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Planting yourAquarium
For more information: www.tetra.net
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To create a healthier,
more attractive aquarium,
you will want to ensure
it contains a good
selection of live plants.
Just like fish, plants are
living things that require
some care and attention
to keep them healthy.
In this brochure we
show you how to create
and maintain a beautiful
planted aquarium.
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Benefits of live plantsAs well as creating a natural
looking environment, plantsdo a number of other useful
things:
They provide shelter and
hiding places for the fish.
They produce valuable
oxygen and use up carbon
dioxide.
They help to remove
pollutants from the water.
They can help provide
some natural algae control.
They create a surface on
which beneficial micro-organisms can grow.
Some species produce
substances that help todeter harmful bacteria.
Their root systems release
small amounts of oxygen,
helping to keep the
substrate healthy.
Aquariums with a good
selection of plants oftenremain healthier, and look
better, compared to those
without.
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Preparing the
aquarium for plants
CompleteSubstrate
consists of a high quality
mix of sand and black peat,
which is rich in iron, trace
elements, and natural
humic substances.
It provides an ideal
environment for plants,
encouraging rapid root
growth and long-term
fertilisation.
There are one or two things
you can do to make sure
your aquarium is suitable for
encouraging healthy plant
growth.
SubstrateThe substrate should be
slightly deeper than in a non-
planted aquarium. An ideal
depth would be
5 7 cm (2 3 inches) of
well-washed aquarium
gravel. Avoid using very finegravel or sand, as it tends to
compact and create
stagnant areas,
reducing water circulation
around plant roots.
The quality of the substrate
for plants can be improved
by laying a 2cm (0.75 inch)
layer of TetraPlant CompleteSubstratebeneath the gravel.
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Tetra AquaArt aquariumscome complete with light
tubes that are ideal forencouraging good plantgrowth.
Light
All plants require light as
a source of energy. Plants
require light from the blue
and red areas of the lightspectrum, and so it is
important to select a bulb that
is specifically designed for
encouraging plant growth.
Usually they are marked
as being suitable for this
purpose. Light tubes shouldbe replaced approximately
every 6 months, as over time
their efficiency drops.
Fish
In order for your live plants
to become established, and
remain healthy, there are
certain fish you should avoid.For example, whilst some
species of Plecostomus are
good for eating algae off the
glass, they can do a lot of
damage to live plants. In
planted aquariums, stick to
smaller algae-eating species,such as Otocincluscatfish.
Your aquatics outlet can offer
more advice on which fish
to choose.
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Oxygen
Just like fish, plants require
oxygen for life. Mostaquariums with a sensible
number of fish should have
sufficient oxygen for good
plant growth. If more is
needed, a TetraTec APSairpump can be added, and
switched on during the night
when plants stop producingoxygen.
Vigorous aeration is nota good thing in planted
aquariums as it drivesoff carbon dioxide,which plants also need.Therefore, well plantedaquariums should not beover-stocked with fish, as
this increases the needfor constant aeration.
Carbon Dioxide
Plants need carbon dioxidefor photosynthesis. This is theprocess by which they trapsunlight using the chlorophyllin their leaves, and use it to
convert carbon dioxide andwater to simple sugars. Inmost aquariums, there will besufficient carbon dioxidefor limited plant growth, butfor a really good displayit is necessary to provideadditional amounts. It is easy
to add additional carbondioxide to the aquarium witha TetraPlant CO2Optimat.
What plants
need for health
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In order to thrive, plants require a number of different things to
be available to them.
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Ideally, the CO2level inthe aquarium should be
maintained between 5
and 15mg/l.The amountof carbon dioxide in thewater is influenced by
temperature, pH andcarbonate hardness. The
Tetratest Laboretttest kitcontains the
necessary test kits and charts
for determining carbon dioxidelevels in your aquarium. Theselevels should be measuredduring the day when theplants are using up carbondioxide, as at night theystop photosynthesising and
therefore do not require it.
Nitrates and Phosphates
Plants require a variety ofother essential nutrients inorder to thrive and growwell. Ammonium and nitrateare natural products of fishexcretion and biologicalfiltration, and are both utilisedby plants. Ammonium tends tobe scarce in most aquariums,
as it is rapidly broken downinto nitrate. Nitrate is the endproduct of biological filtration
and is therefore presentin quite high quantities inaquariums.
Phosphate is also veryimportant for plant growthand photosynthesis. It ispresent in fish waste, and
like nitrate will usuallyaccumulate in healthyaquariums.
Because both nitrate andphosphate are present insufficient quantities for plantgrowth in most aquariums,
it is important to use a goodquality plant fertiliser, suchas TetraPlant PlantaMin,thatdoes not contain additionalnitrate or phosphate, otherwiseexcess algae may grow. Forplants that take nutrientsfrom the substrate, TetraPlant
CompleteSubstratecreatesthe right conditions for healthygrowth without adding extranitrate or phosphate. 7
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Micronutrients
There are a number of other
elements that are importantfor plants, without which
they will display poor growthand appearance.
For example, iron isimportant for the synthesis ofchlorophyll, the pigment that
plants use to trap the energyin light. A deficiency of ironand other trace elementsleads to a condition calledchlorosis, causing leaves to
turn yellow and brittle.
It is therefore essential touse a plant fertiliser thatwill supply the plants witheverything that they need,without encouraging thegrowth of algae.
TetraPlant PlantaMin
contains all of theelements essential forhealthy plant growthand it will not encourage
the growth of algae. Itis quickly and efficientlyabsorbed encouraging
the production of rich and
colourful leaves. It shouldbe added after everypartial water change or,alternatively, at monthlyintervals.
For 'marsh' plants, such asthe popular Amazon Sword
or Cryptocoryne species,it is important to add nutrients
to the substrate from time totime. This is because they donot absorb nutrients across
their leaves. TetraPlant Cryptotablets are ideal for doing this- you simply push them into
the gravel around the baseof the plants to keep themhealthy.
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Once you have obtained all
of the necessary equipmentand prepared the aquarium,you can then buy your plants.It is important that you selectplants that will not out-growyour aquarium, and that will behappy in your water conditions.Often, they will be labelled
with their potential size andtemperature requirements.
Traditionally, tall plantsare used to create abackdrop to the tankwhilst smaller onesare positioned in the
foreground. You may wishto stick to this format or,alternatively, come upwith your own plantingarrangement.
New plants are usuallytransported in plastic carrierbags, which is fine provided
that they do not dry out. If youhave bought plants that arealready in small baskets then
these should be removed andthe rock wool around the rootswashed off. If necessary, you
should cut the basket away inorder to avoid damaging theroots. They are best washed
in a bowl of water taken from
your aquarium, and at the sametime they need to be checkedfor snail eggs. These look likesmall masses of jelly and need
to be removed, as snails willeat some species of plant andadd an extra biological load to
the aquarium.
Any broken or damaged partsof the plant should be cut off,as should any brown and limproots or dying leaves. Healthyroots should also be cut backby about a half, in order tostimulate new growth. A hole
should be made in the graveland the plant inserted, then thisshould be back-filled to coverit and hold it in place. The plantshould be gently pulled up untilits growing tip, or 'crown', isjust visible. To give new plantsa healthy start, it is beneficial
to push aTetraPlantCryptotablet into
the gravel,near the roots.This will ensure
they receivea good
supply ofnutrients.
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Planting
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Stem plants
Stem plants, so-calledbecause they have veryobvious stems that can beseen between the leaves,
can sometimes grow tothe surface of the tank andprevent light from reachingplants that are lower down.If this happens, they need
to be cut back. Species thatbranch heavily will re-grow
to their former glory afterbeing cut back, but those thatonly exhibit sparse branchingwill not. The latter shouldbe removed completely, andreplaced with 20cm (8in)cuttings taken from the top of
the plant. When re-planting
these cuttings, remove thelower few leaves so as theydo not become buried.
Rosette plants
Rosette plants do not haveobvious stems and tend toexhibit quite dense growth.
They should have any dyingleaves removed and be
thinned out from time to time.
This can be done by cuttingaway the largest outerleaves, and if necessarycutting the roots back toaround 15cm (6in).This will
halt growth for a period oftime but eventually new rootswill develop.
Feeding plants
In addition to tidying up theplants, a fertiliser such asTetraPlant PlantaMinor
TetraPlant Cryptotabletsshould be added on a regularbasis. PlantaMinintroducesessential nutrients that plantscan take up over their leaves.Unlike some fertilisers, thenutrients are in a stable
format for consistent,long-term fertilisation overdays and weeks. Crypto
tablets are pushed intothe substrate, to providenutrients to plants thatcannot take them up over
their leaves.
Keeping plants healthyOccasionally you will have to tidy up your plants and give
them a feed. The frequency of this will depend on the type andnumber of plants that you have.
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Quick guide for a healthy,
planted aquariumWith TetraPlantproducts itis easy to have a healthy,well planted aquarium. Hereis a reminder of what youneed:
1 When setting up the
aquarium place a 2cm
(0.75 inch) layer of
TetraPlant CompleteSubstrateat the base.
Cover this with 57cm
(23 inches) of pea
gravel.
2 Use a proper light tube
that has been designed
for encouraging plant
growth.
3 Install a TetraPlant CO2Optimatto provide the
carbon dioxide that plantsneed for photosynthesis.
4 Keep a check on the CO2
level using a TetraTest
Laborett kit.It needs to
be between 515mg/l.
5 Do not overstock the
aquarium and avoid plant-
eating fish (ask before
purchasing them).
6 In well-stocked
aquariums, provide gentle
aeration at night with a
TetraTec APS air pump.
7 Keep your plants healthy
with regular fertilisation.Use TetraPlant PlantaMinfor your finer aquatic
plants (e.g. Myriophyllum,
Cabomba, Hygrophila,
Vallisneria), and
TetraPlant Cryptotablets
for 'feature' plants such
as Amazon swordsand Cryptocorynes. A
combination of these
two is ideal.
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Tetra (UK) Limited, PO Box 271, Southampton SO18 3ZX Email: [email protected]
www.sparsholt.ac.uk
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