The importance of grass in the aquarium is difficult to overestimate. It significantly improves the chemical composition of water, and is also an excellent top dressing for fish. The selection of algae for the aquarium is simply huge. Nevertheless, many people prefer to buy plastic products instead of natural herbs and thus deprive their pets of their natural habitat. According to experts, this is not rational.
Types of herbs
There is a huge selection of herbs for the aquarium. As a rule, they are selected based on the following conditions. First of all, the size of the aquarium affects the choice of plants. If it is small, then you have to limit yourself and acquire such algae that will fit perfectly into the water landscape. Some plants are quite moody and not suitable for beginners. Among the most popular species, the following grass names in the aquarium can be listed: dwarf anubias, hornwort, echinodorus, eleocharis, a rather attractive hemianthus, and an interesting plant called Javanese moss.
What are they needed for?
As already mentioned, grass in the aquarium plays the role of food for small fish, as well as feeding for large ones. In addition, it maintains the aquasystem in its natural state. The role of grass is also important from an aesthetic point of view. There are many types of algae that can decorate any aquarium. With their help, you can make a magnificent landscape, as far as the imagination of the owner allows.
However, it should be borne in mind that some fish are not able to adjoin aquarium plants. For example, astronotuses and pterigoplichitis eat them at such a speed that it does not make sense to plant new herbs every time. In addition, having large fish in a small aquarium, owners have to create an enhanced water purification system, which also causes plants to die.
How much grass do you need?
When planting aquatic plants, proportions should be taken into account. Their number should not be too large. Experts recommend leaving at least 2/3 of the swimming space for fish. Moreover, in densely populated aquariums should be a sufficient amount of algae. The fact is that fish produce carbon dioxide, while algae, on the contrary, supply oxygen. They can be planted both uniformly and in dense landings. As a rule, beginners are advised not to use capricious species, but to opt for unpretentious specimens.
Javanese moss
According to most experts, this species is considered the most unpretentious among the herbs for the aquarium. One of its main advantages is that Javanese moss is not too picky about good lighting. In addition, it tolerates temperature extremes. Dirty water acts negatively on moss, which creates a sticky cloudy film on its petals. As a rule, it is fixed on a fishing line and then attached to the bottom.
Hornwort plant
This live grass for the aquarium is quite popular and easy to use. She has a fairly lush crown and completely lacks roots. Therefore, the hornwort is simply attached to any convenient place where it forms dense and fluffy thickets. This plant is demanding on good lighting. Water does not have to be soft. The best option is an alkaline or slightly stiff composition. With it, you can make magnificent aquarium landscapes. Moreover, working with hornwort is subject to any beginner, not to mention professionals.
Anubias plant
He is also one of the three most light and not demanding aquarium herbs. It grows long enough, but is unpretentious and therefore very rarely disappears. How to grow grass for an aquarium? As a rule, the roots of anubias are attached to the stone. In order for it to grow well, the water temperature should not be higher than twenty-eight degrees. And also remember that with an excess of lighting, the leaves of this grass acquire a blue tint. In the future, if you do not pay attention to this, then Anubias may die. There are several types of it. The most popular are Afseli, Dwarf and Nana.
Popular duckweed
It is often used as an addition to the aquarium landscape. However, it should be borne in mind that the rapidly growing duckweed can completely block the flow of light, which in turn will create discomfort for the fish. Owners of the aquarium occasionally have to thin out duckweed thickets. At the same time, fish like this plant, which often serves as their food. Fry also happily hide on the surface of the water in the thickets of this plant.
Fern bolbitis
This is a tropical plant native to Africa. It has a creeping rhizome and emerald-colored leaves. Outwardly, it looks quite impressive and attractive. Sometimes its leaves are compared with parsley, as their shape resembles popular greens. The most favorable temperature for the development of fern is twenty degrees. How to plant grass for an aquarium? In order for the root to be fixed at the bottom of the aquarium, it is advisable to lay pebbles or coarse sand. He does not tolerate partial shade and prefers daylight hours of at least twelve hours.
South Kakiba
This is a fairly voluminous aquarium plant with a reddish top and needle-shaped leaves. Usually it is planted in groups, creating quite attractive landscapes. Sometimes beginners ask: why doesn’t the grass grow in the aquarium? Most often, the reason lies in the wrong temperature. The most favorable temperature for the south is twenty-four to thirty degrees. In dirty water, this plant can die. As a rule, it is instilled in fine pebbles or in sand. It should be borne in mind that the root system of the southern Kakoba is rather delicate and vulnerable. It propagates by dividing the rhizome.
Beautiful elodea
This herb is a fast-growing and upright aquarium plant. As the growth of the elodea fills the entire space of the aquarium, and therefore the owners occasionally have to thin out the thickets. Long flexible stems of elodea can reach three meters in length. Sometimes it blooms, forming quite large flowers, which most often bloom above water. The aquarium with grass above also looks attractive. There are such popular types of elodea as dentate, canadian and leafy. Typically, the plant is cut into processes fifteen centimeters long and left to float in water without being attached to the bottom.
Hard-leaved aponogetone
The birthplace of this plant is Sri Lanka. It does not tolerate too hard water. In addition, the temperature in the aquarium should be kept at twenty-five degrees, not dropping below twenty-two. The hard-leaved aponoheton propagates, like all ground algae, by the method of rhizome division. It grows quite slowly, but the adult bush looks quite impressive thanks to the long flat leaves with wavy edges.
Wallisneria Grass
Also growing up. She has thin curved stems and a small weak root. In the wild, wallisneria forms real thickets that completely overlap rivers and lakes. For its planting, it is desirable to use small gravels with a thickness of not more than four centimeters. If the grass grows poorly in the aquarium, then, most likely, it is a matter of temperature. She does not tolerate cold and is able to die even at fifteen degrees. As a rule, this grass propagates with the help of processes. Moreover, from the mother plant you can get up to fifty new wallisnerias.
How to drop and breed?
Each owner of the aquarium dreams of constantly growing plants on a regular basis. Unfortunately, very often they die, never having time to please their flowering appearance. Many beginners make unforgivable mistakes, completely ignoring some features of planting and growing algae.
For example, for plants that land on the bottom and have a sufficiently developed root system, it is extremely important to get food from the soil. Usually it consists of peat and clay. The thickness of the nutrient layer should be at least five centimeters. Similar plants, usually found in swamps, are used to oily soil rich in nutrients. If the grass does not grow in the aquarium, this means that the soil is depleted and needs to be fertilized with mineral fertilizers. Buying them is not difficult. They are sold in all specialized stores where sellers will tell you how to use such a tool and give useful tips.
Floating plants usually have no roots. They reproduce in a vegetative way. The value of these algae for the aquarium is quite large. They saturate water with oxygen, and also protect fry from attacks of adults. Unlike ground plants, they tolerate temperature differences and water pollution much worse. Therefore, in aquariums with poor filtration, floating plants usually grow poorly.
The group of algae that floats on the surface of the aquarium also propagates vegetatively. This action is fast enough for them. After some time, excess grass has to be removed. Yes, many fish floating on the surface of the aquarium plants play a big role. On the one hand, they serve as food, and on the other, a shelter from other fish.
Growing aquarium grass
As a rule, algae is bred by seed method, division of rhizomes and cuttings. Each type of plant has its own method. For example, in order to grow grass from seeds, grooves are made in the soil into which grains are planted. It should be borne in mind that if the soil contains too much clay, then a new plant can not be seen soon. Clay significantly complicates the process of germination, especially of small seeds. Large grass seeds for an aquarium already have enough nutrients and therefore, as a rule, there are no special problems with them. The depth of the groove should not be more than one centimeter.
It is easiest to grow new plants using rhizomes. Usually the root is easily divided into several parts. Each of them has a fairly strong stalk. Next, new plants are planted in the ground and firmly attached at the bottom. Cuttings are obtained from adult plants. Usually, the lower part is removed so that several nodes remain on the stem. Before planting, they are kept in salt water for one hour, after which one end is placed in the soil of the aquarium and attached to the bottom using pebbles or driftwood.
When planting before pouring water, as a rule, they make a small hole in the soil, carefully position the plant and fix it. How to plant grass in an aquarium with fish? If there is already water in the aquarium, but you need to place new grass, then the algae is bound with fishing line or kapron thread and carefully, using tweezers, attached to the snag. You can also use special aquarium suction cups. It is highly recommended not to make dense thickets or to plant different types of plants too close together. Some of them do not tolerate each other.
How to care?
In order for algae to grow strong and strong, they should be properly looked after. For example, too many large leaves are removed over time so that they do not interfere with the growth of young shoots. Why does grass rot in an aquarium? Sometimes a transplant to another place is required, as some algae require better lighting. Algae is fed at any time of the year, regardless of the season. As a rule, for this, use is made of such compositions in which sulfur, iron, potassium and chloride are contained.
All mixtures can be purchased in a specialized store, where they are presented both in liquid and in dry form. Not only large and spoiled leaves should be regularly trimmed, but also the rhizome. Thus, it is possible to improve the nutrition of grass in the aquarium, and, therefore, to update the plant itself.
Carpet plants
Planting and growing carpet plants has its own characteristics. How to plant grass in an aquarium? As a rule, before planting, they fill the water in the aquarium by about six centimeters and begin the main work. To do this, you need a special long tweezers, with which herbs will be planted. Next, the aquarium is carefully filled with water using a plate so as not to damage the plants.
They love lighting that lasts at least six hours a day, as well as good top dressing. Carpet plants are not indifferent to potassium, due to which they grow quickly enough. Some of these types of algae need regular pruning with scissors.
Why does grass deteriorate?
This question very often worries aquarium owners. The causes of this problem are many. Algae decay most often due to poor soil, poor in trace elements, as well as in the case of too many fish, resulting in a lot of carbon dioxide. Plants do not like poor lighting and hard low-quality water. If soil acidification occurs, then those algae that have rhizomes may be affected. Therefore, before planting grass for the aquarium with seeds or rhizomes, you should take care of the quality of the soil.
Almost all algae require trace elements such as magnesium, iron, nitrogen, potassium and calcium. For example, due to a lack of magnesium, brown spots appear on the leaves of plants, and with a lack of nitrogen, it turns yellow. In addition, a lack of potassium or iron also results in yellowing. In the event that the leaves fall off, then, most likely, in the aquarium there is an acute shortage of phosphates. And also to determine their shortage can be muddy water.
Why does the grass in the aquarium turn brown? To prevent acidification of the soil, the amount of sand and fine gravel should be reduced. However, the soil beneath them must be nutritious enough to make the plants feel good. Sometimes too many fish lead to the death of algae. As a result of their activity, a huge amount of ammonia and ammonia is released. This, in turn, negatively affects the ecosystem of the aquarium.
Artificial algae
Artificial grass for the aquarium is an excellent alternative to natural plants and has several advantages. First of all, plastic herbs do not need care and are able to serve their owner for a long enough time. They are not expensive compared to some types of living plants. They are ideal for beginners who still do not know how to work with algae.
However, plastic products also have many disadvantages. For example, they do not fulfill the main function assigned to algae. Artificial plants do not purify water and do not supply oxygen. Many natural algae are also food for fish or additional nutrition. Thus, a person who prefers artificial plants deprives his pets of many useful substances.
Many fish that lay eggs do not care about the origin of the grass in the aquarium. In addition, if treatment with antibiotics or other drugs is needed, then artificial plants, as a rule, will not be affected.