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Types of Aquarium Plants

Planted tank

While many novice aquarium hobbyists decorate their tanks with sunken pirate ships and other novelty items, these decorations eventually grow old. If you are looking for some attractive, natural-looking décor for your home aquarium what you need is a few live aquarium plants. Not only are live plants beautiful in the aquarium, they are also very beneficial for your fish and for your aquarium as a whole.

Types of Live Aquarium Plants

Live aquarium plants can be divided into three general categories: ferns and mosses, rosettes, and stem plants. Ferns and mosses are those plants which do not flower and propagate by producing spores. This category includes plants like java ferns, crystalwort and willow moss. The rosette category includes flowering aquarium plants which are often used ornamentally in ponds as well as the home aquarium. Some popular specimens in this category are Amazon swords, vallisneria and water lilies.

Stem plants are the largest category of aquarium plants and they are also some of the most popular. Some of the most commonly used stem plants include hornwort, cabomba and anacharis. Plants in this category often grow quickly and can be easily propagated by taking cuttings and rooting them in substrate. Some stem plants are also very hardy, able to thrive in a variety of aquarium environments including brackish tanks.

Floating Aquarium Plants

As an alternative to these three categories, live aquarium plants can also be divided by their rooting requirements. While most aquarium plants need to be potted or rooted in substrate, some plants must be allowed to float on the surface of the water. These plants provide a complementary look to rooted plants in your aquarium while also increasing the oxygen content in your tank and providing a place for small fish and newly-hatched fry to hide.

Some of the most popular floating aquarium plants include hornwort, a slow-growing plant, and anacharis, a plant that grows very quickly. Water sprite, duckweed and azolla are frequently used in goldfish ponds because they provide a healthy food source for fish as well as attractive decoration. Many floating plants can thrive when rooted in substrate but floating free on the water’s surface allows for the maximum level of growth and spread.

In the home aquarium, live plants can be very beneficial. Not only do they help to filter out toxins and produce oxygen – they also suppress algae growth and provide your tank with a beautiful and natural décor scheme. In order to maximize the effectiveness of your live aquarium plants, pot one or two in an EcoBio-Planter. These planters are made from natural zeolite and crushed stone which makes them a simple yet attractive item to add to your tank. EcoBio products are infused with beneficial bacteria which immediately start working to nitrify tank water, making it cleaner, clearer and healthier for your fish. EcoBio-Planter has the additional attraction of being great for your plant’s life as well.

If you are serious about starting a planted tank you will first need to decide what type of plants you want to cultivate and what is needed in order for them to thrive. Aquarium plants require fluorescent lighting and periodic feeding in order to achieve their maximum growth. If you care for your plants properly they will repay you by helping to keep your tank clean and clear, creating an ideal environment in which your fish will be able to thrive.

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Technorati Tags: Amazon, Aquarium Environments, Aquarium Hobbyists, Aquarium Plants, Ferns And Mosses, Home Aquarium, Novelty Items, Oxygen Content, Plants Ferns, Rosettes, Slo, Small Fish, Specimens, Spores, Sunken Pirate Ships, Surface Of The Water, Taking Cuttings, Vallisneria, Water Lilies, Willow Moss

Tags: Amazon, Aquarium Environments, Aquarium Hobbyists, Aquarium Plants, Ferns And Mosses, Home Aquarium, Novelty Items, Oxygen Content, Plants Ferns, Rosettes, Slo, Small Fish, Specimens, Spores, Sunken Pirate Ships, Surface Of The Water, Taking Cuttings, Vallisneria, Water Lilies, Willow Moss
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Altum Angelfish Facts

The Latin word for tall is altum, which truly describes the Altum angelfish, the biggest of the freshwater angelfish variety. Altum angelfish originate from South America, specifically the Rio Orinoco river in Venezuela.

Altum angelfish are silver colored with tan vertical stripes. This striped patterned helps them hide amongst the perpendicular plant life native to the region. Altums have a rather unique shaped mouth, which is rather pointed, and their forehead is sharply sloped. The first dark band runs through the eye; the second runs near the mid-section of the body, while the third runs from the tip of the dorsal fin, through the body, and to the tip of the anal fin. The final band runs on the caudal penuncle.

To adequately house such a large angelfish, the fish tank ought to be no fewer than 55 gallons and 30″ tall. The fish tank should be ornamented with sizable pieces of bogwood that if feasible should reach the waters surface. Large leafed plants like Amazon swordsplants can also be useful and are generally left alone.

Perfect water conditions for your Altums would be very soft and only slightly acidic. A pH level of 4.5 to 6.5 are perfect. The water ought to also be warm, in the 82 to 86 degree range to match natural conditions. It’s also important to keep your nitrates level very low for Altums. The water should also circulated slowly to match the low flow environment found naturally. Maintaining outstanding water quality is a crucial ingredient to successfully raise Altum angelfish.

Unlike the common angelfish, the Scalare, Altums can be challenging to keep and successfully raise in captivity. This is due mainly to the reality that nearly all Altum sold are wild caught, not domestically farmed. Because of this they can more difficult to find and not a lot of folks try and keep them.

In attempting to buy Altums, it is wise to look for an skilled angelfish breeder. Because they are wild caught they can be difficult to locate, and sometimes imitations are sold.

Although Altums are calm, they can also be very territorial. For that reason, Altums are not the greatest of community fish. They can be successfully kept with most calm fish, and are ideally kept with other calm species from the same area such as Discus and Tetras. Small fish might be considered food and should not be kept with cardinal and neon tetras given that Altum angelfish as all angelfish appear very fond of eating these. They ought to never be kept with regular angelfish because they can hybridize with (Pterophyllum scalare).

Altums will consume all the time if given the option. They have ravenous appetites. Coming from the wild, they prefer live food, but will ultimately accept frozen foods such as brine shrimp and blood worms.

Despite providing great water conditions and a good diet, Altum angelfish can be difficult to raise and even more tough to breed. Determining the sex can also be especially difficult, as it is with most of the angelfish varieties.

Want to discover other effective Altum Angelfish Tips? Visit our website at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com. While visiting our site you can also sign up for our free “Angelfish Breeding and Care” email mini course.

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Technorati Tags: Altum Angelfish, Amazon, Anal Fin, Angelfish, Aquarium, Aquariums, Bogwood, Degree Range, Dorsal Fin, Fish Tank, Fish Tanks, Flow Environment, Freshwater Angelfish, freshwater aquariums, Latin Word, Low Flow, Mid Section, Nitrates, Orinoco River, Perfect Water, Ph Level, Rio Orinoco, Tropical Fish, Vertical Stripes, Water Conditions

Tags: Altum Angelfish, Amazon, Anal Fin, Angelfish, Aquarium, Aquariums, Bogwood, Degree Range, Dorsal Fin, Fish Tank, Fish Tanks, Flow Environment, Freshwater Angelfish, freshwater aquariums, Latin Word, Low Flow, Mid Section, Nitrates, Orinoco River, Perfect Water, Ph Level, Rio Orinoco, Tropical Fish, Vertical Stripes, Water Conditions
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