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Aquatic Plants for Your Aquarium
The Equipment for Your Aquarium
The first decision you need to make when setting up your aquarium is the kind of fish you want to raise. Many things are dependant on this decision:
* How many hiding places will we need?
* Can we plant a jungle, or just a few garden spots?
* Will we be breeding fish?
* Do we want to set up a decorative display just for viewing them?
* Are we going to study their behavior?
* Do we want to photograph them?
* What types of decorations do we want (divers, sunken treasure chests, rocks)?
Since the fish don't care one way or the other, these are decisions we will make for them. Kinda fun, isn't it?
It isn't a good idea to put clam shells or other items from the ocean in a fresh water tank, even though many do just that. It tends to harden the water, which isn't conducive for the health of tropical fish. (Most tropical fish come from soft water areas.)
There are many considerations that are important to fish:
* Do they need to be able to hide in caves?
* Do they need to find shelter from above with roots or plants?
* Some fish need a jungle to hide in, and it is important that they be able to hide from the other inhabitants of the aquarium.
* Some fish need lots of room to swim.
You can get further information on the needs of different fish by reading up on them -- either check online or get a good book on setting up aquariums.
These books can also help you decide how many and what type of fish to choose for the size aquarium you have.
If you ever have the opportunity to view fish and plants in their natural habitat, you will see that water isn't always crystal clear, plants don't always grow from the bottom, and most habitats are completely plant-free!
See Also:
Feeding Your Fish
Floating plants are actually another type of plants that can be either stemmed or basal rosette; however, they do not have to be attached to the ground.
Many aquarium plants started out as swamp plants, which grew in and bloomed in the air. However, they adapted to the floods that are common in the tropics so they can be cultivated underwater. These frequently grow outside of the tank and must be trimmed on a regular basis to keep them inside the aquarium.
There are around 200 plants that are useful for aquarium use; a good aquarium plant book will provide you with any information you wish to know about them. Some of the more common and most frequently used plants are:
* Mosses -- a primitive plant identified by bank-like, forked articulate (jointed) plant bodies. While some mosses are used as floating decoration, they are an excellent substrate for spawning; they can also be attached to roots, rocks or the back wall of your tank. They will soon overgrown the attachment points and appear to be growing naturally.
* Ferns -- normally have coarse leaves and are ideal for an aquarium because they are harder for fish to eat. As a matter of fact, fish seldom eat ferns. They are also very easy to grow in darker areas as they are not too particular about the amount of light they require.
Ferns multiply with little effort and should be considered for their decorative qualities. As ferns age, they have a tendency to get black spots; these leaves should be removed.
Planting your aquarium is strictly controlled by your tastes and desires. A good book on aquarium plants can be obtained from your pet store; however, many books on aquariums also contain a section on plants. |
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More articles:
Feeding Your Fish
How To Tell When Your Aquarium Has Cycled
How To Tell When Your Aquarium Has Cycled
PetsMart.com - Pet Articles - Setting Up an Aquarium
Aquariums
However, if you wish to breed or keep especially sensitive fish, it is a good idea to become familiar with some of the basic facts of water:
* Electrical conductivity is determined by the amount of substances (gases, salts, minerals, and acids) dissolved in the water.
Water that is manufactured with softening filters has nearly zero conductivity; while almost chemically pure, this water would not sustain fish or plants for long. Mixed with most tap waters, it can become suitable for the majority of tropical fish.
* Most tropical fish come from tropical regions with little or no minerals in the water; this causes them to be adaptable in limited ranges to other waters.
* In order to raise or breed these fish, the water must be made suitable; this is most usually accomplished with chemicals.
*Water temperature also has an effect on water conductivity to a certain extent.
Electrical conductivity meters are available, but are very expensive, and are not really appropriate for the normal living room aquarium.
An aquarist who wishes to breed problem fish will not be able to succeed without his meter.
Related Topics: Preparing Your Aquarium's Water ,
The Community Aquarium , The Pleasure of the New Orleans Aquarium
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