium – fish are relaxing, entertaining to watch and the soft glow of lights and the sound of water bubbling adds a calming ambiance to a room, which is why so many dentists keep aquariums in waiting rooms.

You could be forgiven for thinking that a tank full of fish is a low maintenance way to enjoy keeping a pet.

It’s not the case. Maintaining a healthy aquarium, and therefore healthy fish is a balancing act but adding a selection of aquatic plants can help keep your fish healthy and happy.

Great Filtration

It is important to include plants in your aquarium because they have a natural ability to filter the water and add oxygen. They absorb the waste created by the fish, decaying plant matter, excess food and even some heavy metals present in water.

They may create an additional surface area that provides beneficial bacteria with a good environment to grow and that would further support biological filtration.

They can easily outsmart mechanical filters which become clogged and ineffective if you don’t maintain them. Aquatic plants keep working to improve the overall quality of water.

Better Aeration

You may have been using air pumps and even air stones to help make the aquarium look good and improve oxygen levels in the water, but you can easily get better results by switching to plants. As they photosynthesize during daylight they use waste carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the water at night.

Algae Repellent

It is not easy to prevent algae growth in aquariums but you can handle the issue in a much better way using plants. Algae grow as the result of excess light and nutrients circulating in the water, and you can easily combat the problem using plants that make use of those excess nutrients. Increasing the number of plants in your aquarium will slow the rate of algae growth.

Great for Territorial Fish

So many fish species are extremely territorial, which means they find it hard to thrive if you don’t have plants to recreate their natural habitat. Some fish will only lay eggs if there are plants and leaves in the tank.

This what they do in the wild. By introducing the right plants into your tank, your fish will breed and you can quickly increase the number of fish per gallon.

Great Beauty

You can find a variety of plants to enhance the overall aesthetics of your aquarium including those that will grow to hide the filters and pump. The Amazon sword plant, for instance, is a great option. I

t requires little maintenance and grows quite rapidly regardless of the water conditions, which is exactly the reason why it is popular with beginners. 

If you’re thinking of buying one of these, be sure to check https://www.tropicalfishcareguides.com/aquarium-plants/amazon-sword/ to learn more about care and maintenance.

Plants in an aquarium do far more than look good and you have to consider them as integral to your aquarium as the fish themselves. They create the habitat fish need to be healthy and breed as well as add nutrients and oxygen to the water to maintain the aquarium. Without them you quickly end up with a sick tank.

The water becomes stagnant and smells putrid. The algae runs rampant and take over. None of which is good for the health of the fish who instead of providing endless pleasure end up struggling for their very lives in front of your eyes. 

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