Can Aquatic Plants Purify Water Quality? The Latest Analysis Is Here

Aquatic plants generally refer to herbaceous plants that can grow in water. Usually, when keeping fish, people often plant some aquatic plants in the aquarium as well. This is not only for the beauty of the overall layout, but also to provide a good living space for the fish in the aquarium. Now let us take a look at whether aquatic plants can purify water quality!

Can aquatic plants purify water quality?

Aquatic plants can purify water quality. The aquatic plants in the aquarium work together with ornamental fish, complementing each other and bringing out the best in each other. Under light, aquatic plants absorb carbon dioxide from the water for photosynthesis and release oxygen for aquatic animals to breathe. Aquatic plants also absorb nutrients from the water, reduce organic pollution, and have the effect of purifying water quality. They can also provide hiding places for timid fish and block light for fish that do not like strong light.

What are the effects of keeping aquatic plants?

1. The metabolism of fish in the aquarium and the decomposition of feed easily produce large amounts of ammonia and nitrite, which through action form nitrate. Nitrate is not decomposed and accumulates in the water, causing water quality to deteriorate and damaging the entire aquatic living environment. Aquatic plants have the function of absorbing nitrate, reducing the accumulation of nitrate in the water and playing a role in purifying water quality.

2. During the growth process, aquatic plants can release effective antibiotics, kill pathogens and disease sources in the water, reduce the content of harmful microorganisms in the water, protect fish from bacterial invasion, and promote healthy growth of fish.

3. Aquatic plants can absorb minerals, carbon dioxide, organic matter and so on from the water and process them. While processing them, they reduce harmful substances in the water and reduce water pollution. They can also produce oxygen through photosynthesis, increase the dissolved oxygen content of the water, and in this way directly provide fish and other aquatic organisms with the power to survive, balancing the overall state of the water quality.

4. The most important function of aquatic plants in an aquarium is to enable fish to reproduce in the aquarium, and some fish especially like to lay eggs on the surface of aquatic plant leaves. If there were no aquatic plants, the young fish would have nowhere to hide in the aquarium, and thus might be attacked by large fish that eat them.

5. Densely planting well-growing aquatic plants in rows in the aquarium is the best way to prevent algae from spreading, because when competing with algae for nutrients, aquatic plants have a significant advantage. Of course, the prerequisite for aquatic plants to be stronger than algae is that they must grow and reproduce in a strong and healthy way in the aquarium.

How are aquatic plants best cultivated?

1. Determine the size of the planted tank for cultivation, its placement in the home, and the varieties of aquatic plants to be cultivated, and understand the growth conditions and habits of those aquatic plants.

2. Go to the market to select a suitable aquarium, aquatic plant varieties and bottom sand. When cultivating aquatic plants in an aquarium, it is best to use bottom sand rather than mud, because mud will make the water quality in the aquarium cloudy and seriously affect the aquarium's water quality. The bottom sand selected should also not be too fine, and the thickness of the bottom sand can be determined according to the number of aquatic plants to be planted.

3. The aquarium and aquatic plants purchased should first be disinfected and cleaned, and then transplanted into the tank. Before planting, aquatic plants are best soaked in a 1% potassium permanganate solution for about 10 minutes to kill parasites and bacteria on the plants, then rinsed clean with clear water for later use.

4. There are many kinds of aquatic plants, and each kind has specific living habits and requirements. Therefore, before transplanting aquatic plants, the water temperature and ecological environment of the aquarium should be adjusted to standards suitable for the aquatic plants' life.

5. The roots and stems of aquatic plants should not be planted too deep. When planting, nylon rope can be used for proper fixing to prevent the aquatic plants from floating and becoming loose.

6. At the same time, some aquarium fish can be kept to balance the ecological environment of the entire aquarium and allow the aquatic plants to grow healthily.

7. When planting aquatic plants, the cultivator should regularly observe the growth of the aquatic plants, and when abnormalities are found, they should be dealt with in a timely manner. The aquarium also needs regular water changes and cleaning to ensure that the aquatic plants have a good growing environment.