Choosing plants for the aquarium: 28 popular species

Benefits of living plants

The main role of all aquarium plants is natural filtration. During the daytime, they absorb carbon dioxide and waste products of the inhabitants - organic and inorganic. In response, greenery enriches the environment with oxygen. By the way, it is vegetation that can quickly signal to a person that something is wrong with the microflora: a change in color, the appearance of plaque or the death of parts indicate an imbalance in the chemical balance.

Vegetation plays the role of shelter for fish that do not feel very comfortable in open space. Fry also like to hide in thickets. Also, the stems and leaves become an excellent spawning site, and for some, a fortified addition to the main diet.

Aquarium plants prevent the growth of algae - lower unicellular and multicellular organisms that harm the balance, fauna and other flora.

Do not forget that living plants also perform an aesthetic function. They look harmonious in design and give the aquarium the appearance of a real pond. The green color scheme can highlight the exotic colors of fish and other underwater pets.

This is interesting! Professional aquarists can unlock the potential of living vegetation to such an extent that they do not need mechanical filtration and aeration of the water.

Literature[edit | edit code]

• Belavskaya A.P.
  Aquatic plants of Russia and neighboring states. - St. Petersburg, 1994.
• Aquatic plants // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907. (Accessed April 19, 2019)
• Aquatic plants / G. I. Poplavskaya // Veshin - Gazli. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1971. - (Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / chief editor A. M. Prokhorov; 1969-1978, vol. 5).
• Beketov A. N.
  Monocots // Course of botany. - St. Petersburg, 1889.
• Life of fresh waters of the USSR / Ed. V. I. Zhadina. - M.-L., 1949. - T. 2.
• Schmithusen I.
  General geography of vegetation / Transl. with him.. - M., 1966.
• Rychin Yu. V.
  Flora of hygrophytes. Key to the vegetative characteristics of vascular plants of water bodies and wet habitats of the central part of the European territory of the USSR / Edited by prof. V.V. Alyokhina. - M.: State. publishing house "Soviet Science", 1948. - 448 p.

• Water Plants of the World / Cook, CDK (ed). - The Hague: Dr W Junk Publishers, 1974. - ISBN 90-6193-024-3.
• Schenk.
  Biologie der Wassergewächse. — Bonn, 1885.
• Zacharias.
  Die Thier- und Pflanzenwelt des Süsswassers. — Leipzig, 1891.
• Kerner.
  Pflanzenleben. - Leipzig, 1887-1891. - with 2100 drawings and 40 colored tables
• Engler und Prantl.
  Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien.

How to choose?

The issue of choice is especially difficult for beginners to navigate. If only because at the moment more than 400 species of underwater plants are available for keeping in Russia.

Before making a choice, based, for example, on the appearance or cost of a living decoration, you need to take into account a number of other factors:

• Volume and depth of the aquarium. Some species are adapted to life only in small tanks, others - in large ones. The size of the plant itself does not always indicate preferences.
• Water temperature. In addition to unpretentious greens, there are species that feel good within certain temperature limits.
• Chemical composition. Vegetation reacts differently to acid and alkaline levels, as well as to the freshness of the water.
• Amount of light. Plants must be compatible with each other and other inhabitants in light preferences, namely in the amount of lighting and its duration.
• Species compatibility with fauna. To avoid complete consumption of vegetation by other living organisms or poisoning of fish, it is worth considering the compatibility of all potential inhabitants of the aquarium. For example, some cichlids can even tear out those plants that are firmly attached to the ground by their roots.

In addition to biological descriptions, you need to remember the appearance. This knowledge will help you determine whether the representative in front of you is healthy or not. It is necessary to pay attention to the aquarium and the plants that live and reproduce in it. It is important that the purchased sprouts develop in good conditions before this.

Features of behavior

Barbs are widely known as very active aquarium fish. This is not only their advantage, but also their disadvantage, because sometimes their activity turns out to be excessive. They are very playful and fast, so they literally do not tolerate slow individuals in the aquarium. But there are small individuals that are quite peaceful, so they can easily get along with many aquarium inhabitants.

Barbs are schooling fish, so you should not buy them in quantities of 1 or 2 individuals. As a rule, 6-10 individuals are enough for their normal life in an aquarium. If you introduce one barb into an aquarium, it will experience a lot of stress due to loneliness, which can lead to aggression towards other aquarium fish.

Barbs are constantly on the move, looking for something and catching up with each other. For this reason, they are suitable for those who prefer active fish. They will decorate both general and species aquariums.

Popular types

The list of aquarium plants is wide and varied. In this article we will focus on 28 species that have become popular due to their external qualities, easy care, reasonable cost and availability. Ideal options for beginners.

Ambulia (Limnophila aquatica)

Ambulia, or limnophila, is a long-stemmed, fast-growing exotic plant with thin, delicate leaves. Most often it decorates the background of large aquariums, where over time it forms dense thickets.

The species prefers bright lighting. If you choose a fluorescent lamp, then its power is calculated based on 0.5 W per liter. An incandescent lamp should be three times more powerful. In general, these indicators are suitable for most plants.

Comfortable water temperature is 24-28°C. Good for weekly changes. Rigidity and active reaction are not so important, but the main thing is that the indicators are stable.

The root system of ambulia is quite delicate, so river sand or small pebbles are chosen as the soil.

This is interesting! Some plants are aquarium flowers: they can bloom directly under water. For example, some types of cabomba, hydrocotyla, and dwarf anubias will delight you with small delicate inflorescences.

Anubias

Representative of tropical forests with high humidity. It can develop when completely submerged in water and even bloom. Thanks to its hard, leathery leaves, it is ideal for keeping with cichlids and herbivorous inhabitants. The most common and unpretentious varieties are the low-growing nana anubias.

The plant loves warm (26-28°C) and fresh water, moderate lighting. But the main thing is the nutritional value of the soil. It must contain a sufficient amount of organic substances. To propagate Anubias, you need to separate a small part of the rhizome with several leaves.

Vallisneria

All representatives of Vallisneria are truly aquatic bush-like perennials with ribbon-like leaves. Some people call this aquarium plant "wallpaper" as it creates a beautiful, dense growth in the background of the tank.

There is no need to create special conditions for the life of Vallisneria, but maximum splendor and beauty can be achieved using certain parameters. Thus, the ideal temperature for growth would be 24-28°C, a neutral or slightly acidic environment, and a hardness of no more than 15. The species reproduces through daughter shoots from the rhizome, as well as in a more complex way - by seed.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

The species is also called Eichornia or “water plague” due to its increased fertility. This is a rosette of bright leaves with a glossy shine and an unusual shape. Thanks to the air chamber, the plant stays on the surface. It requires enough free space above the water (at least 20 cm), but it pleases the owners with beautiful fragrant inflorescences.

The required water temperature is 26-32 °C, hardness is up to 6, acidity is from 6.0 to 6.8 pH. Eichornia loves bright light, and its ideal daylight hours last from 12 to 14 hours. Propagated by daughter lateral shoots, which separate after the appearance of four leaves.

Hygrophila

A long-stemmed plant with paired elongated leaves. It has many varieties, including selection ones. They differ in color, leaf shape and size.

Most hygrophiles are unpretentious. The optimal water temperature is from 23 to 26°C, the lighting is bright and long-lasting. The plant loves nutritious soil, so it is worth fertilizing it with useful microelements. Propagated by cuttings - segments of 5-6 whorls of leaves.

Hydrocotyle

The most unpretentious hydrocotyla is the white-headed one, which is also known by its second name - white-headed shieldwort. The leaves of this plant are round and held on long stems. The plant can be rooted and floating, and live in small and large aquariums.

Hydrocotyla feels best in a tropical aquarium with both an acidic and alkaline environment, and with a temperature of 22-28°C. The only thing the plant really needs is good lighting. Greens are easily propagated by cuttings.

Indian fern (Ceratopteris thalictroides)

It has finely dissected light leaves and grows up to half a meter in height. Will fit harmoniously into a tropical aquarium. Required parameters: temperature 22-26°C, soft, slightly acidic aqueous environment. Frequent replacement and fertilization are not important for ferns. But the lighting should be powerful and long-lasting (at least 12 hours). Delicate roots require shallow and silted soil up to 5 cm thick. It forms daughter plants on the leaves, which over time break off and rise to the surface.

This is interesting! Ferns are one of the most ancient representatives of flora on the planet.

Cabomba

Cabomba is very decorative: it has the shape of a bush with thick stems and leaves growing in the form of a fan along its entire length. Sometimes yellow flowers on a long stalk appear on the plant under water.

All varieties are kept in approximately the same conditions. To grow cabomba, you need fine or medium soil, good lighting, soft and warm (23-27°C) water. The plant needs high-quality filtration and does not tolerate sediment on the leaves.

Cabomba is great for starting an aquarium as it quickly regulates the level of nitrogen compounds.

Cladophora (Aegagropila linnaei)

Cladophora is a pleasant exception to the rule, because it is an algae, or rather, a fluffy and harmless spherical colony.

This representative of the flora is a wonderful biofilter: one ball pumps large volumes of water through itself. Sometimes the algae needs to be washed to remove accumulated dirt.

Cladophora takes root in a tank of any size, the substrate does not matter. However, the temperature must be kept within 20-22°C, otherwise the colony will disintegrate into small parts. Lighting is moderate, and it is even better to place the ball in the shaded part of the aquarium.

The algae reproduces vegetatively: a spherical colony will grow from a piece in 1-1.5 years.

Attention! This fluffy ball will be easily destroyed by aquatic inhabitants such as plecostomus, goldfish and crayfish.

Crinum

A bulbous perennial herbaceous plant with very long, rolled leaves. Their size is truly impressive. Thus, curly crinum grows up to 2 meters, floating - up to 1 meter. Fortunately, there are also more “compact” varieties, for example, purple (up to 30 cm).

The plant is planted in large aquariums near the side or back walls in a substrate rich in organic matter. The water temperature should be at least 23℃, soft or medium hard, slightly alkaline. Greens respond well to weekly water changes. Lighting – moderate or strong, depending on the preferences of the other inhabitants. It propagates vegetatively, forming daughter bulbs.

Cryptocoryne

Perhaps Cryptocoryne is one of the richest in terms of species diversity: several dozen varieties are found in catalogs of aquarium plants. All of them look like bushes, consist of 5-15 leaves of lanceolate or ovoid shape. Color also varies and includes various shades of green, brown and red. Cryptocoryne also has an inflorescence in the form of a tube with a cob at the end.

The plant requires nutritious silt soil, bright lighting, an aquatic environment with a temperature of 24-28 ° C, medium acidity and hardness. Water changes are performed weekly.

Limnobium

A plant with short stems and fleshy leaves from 2 to 5 cm, and it lives exclusively on the surface. Most often, it is started to create natural twilight - such an atmosphere is comfortable for many fish.

Limnobium itself prefers moderate to bright lighting and medium-hard water. The temperature depends on the type: for example, smooth easily tolerates gradation up to 35°C, while spongy - around 15°C. New plants bud from the mother rosette.

Ludwigia

The stem of Ludwigia grows up to half a meter. It is decorated with small leaves arranged alternately or oppositely. Yellow inflorescences form on the surface. The plant itself can be rooted in the ground or free-floating.

He loves bright light, as well as clean water - it must be renewed weekly and passed through a good filter. Temperature range – 22-26°C, medium hardness, comfortable acidity. Depending on the environment, the plant can be green, brown or deep red. For propagation, petioles are separated from the stem.

Marsilia (Marsilea quadrifolia)

An ideal plant for foreground decoration. It is fixed in the ground with the help of a branched rhizome and forms a thick carpet of round, hard leaves.

In order for marsilia to take root and develop harmoniously, it is necessary to plant the sprouts in river sand with a depth of at least 3 cm. The ambient temperature is 18-24 ° C, the acidity and hardness indicators are average or slightly lower, the lighting is also moderate. Regular maintenance will help maintain its decorative appearance: removing dead parts and trimming the “carpet.”

Key moss (Fontinalis antipyretica)

Fontinalis grows on almost all continents and is found in Russian reservoirs. Despite its availability, this moss is the most capricious of the listed plants. But its delicate, dense thickets, stretching up to 25 cm in height, look very attractive in an aquarium.

Key moss does well in cold tanks (14-20°C) with a soft and neutral environment. Lighting should be moderate, otherwise if there is too much light, algae will appear on the moss and the plant will die. Fontinalis does not like soil very much, so it is better to fix it on porous stones and driftwood.

Flame moss (Taxiphyllum)

The moss got its unusual name for its shape: the plant stretches upward and forms thick wavy threads. Moreover, the species is so unpretentious that it will withstand almost any conditions. However, to maintain decorativeness and health, regular water changes, high-quality filtration and strong lighting are recommended.

Phoenix moss (Fissidens fontanus)

Another favorite of aquarists is moss, whose branches resemble the plumage of a mythical bird or a fountain (sometimes the species is found under this name). On its small shoots, pointed leaves grow, measuring only 2-3 mm, which create such a magical effect. The color, depending on the conditions, ranges from light to dark green tones.

Suitable for aquariums of any size with any soil. However, moss grows slowly, so it must be tied down. Like other members of the genus, this plant loves a lot of light, clean water with a temperature of 15 to 30 ° C.

This is interesting! Phoenix moss takes on a spherical shape over time. Such “bumps” diversify the aquarium landscape.

Thai fern (Microsorum pteropus)

A native of eastern tropical latitudes, it attracts attention with both its appearance and endurance. The classic fern has a long rhizome, wide lanceolate leaves from 15 to 30 cm of olive or dark green color. Others, including selected varieties, differ in size, color and shape.

It is best to root the plant not in the ground, but by tying it to a snag or stone. Low lighting levels do not affect the health of the fern, but ideally it should be above moderate. Water parameters also do not play a special role, but it is better to maintain a regime of 23-26°C.

The plant reproduces by dividing the rhizome or by buds that form on old leaves. Later the sprouts separate and float.

Floating Riccia (Riccia fluitans)

This type of moss lives on the surface, forming bright, curly islands. It has neither roots nor leaves - only densely branching stems (thallus), which become an excellent shelter for fry. Moss is often attached to driftwood, stones, and sculptures.

The only thing Riccia needs is bright lighting, otherwise the plant will decay and rot. Moss develops most actively at a temperature of 22-26°C. The main thing is to thin out the thickets in time so that oxygen and light enter the aquarium.

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum)

This underwater plant has rigid, branched stems (up to a meter long) with needle-like leaves, but without roots. In the ground, hornwort can gain a foothold with the help of thread-like formations - rhizoids, but most often it is allowed to float freely or entwined around snags.

Ceratophyllum is suitable for cold and tropical aquariums. Prefers an alkaline environment (from 6 to 15) and medium acidity. It is important to remove excess hornwort thickets so as not to create strong darkness.

Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei)

The shape of this moss is reminiscent of the fluffy branches of spruce that decorate the house on the main winter holiday. It has no roots, but rhizoids grow when necessary. Most often, aquarists tie moss to driftwood or boulders.

This is interesting! Having picked up a branchy snag that resembles a tree, you can revive it with the help of a “crown” of Christmas moss.

The species is easy to care for and does not require bright lighting or additional CO2. But by creating certain conditions, you can achieve maximum brightness and lushness of the plant: temperature – 18-26°C, pH – 6.0-7.5, hardness from 5 to 20.

Like all mosses, Christmas moss does not like plaque on the stems, so the aquarium must be equipped with a good filter. If you keep cherry shrimp, they will help clean dirt from the twigs.

Duckweed (Lemna)

Opinions about the benefits of duckweed among aquarium owners often differ. In fact, this tiny floating plant helps regulate the level of nitrates in the water, enriches the environment with oxygen and is a good addition to the diet of fish. A pleasant bonus is absolute unpretentiousness.

Popular varieties:

• Small (L. minor): leaves are elliptical in shape, forum, yellow-green in color and up to 4.5 mm in size.
• Multi-rooted (L. polyrrhiza): the roots of each leaf are formed in a bunch. The leaf itself is large (up to 6 mm), the reverse side has a purple tint.
• Trilobed (L. trisulca): floats in the water column, leaves grow up to 1 cm.
• Humpback (L. gibba): has glossy and convex leaves ranging in size from 5 to 7 mm.

Sagittaria

Also known as arrowhead. The plant is a bush of long elongated leaves of bright green color. Their size depends on the variety and ranges from 8 to 15 cm.

Sagittaria has thin roots, so the soil should be soft and silty. Otherwise, this plant is unpretentious: like most, it prefers fresh water and a lot of light. Can adapt to any hardness and withstand sudden temperature changes.

Needle weed (Eleocharis acicularis)

This plant consists of bunches of thin, bright green leaves up to 15 cm long. In nature, it tolerates flooding without problems, but when constantly kept under water it grows slowly. But sitnyag is suitable for low aquariums or planting on the side shelves of classic tanks.

As for the environment, the plant prefers cold aquariums, where in summer the water is kept at 20°C, and in winter - about 12-16°C. At the same time, it should be soft and with a neutral reaction.

Sitnyag needs a lot of light (powerful lamps and 14-hour mode). Some add side lighting. Sand with an admixture of clay in a layer of 2-3 cm is suitable as a soil.

Arrow leaf (Sagitta)

Its appearance is very similar to Vallisneria, but arrowhead has more powerful leaves: short (up to 15 cm), wide, fleshy and pointed at the end. A vein runs down the center of each.

Sagittaria grow only when alone. If there is other underwater vegetation next to them, the bush will be very small. A mixture of sand and silt is suitable as a soil. The temperature is suitable for any warm-water aquarium.

This is interesting! With proper care, arrowhead produces snow-white flowers, extending the peduncle towards the surface. One plant can have up to 20 flowers.

Elodea

This species is distinguished by long flexible stems (up to 3 m in length) with lateral shoots with whorls of translucent green leaves up to 1 cm in size. The leaf is pointed, with denticles on the sides.

Maintaining elodea does not cause any difficulties. It develops rapidly in temperatures ranging from 17 to 24°C and bright lighting, without paying attention to the chemical composition of the water. Having been torn away from the ground, the plant continues to live in the water column.

Still, you need to be careful with elodea: with its active growth, it can crowd out the rest of the aquarium flora.

Echinodorus

Thanks to the wide selection of varieties, Echinodorus will probably fit into any aquarium design. The plant can be small - up to 5 cm or a giant with a height of more than 100 cm. The leaves, which have linear, lanceolate, elliptical, oval or heart-shaped shapes, come in green, purple, red, and golden shades.

Most representatives of the species are easy to keep. These are mainly plants reaching 15-20 cm in height. The ideal parameters for the development of echindorus are as follows: temperature 22-27°C, hardness - up to 10, reaction-neutral environment, saturated lighting. Filtration and regular water changes are required.

Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana)

The plant has good decorative properties and is an ideal natural place for spawning and shelter of fry. All thanks to long stems (about 16 cm) with many small leaves (up to 2 mm). From a distance, moss resembles thick grass, which inspired aquatic designers to create carpets and unique compositions with driftwood, boulders and tubes. The plant is attached to surfaces using rhizoids.

The only requirement of Java moss is purity and absence of suspended matter in the water. Otherwise, he is not particularly whimsical. The plant will be able to show itself in all its glory at a temperature of 22-27°C, bright lighting, normal hardness (2-15) and neutral pH.

Lighting requirements

Keeping an aquarium in the dark negatively affects the condition of the plant - unlike the floater (Selaginella), the fern, like the Ficus Benjamin, experiences wilting, which can result in disease. The correct lighting scheme prevents it from turning yellow and darkening and guarantees growth without delays.

To create it, lamps are installed next to the aquarium:

• luminescent (power calculation 0.5 W per 1 liter of liquid);
• incandescent (the value is 3 times less than in the first case).

It is better to limit the duration of daylight to 12 hours, regardless of the time of year.

Planting and care

The rules for planting and maintaining plants depend on its biological characteristics. However, general principles can be identified.

Priming

It is important to remember that soil is important not only for plants and fish, but also for beneficial bacteria that maintain balance in the aquarium and process waste products. The smaller the substrate fraction, the greater the opportunity for the development of a colony of helpers in caring for the aquarium. From this point of view, it is better to opt for soil with a fraction of 3-5 mm: coarse sand, expanded clay, gravel, ready-made nutrient mixtures. The roots of the plants will have something to cling to, and at the same time they will not rot due to the flow of water.

The second criterion is soil homogeneity. The combination of fine and larger fractions will lead to tank contamination.

The surface of the substrate should not be too smooth (like, for example, glass balls), but the edges of the pebbles should also be rounded so that no one is injured by them.

Important! The selected soil must be neutral, that is, not affect the chemical composition of the water. If the substrate foams or “hisses” when it comes into contact with vinegar or citric acid, it is definitely not suitable for an aquarium with live plants.

The bottom relief should be uneven. Most often, the “hill” is made closer to the back wall, where long-stemmed plants are planted. For the foreground, a layer of about 4 cm is suitable - mosses and small greenery will attach perfectly to it.

Equipment

Most aquarium plants require a lot of light for photosynthesis to occur. Such lighting requires a strict regime of 8-10 hours, otherwise lower algae will appear in the water, which negatively affects the functioning of the ecosystem and the well-being of the inhabitants. If the aquarium is large, then large plants can shade smaller ones: in this case, additional side lighting helps.

Unpretentious greens can withstand a wide temperature range. The main thing is to maintain a stable indicator. If the room temperature is unstable, install a heater with a thermostat in the aquarium. Some tropical plants require soil heating.

Underwater flora plays the role of a natural filter, however, the plants themselves need more or less clean water enriched with oxygen. It is necessary to establish constant filtration in the tank and, if necessary, install an aerator.

The main source of plant nutrition is carbon dioxide. Under artificial conditions, not much of it is formed, so the aquarium is often equipped with cylinder units and CO2 supply generators.

Places for accommodation

The choice of planting location affects not only the aesthetics of the aquarium, but also the functioning of the ecosystem. A few simple rules will help you satisfy all requirements:

• The foreground is decorated with low greenery, the side walls and center are decorated with medium greenery, and large plants are planted closer to the rear glass.
• The best seating order is checkerboard. This will make the flora look more natural.
• Large plants are planted one at a time. This way they don't overload the background or crowd out other species. Small ones can be grown in groups.

To root plants, they use not only soil, but also natural decorations - driftwood and boulders.

Optimal number of plants

Natural filtration of water requires a lot of plants, but you should not allow the aquarium to become overcrowded. Too dense thickets are uncomfortable for fish. In addition, at night, in the absence of light, greenery absorbs oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, thereby taking it away from other inhabitants.

Ideally, no more than 1/3 of the underwater space is allocated to underwater flora.

This is interesting! There are so-called herbal aquariums, where plants occupy up to 75% of the space. Such a garden requires a special approach, so most often it is done by experienced people.

Diseases and their prevention

Force majeure, poor aquarium care and ignoring plant maintenance requirements lead to a number of problems. The condition of the plants will tell you what exactly could lead to loss of attractiveness and death.

Water

Barbs are unpretentious, so they can be kept at different temperatures - from 15 to 28 degrees Celsius. Slightly acidic or neutral water is optimal, but they can adapt to any conditions.

Here are some basic conditions:

• Acidity level – 6.5 – 7.5.
• Water hardness is from 4 to 10 dGH.
• It is necessary to change the water in the aquarium once a week - about 30% of the total volume. This is an important procedure that allows you to get rid of fish waste products.

Compatibility

As mentioned above, when selecting vegetation, you need to take into account their preferences for acidity, hardness, temperature and light level. This is especially true for difficult to maintain and rare aquarium plants. If we consider the types listed in the article, then there are no strict restrictions on their combination.

A completely different question is the proximity to fish. If for some reason they do not have enough plant elements in the food, they may encroach on delicate underwater greens. This can be solved by revising the diet and normalizing the aquatic environment.

However, there are also types of fish that will want to try the local flora anyway. This applies to many cichlids, cyprinids, labyrinths, characins, and catfish. To avoid major damage, it is worth giving your pets food with a high content of plant components, and placing fast-growing greens or hard-leaved aquarium plants (for example, anubias, cryptocoryne, calamus) in the tank itself. At the same time, mosses and ferns are not particularly attractive as food for ichthyofauna.

Another important point concerns fish that like to dig in the ground (cichlomas, cancers, goldfish, catfish, gobies, etc.). They can damage the root system and tear plants out of the ground. The way out of the situation is to plant shrubby greens in small pots.

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Reproduction

The vast majority of aquarium plants reproduce by vegetative methods:

• Cuttings. They are obtained by cutting off branches from the stem or by shortening the main stem. Some species are capable of producing roots without soil, while others are better buried in the substrate.
• Offsprings (layers). The new plant comes from the main rhizome or creeping shoot.
• By shoots. Daughter plants, or otherwise adventitious plants, appear on the maternal part (leaves, inflorescences, roots) from an adventitious bud. As soon as the seedling has formed its strong rhizome, it can be separated.
• Rhizome division.

Seed propagation is extremely rare in underwater plants, since it requires the formation of female and male (or hybrid) inflorescences. But even in this case, self-pollination does not always occur, so you have to do it manually, transferring pollen from the stamens to the flowering stigmas with a brush.

Other meanings of this word:

• aquarium aquatic plant herbaceous plant
• Moose swamp delicacy
• Aquatic plant of Russian rivers
• Water cabbage according to Dahl
• water plant
• An aquatic plant with a very long stem and small oval or narrow leaves, submerged in water up to the inflorescence or with leaves partially floating on the surface
• Greens in the mallard's diet
• Perennial aquatic grass forming extensive thickets
• Ubiquitous aquatic grass
• A ubiquitous aquatic herb.
• Underwater grass
• Freshwater grass
• The most common aquatic plant of Russian rivers
• Grass in the pond
• Grass where pike ambush
• The grass where the pike hides
• Grass where pike ambush
• Grass growing in stagnant waters
• Pike grass

Artificial plants: pros and cons

Artificial vegetation is often used in aquadesign. It looks no worse than living flora and generally does not cause any harm to the ecosystem. There are other obvious advantages of plastic jewelry:

• They don't get sick or die;
• Does not require fertilizer, additional CO2 or bright light;
• Do not grow;
• They are not eaten by fish;
• Vegetation is easy to wash and remove plaque;
• Wide selection of colors and shapes to create a unique design.

It is worth remembering that living greens are an important element of biological balance. Without it, the aquarium is deprived of gas exchange (absorption of CO2 and production of oxygen from it) and natural filtration. Fish are deprived of a source of vitamins and minerals. Beneficial bacteria also lose the opportunity to develop a stable colony. However, there is no reason to say that artificial plants in an aquarium are bad.

Does your aquarium have live vegetation? And which type is your favorite? Share your stories in the comments to this article!

What can you feed barbs?

These aquarium fish should be fed a balanced diet and preferably it should be varied. Yes, they are omnivores, but you must alternate between plant and animal foods.

Here is a list of what they actively eat:

• daphnia;
• aulophorus;
• Enchytraeus;
• tubifex;
• bloodworm;
• Artemia, etc.

Keep in mind that barbs are not averse to eating aquarium plants, so you must include plant food (for example, Tetra Phyll) in your diet. If there is not enough plant food, then all the vegetation that you have carefully planted in the aquarium will be at risk.

They eat dry food well. TetraMin is ideal, but you can use products from other manufacturers. When choosing, always pay attention to the date of manufacture and shelf life. It is advisable to buy dry food in packs rather than in bulk. It must be stored closed, otherwise pathogenic microflora will develop inside.

They should be fed 1-2 times a day in small portions. It is important to avoid overeating. Once a week you can have a fasting day - this will not affect the condition of the fish in any way.

Ways to defeat aquarium algae

The first step is to determine exactly what kind of algae attacked the aquarium. The chosen methods of control and their effectiveness depend on this. Some algae grow actively in bright light, others in dim light... the same can be said about the characteristics of water and microbionts.

The root of algae problems, regardless of the name, is a disturbed biobalance in the tank or its complete absence. It is important that all animals, spores, plants, and fungi present in the aquarium strictly perform their function - for example, cleansing from decaying organic matter or removing formed poisons. Water is not sterile; active life processes occur in it. An algae flash signals that some link has jumped out of balance.

The main causes of biological imbalance:

1. The daylight hours in the water tank are too long or the lighting mode is incorrect. It is necessary to adjust the daylight hours to the required values, or, as a preventive measure, turn off the lights altogether for 1-2 days.
2. Too short daylight hours or the use of lighting devices with the wrong spectrum. “It is treated” accordingly - by lengthening the daylight hours or purchasing new lamps with the necessary spectrum.
3. There is a lot of dead organic matter in the aquarium (dead plants, fish, leftover food, excrement). If the aquarium cannot remove dirt on its own, then it has no choice but to form algae that will eat it all. The solution is logical - clean the tank of debris and prevent such clogging in the future, regularly replace the water, use special carbon for the filter.
4. From the dead organic matter described above, toxic substances are released - nitrites, ammonia, various kinds of salts. Simply cleaning won't get rid of them, so you'll have to use aquarium chemicals. For example, zeolite, biostarter preparations - they can destroy toxic structures.
5. Too little vegetation. It’s paradoxical - in fact, in aquariums with a large number of different plants, algae almost never appear, but it has not been scientifically proven that plants in any way suppress algae.

It is advisable to introduce special species of fish into the tank that feed on algae and plaque. For example, Siamese algae eaters, otocinclus, ancitrus, guppies, platies. The same can be said about mollusks - fisa, coil or apularia.

The fight against blue-green bacteria is complex – biochemical plus mechanical methods. Timely cleaning of the walls of the tank, plants and decorations from harmful deposits will help; darkening the aquarium; temporary resettlement of fish and the most valuable plants. Until the bacteria are completely gone, there is no need to filter. The biochemical method involves placing antiseptics and antibiotics in water. After this, the aquarium must be thoroughly rinsed again before adding fish and plants.

Of course, specialized stores sell a lot of aquarium chemicals aimed at combating or preventing algae. You can easily recognize it by the word “Algo” in the name, which is translated as algae. You should choose those products whose features have the most gentle effect and will not damage the biobalance even more.

What diseases can barbs have?

Various negative factors can lead to diseases in these aquarium fish. It is extremely important to know exactly how to treat them so that other individuals do not become infected.

The barbs themselves have fairly good immunity, so the occurrence of any disease is a direct consequence of non-compliance with the rules of their maintenance. Here is the main list of diseases:

• Ovarian cyst. The main symptom of this disease is an increase in the female’s abdomen to a significant size. The reason may be improper feeding (if you give one food without adding variety). The danger of a cyst is that it is detected at a fairly late stage, so females most often die. Therefore, you need to feed your fish only balanced and, very important, varied food.
• Ichthyophthyriosis. A clear sign is the appearance of small white grains on the body. The danger of this disease is that it can lead to the death of not only the entire population of barbs in the aquarium, but also other inhabitants.
• Gill rot. It occurs due to a fungal infection, the source of which is often daphnia. It develops, as a rule, in very warm water – 30-32 degrees. A sick individual refuses food and spends most of its time on the surface of the water.

It is important to understand that the treatment of these rather serious diseases should be carried out by appropriate specialists. Only they know what medications to use, their dosage, etc.