An Introduction To The Planted Aquarium
By Allen Jesson
Many aquarium keepers think that a planted aquarium is much more difficult to maintain than an unplanted one, but live plants will actually help the aquarium owner with the maintenance work by having a beneficial influence on the water quality. A well-planted aquarium can also reduce stress in fishes and make them more prone to spawning. Many common fish diseases will primarily attack stressed fish, and providing your aquarium inhabitants with a safe and restful environment that is similar to their native home is therefore a very wise decision. There are however many fish species that should not be kept with plants since they will destroy them. There are also many fish species that will feel more at home in an aquarium decorated with rocks and caves, or empty sea shells, than with plants. (You can of course combine live plants, rocks and empty sea shells in the same setup.)
If you are a beginner aquarium keeper, or have not kept live plants before, you should ideally begin with sturdy plant species such as Java Fern or Amazon sword. These plants can adapt to a wide range of different water conditions, which means that you can place them in most aquariums regardless of exact temperature, pH and hardiness. They are also sturdy enough to withstand nibbling fishes, and if a plant becomes uprooted by a digging fish it is usually not a catastrophe for the plant. If your fishes are very fond of digging, you can instead opt for floating plants or plants that can be attached to aquarium decoration instead of being planted in the substrate.
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