How do you grow aquarium aquatic plants so they thrive?

As people's living standards improve, more and more people like to keep fish, and when keeping fish, putting some aquatic plants in the tank is even better for the fish's growth. So how do you grow aquatic plants in an aquarium?

1. How do you grow aquatic plants in an aquarium?

1. Sowing seeds

First spread a layer of large-grain aquatic plant soil in the aquarium; you can buy a specially made one directly, and if there is water on top, you can remove the water first. Then scatter the seeds; the number of seeds depends on the size of the aquarium, and it does not matter if you scatter a few extra. Cover with another layer of soil on top; it does not need to be too thick.

2. Sprinkling water and keeping warm

Fill a small spray bottle with water and spray it inside; it does not need to be soaked through, just moistened. Thenseal the top part of the aquarium with cling film, which can raise the temperature inside; 25-30 degrees is a fairly normal temperature. To allow ventilation, you can poke a few small holes in it.

3. Appropriate lighting

Lighting is very important; you can use an aquatic plant light, which can be left on all the time without needing to be turned off. Make sure there are at least 8 hours a day, as this is what helps it grow. If this condition cannot be met, growth will be very limited. Especially at night, be sure to keep the light on.

4. Adding water

After about five days or so, the seeds will send out small sprouts, and after waiting another 3-5 days, their growth will become stable. At this point you can pour water in.

2. What aquatic plants are good for a small aquarium?

1. Java fern

Java fern is a fern of the family Polypodiaceae, with green leaves 20-40 cm long, sporangia on the underside of the leaves, and striped rhizomes with black or dark brown adventitious roots growing below. It is highly adaptable and easy to manage, often used in aquatic plant aquascaping, and can also be grown above water in high-humidity environments. Because its leaves are tough and have a bitter taste, it is suitable for beautifying aquariums that house herbivorous fish.

2. Hornwort

Hornwort, also known as fine grass, fish grass, soft grass, pineweed and so on, is a perennial herbaceous submerged aquatic plant of the genus Ceratophyllum in the family Ceratophyllaceae. It has wide tolerance for water temperature but is fairly sensitive to freezing, dying within a few days in ice. It likes nitrogen, grows better when the inorganic nitrogen content in the water is high, and can grow normally in water with a pH of 7.1-9.2, but a pH of 7.6-8.8 is most suitable. It grows rapidly under 5-10% light intensity, but strong light will cause hornwort to die.

3. Anubias

Anubias is a type of aquatic plant in the family Araceae distributed in the West Africa region. Compared with other aquatic plants, it can be said to be very resilient and easy to plant, but if it is planted carelessly and haphazardly, rhizome rot and dwarfing will gradually appear, finally leading to withering. It likes plenty of sunlight, water hardness should be slightly higher, nitrate content should be low, and the substrate should have sufficient base fertilizer. The suitable growing temperature is 22-30 degrees C.

4. Tape grass

Tape grass is a perennial stemless submerged herbaceous aquatic plant of the genus Vallisneria in the family Hydrocharitaceae, commonly known as noodle grass, dragon whisker grass, carrying-pole grass and so on. It has creeping stems and basal leaves, and the leaf blades are long and narrow like ribbons; leaf length varies with the depth of the water level, and the leaf blades are emerald green and semi-transparent, standing gracefully in the water. It is fairly adaptable to water quality, likes weakly alkaline water, does not like high temperatures, is cold-tolerant and light-loving, and often grows in streams, ditches, rivers, ponds and lakes.

Overall, aquatic plants are still quite easy to grow in an aquarium. You just need to spread a layer of aquatic plant soil in the tank, then plant the seeds on top, sprinkle a little water, and cover with cling film.