Tips and Tricks to Grow your Aquarium Plants 

Almost every component of an aquarium is equally benficial for the aqaurium. That being said, an aquarium without plants is not a proper aquarium.

The balance of the aquarium’s ecosystem is flawlessly conserved by plants. Plus, it provides a safe place for fish and their eggs.

So all of these make plants a crucial component of the tank. The chemical composition of the aquarium water will become balanced and balance is most important. So there comes a time when you require plants to grow much faster and ideally in your aquarium.

There are several ways through which you can grow your plants in the aquarium. Your plants will grow and thrive without any trouble.  

In this article, you will go through a guide on the tips and tricks of growing aquarium plants. Let’s carry on without any delay.  

Tips and Tricks to Grow your Aquarium Plants

1. The Perfect Substrate  

A substrate is by far the most essential factor that signifies the perfect health of your aquarium plants. The plant roots grow and bind to the substrate, and through them, they take in nutrients.

The stronger the roots, the better your plant. For this, the right substrate is required. Gravels and sand are perfect for mixed with laterite to keep them at bay from iron deficiency.  

2. Nutrients from fertilizers   

You must already know that there are plant foods to provide your plant with the necessary nutrients. You can use fertilizers as well for nutrients.

The fertilizers come as tablets and you can use them in the substrate. This way the substrate will become nutrient-rich.

Through the substrate, the roots will absorb the nutrients needed for the plants. With the necessary nutrients, the plants will grow effectively and quickly.  

You are free to use the aquarium plant foods as well. It’s not necessary that you use tablet fertilizers. The most important factor is that your plants get the essential nutrients for their growth.  

Remember to use the fertilizers and plant foods in a balanced manner and not excessively. As sometimes less is more and more is less.  

3. Consistent and right amount of light 

Light plays a crucial role in the growth of your aquarium. You already know that plants require light to make their food through photosynthesis.

So providing your plants with the right amount of light is crucial. Use the best lights in your aquarium, which are the fluorescent lights.

Plants require about 10 to 12 hours of light to process photosynthesis properly. So set the your aquarium light on a timer.

Also, remember that the taller your aquarium is, the stronger the light needs to be, as they have to penetrate through the water to reach your plants.  

Although, don’t stress too much about the intensity and provide them with too much light. The light can contribute to algae growth and can easily stress your fish.

Provide your plants with the right amount of light and the growth process will go smoothly. 

4. Know what kind of plant that you have  

It is a given that you should know and look upon the type of plant you have in your aquarium. As not all plants have the same amount of light, water parameters, etc requirement.

Providing them with the accurate amounts of requirements highly contributes to plant growth. So it better that you become aware of the levels of nourishment your plant requires which can only be done by research.  

5. Perfect harmony between plants and fish 

The balance of the ecosystem of the aquarium is what is crucially needed. For this balance, the ratio of the plants and fish in an aquarium must be perfect.

As the plants absorb and use the toxic substances generated by the fish wastes, the amount of plant and fish must go hand in hand.  

If you have fewer plants and more fish then all there will be is chaos. The fish will continually generate waste and if there are fewer plants the composition of the chemicals will go haywire.

There will be more ammonia and nitrates than the amount the plants can absorb. The accumulation of these chemicals is toxic to your fish and will hurt them. The phosphates from them will be a catalyst for the algae growth.  

You must have the ideal amount of plants in an aquarium. With this, your plants will grow without any trouble. 

6. Control algae  

Algae in an aquarium are nothing but trouble. They hinder a myriad of things in an aquarium and plants are a part of it as well.

First of all the algae will take over the tank and take up all the nutrients for themselves. The plants will not have anything left to work with, resulting in the withering away of plants.  

So for the growth of your plants, you will have to watch out for algae in your tank. You can put algae eaters, or remove them manually.

A UV sterilizer is a good choice as well to get rid of algae. Don’t let them take over the tank and keep the algae levels under control. 

7. Be aware of plant eating fish species 

Fish species such as goldfish, cichlids, Oscars, and many more tend to feed on the plants. If your plants are being eaten beyond the levels of recovery then your plants will straightaway.

So you must keep your plants away from such species for them to grow and thrive. You might admire some plant-eating species and want to keep them, you can.

Just don’t put too much of them for it is endangering the plant.  

Try to keep the minimum amount of such species. As if there is too much of it no amount of nutrients can keep your plants alive. 

8. Water flow  

Water flow contributes to plant growth as well. The water should not be stagnant. There must be a consistent and ample water flow in your aquarium.

As with water your plants will have access to nutrients and fresh water.  

9. Presence of CO2 in your aquarium  

Carbon Dioxide or CO2 is without a doubt a pivotal substance for photosynthesis. Without CO2 your plants cannot perform photosynthesis.

So it is very important to have CO2 in your aquarium. If there is a deficiency of CO2 in your aquarium then the plants will have a hard time with photosynthesis. Although this happens rarely CO2 contributes a lot to the growth of the plant.  

In case of such occurrences, you can go for CO2 kits but they are tricky to use.

For if there is an excessive amount of CO2 it can cause harm to your fish. 

Plants are a crucial sector in an aquarium. They pitch in a lot to keep the aquarium in balance. It becomes harder to maintain the stability of the aquarium without the plants. So it becomes essential for the plants to grow faster and suitably. Follow all the tips mentioned in this article, and you will have no trouble regarding your plant’s growth. Your plants will augment ever so efficiently.