Transporting And Shipping Aquatic Plants as they do it from our favorite online source gets us the plants we want in the best condition we ever found (this is including our local pet stores). As online shopping has grown in popularity, it has become more common to purchase live aquarium plants from retailers outside of the buyer’s local area. Aquatic plants can usually be shipped without much worry, but there are a few things to remember.

The primary concern for shipping live aquarium plants is that they will be shipped alive, and arrive in the same condition. If aquatic plants are being shipped to a frigid locale, it may be best to wait until warmer weather, or communicate with the buyer and work out a method that will allow delivery directly into human hands. Various shipping services (we use FedEx) can handle this, as well as normal postal delivery which requires a signature at the door. This additional expense is much less important during warm months, as long as the live aquarium plants are properly packaged for shipping.

If the aquatic plants being shipped are bulbs, or otherwise in a dormant state, they are safe to ship in an ordinary bulk mailing envelope. Some live aquarium plants, however, may require the use of a shipping container or box. Any aquatic plants that are transported with soil should be carefully packed in a box. It is a good idea to label the package as “LIVE AQUATIC PLANTS”, to give added protection during handling.

Inside the shipping container, place the live aquarium plants in a water-tight plastic bag. Always be sure that such bags are of the same quality as used for human foods. These are not chemically treated, and will not pose a threat to the aquatic plants. Wrap the root system of the aquatic plants in paper packing, or even cotton, which can retain water. The more of the aquatic plant that can be covered in this way, the better it will be for the final delivery of living aquarium plants.

To recap:
1. Check the delivery destination’s temperature, or ship aquatic plants via direct delivery.

2. Choose a package that is suitable for the aquatic plants being transported.

3. Place live aquarium plants into waterproof interior packages.

4. Aquatic plants require transporting in wet to moist packing material.

5. Live aquarium plants may be fragile, and should be labeled accordingly.

David
AquaticMagic ~ Grow Happiness

Once live aquarium plants have been introduced to the tank, how can you know that you’ve done well? There are a few methods available, but for the hobbyist, aquatic plant vitality is easy to see. But if you want to, you can check the weight. The most popular method I’ve found is to use a salad spinner, and a 30 second drying cycle during spinning, and then weigh the live aquarium plant using an accurate scale maybe one used for weighing letters and packages.

Simple observation and measurement will be sufficient for most uses. When the aquarium plant is first introduced to the tank, make a note of it’s height, number of leafy extrusions (not all aquatic plants have true leaves), number of stalks, and any buds that may be present on the aquatic plant.

On a regular schedule of every 3 days, or even every 7 days, measure the aquarium plant’s growth, and make a note of any increase. Watch for broken or “mushy” areas on the plant which may result from fish contact or even consumption. If there were buds present, carefully observe them for sprouts or other growth, and watch for new budding to appear. Lack of plant growth may also be indicated by increased algae formation.

For nearly all situations, this simple check will adequately determine the health and vitality of your live aquarium plants. I always use this checklist:
1. Has the aquatic plant become “mushy”, wilted, or even broken?

2. Have buds sprouted, or new buds appeared?

3.  Is the aquarium plant taller, thicker, or bushier?

4.  Has algae formation decreased? Healthy aquarium plants reduce algae growth!

P.S. It is always great to take a digital photo of your aquarium tank once every 2 weeks to better observe the growth of the plants.

All the best!

David

Having a heated substrate is largely considered beneficial to live aquarium plants. Warmth at the bottom of the tanks promotes decomposition of aquatic plant and animal wastes that are absorbed into the substrate. Many aquatic plants are tropical, and are much healthier with this environment. Faster breakdown of waste deposits means more vital nutrients for the live aquarium plants. Let’s look at how substrate heating is important to aquarium plants.

In a tank’s ecosystem, aquatic plants provide waste removal. By heating their root systems, faster healthier growth of live aquarium plants is encouraged. Aquarium plants then release oxygen into the water, as well as providing vital shelter and occasional food. Not only do aquatic plants prosper with a heated substrate, but many tropical fish will thrive in warm waters with lush aquarium plants. A heated substrate filters and breaks down chemicals that are required by live aquarium plants. In a tropical tank, aquatic plants grow faster with subsoil heating, which gives tropical aquarium plants longer, healthier stalks and branches.

Live aquarium plants can be adversely affected, also. Make sure the temperature is set to match the needs of the aquatic plants and fish. Since aquatic plants come from different regional zones, aquarium plant heating needs must be assessed according to which fish and live aquarium plants respond well at each temperature gradient. Aquarium plants will seem to wilt, or lose vitality if soil and water temperatures are too low or high. For most aquatic plants, light is associated with heat, and both should have weak or reduced periods each day to promote aquarium plant health. Always consider how the live aquarium plants would exist in their natural environment.

Another consideration for healthy live aquarium plants, is the type of substrate being used. While many aquarium plants only require an anchoring plant, other aquatic plants draw sustenance directly from the soils they grow in. Obviously, this type of live aquarium plant will do better in a substrate which promotes root growth, and rapid waste breakdown. Clay based substrate may not be suitable, for these aquatic plants, but they might do well in a loose gravelly environment.

For larger, lusher live aquarium plants, substrate heating is what works best for us. Healthy plants encourage greater vitality in fish as well. The entire environment of fish and aquatic plants depends on both sides being well adapted to the tank conditions. As the primary filtration system, heating the substrate encourages rapid decomposition, and discourages algae growth. It can be crucial to a beautiful tank with live aquarium plants.

We all want these beautiful tanks. I know I do.

David
AquaticMagic - Grow Happiness

Which type of aquarium stand would fit in with your home decor? There are some made of metal and some of wood. But before you concern yourself with how it looks make sure it can support and secure your tank without danger of collapse or being knocked over. The younger your kids are the more sturdy your stand should be for reasons of safety.

Most wood aquarium stands are really an attractive piece of furniture to add to your home. Generally they will be made of treated wood that is durable and water resistant in case you spill some water while doing the maintenance. Stands that are painted will have a water resistant type paint used.

Most people prefer a wooden stand rather than a metal one. You can pick a table type or a cabinet type. The cabinet type is handy for storing all the supplies you need to maintain your tank and feed your fish. Those who can afford it often order a custom made aquarium to match the stand. No need to place it in an out of the way corner when it would blend in perfectly in a living room or den.

Perhaps a metal stand would be a better choice until you are established in your new hobby of fish keeping. Although wood is much more attractive, why not make sure you purchase all supplies at reasonable prices. You can enjoy your new hobby without spending a fortune all at once. After all, you have to reserve some money for buying the main item, your pet fish…

Since fish keeping can be an expensive hobby for a student or low budget family, one might consider shopping around online for the best prices and services for your aquarium stand as well as your supplies. There are many resources available online.

After you got your aquarium stand ready, it is time to get your planted tank on your new stand.

David

Customers around the world who build a start-up tank are usually people who are beginners or small time hobbyists. A new hobbyist or a beginner can learn so many things from this small tank before they begin to make it bigger. Today we are going to discuss some of the features for low light in small but low tech tanks.

Low lights are ideally suited for beginners or those hobbyists who would rather not spend lots of time maintaining their tanks. Development of plants is slow when the tank is “reasonable” and the aqua-scape remains static for long periods of time. This contrasts to a high light, high tech tank that changes from week to week with lots of nutrient additions and pruning of rapid growth.

When we talk about low tech tanks, generally it refers to low light and no CO2 injection. To create a successful low tech tank, I will suggest steps as listed below.  My experiences have been critical for success.

Step 1
Initiate with 1 to 2 watts per gallon of linear normal output fluorescent lighting. Use two lamps (bulbs).  There is no need to purchase expensive aquaria specific bulbs; choose bulbs with a color rating between 5000K and 10000K. I suggest you use a mix of 6500K and 9325K bulbs.

Step 2
Choose a “rich” substrate. I suggest not using plain gravel, as it is a poor choice. Still, if you prefer plain gravel, mix in a few handfuls of ground peat and some laterite. You will find this iron-rich clay substrate at your local fish store or online. There are other combinations of substrate materials that can also be used. Just a note, always add the peat in addition to the sand, Flourite, or other material. If you have an already established tank, adding some mulm from that tank’s substrate really helps a new tank. Substrate depth should be 3-5 inches. Remember, you locate the peat and laterite in the bottom 1/3 of the substrate.

Step 3
Any style filter, even bio-wheel filters, are fine because we aren’t trying to inject CO2. Bio-wheels won’t cause a loss of CO2 in a non injected tank and, remember, do not use undergravel filters.

Once you are done with this process, 75 percent of the plants grow fast, especially their stems. Adding some floating hornwort or something similar is also very beneficial at the start. Limit surface coverage to 20 percent. Stock with small fish that aren’t too low in number during the start-up period.  Try to keep a low fish load in a low tech planted tank. It is an excellent idea to have an algae clean-up crew consisting of one or any combination of the following: Siamese Algae Eater (SAE), Amano or Cherry Shrimp, Otocinclus (Otos catfish), American Flag or Florida Flag Fish, and Rosey Barbs..

Final Steps
The final step is what makes most people embarrassed: Leave it alone. Do not change the water and don’t add any fertilizer. Just adding tap water weekly, or as needed, to top off the tank due to evaporation is all that is required. If your plants show signs of nutrient deficiencies, you can add a comprehensive fertilizer such as Flourish or Tropica Master Grow once a week until improvement is noticed; thereafter, add it only once a month. Limit water changes to times when you have immediately uprooted plants or done a major pruning. Personally, I change water in my low tech tanks about once every 3-4 months at pruning or replanting time.

My experience says, “leave the tank alone” and you won’t be disappointed. The more you try your hand with this type of tank, the more likely you’ll upset the balance and algae problems will appear. If this approach seems too tame and you desire more involvement, then you should consider the high light CO2 injected tank.

Before you are ready to get your hand dirty, read here for more guides on how to setup a planted tank

David

As we have discussed before, tanks and fish are both healthier with live aquarium plants.

But what if you already had artificial aquatic plants, and want to move up to the real thing? The process isn’t difficult, and can be completed in a short period of time. Live aquarium plants are certain to make your tank more appealing to both outside observers and to the fish who live with them. Go ahead and pull the artificial flora out of your tank, to begin with, and we’ll look at how to replace them with living aquarium plants.

The first rule of adding live aquarium plants is to make sure that the existing fish are healthy in the tank. This will tell you some clues that the nitrate level is under control, likely with very frequent water change. It is hard to strike ecological balance in a tank without plants. Aquatic plants require, among other things, phosphorous and nitrogen which are best delivered via live fish.

Assuming that you began with a tank with fish and fake flora, and the fakes are now removed. On the other hand, let’s look at the fish involved - it needs the presence of live aquarium plants as much as the other way round. The water is considered “poisonous” to the fish, if the nitrate level induced by the untreated fish waste are getting too high. It affects the water parameters, including pH value. Live plants are able to moderate the situation.

Tropical fish are more inclined to prefer tropical aquatic plants. Live aquarium plants which are poisonous are no good, as are aquatic plants that are too appealing (they’d get eaten right away). With a little research, you’ll be able to find out which aquatic plants are safest for and with your fish. A mixture of aquatic plants that fish will eat, and ones that are merely decorative is a good choice, since it covers all the bases. Anyways, it’s what works best for us.

David
AquaticMagic - Grow Happiness

When out shopping for live aquarium plants the wide range available can result in a penchant to pick a bit of everything that catches your fancy. If you have several plants of diverse types all in the same tank, they will be competing for light and food and very soon you will find that the hardiest ones have occupied most of the space causing the others to perish. Hence, control yourself and restrict your choice to about three types. You could select two aquatic plants to create a mass in the back of the tank and one for the middle.

You may use Sagittaria or Vallisneria as one of the aquatic plants to put at the back but make sure you don’t use both in the same tank as they have a tendency to vie with each other. A bushy aquarium plant in the back of the tank would look nice. You could use Hygrophila which grows very easily. However, if you are looking for something that is more decorative you can go in for Ludwigia or Cabomba-Limnophila. If you are going to have a cold water aquarium, these are your best options.

For the center, it is advisable to use a beautiful plant - Echinodorus, Aponogeton or Cryptocoryne if yours is a warm water aquarium. For a cold water aquarium, you may choose from Muphar, Ranunculus and Hottonia.

Aquatic plants should be fleshy and color-intense; don’t pick up those that are drooping and lifeless. The majority of aquarium plants are fragile when they are removed from the water and should be lifted up by using extreme care. Don’t ever lift them out from the center of the stem; the best way to pick them up is by holding them at the base, allowing them to hang down from your hand. Choose aquatic plants which are only half grown and have plenty of leaves.

A lot of aquarium plants that multiply through cuttings will have thin roots like hair coming out of the nodes where the branches grow. Select this kind as they will take root sooner. Plants having crowns should have high-quality roots which should be fleshy and hairy.

From all the aquarium plants that you would find in the stores, the ones mentioned here have been verified to be the most dependable and fascinating. Make sure you select really healthy ones and you will be on your way to having an attractive aquarium with happy fish swimming around.

Read on more if you wish to find out how to setup a planted tank.

David

For your aquarium plants to grow healthy, soil or substrate is a vital consideration. Aquatic plants are found to record enhanced development using this simple method of creating a two layer soil.

1. Lower layer
For the lower layer, add sufficient water to some vermiculite so as to wet it but not so much that it begins to float. Press and pound the vermiculite to make sure there is no air trapped inside and also to make the layer as thin as can be. Now, put in some soil that you have dug up from the garden. Make sure the concoction is not gooey or your tank will have a cloudy appearance when you fill it with water; if not, add more vermiculite and soil. It should look like cake batter ready to go into the oven. This becomes the lower layer of the soil which provides the aquatic plants with a great medium through which their roots enter and absorb nutrients. Make this layer as thick as possible, but then, not so thick that it mars the beauty of your tank.

2. Upper Layer
For the upper layer, you can use about an inch or two of sand only to act as a shield and prevent the lower layer from making the water cloudy. The most highly recommended is the sandblasting grit number three which is normally available for US$10 per bag of 100 pounds. You may use any sand as long as it is not too fine and not from the sea. Number 3 sand is approximately 2mm in size. If you think the sand is dirty, you may wash it first. Then put it in on top of the first layer. This second layer of sand can be between one and two inches thick.

Lasty,
Fill water into the tank with the utmost care. Keep something like a flat tray down in the tank while filling in water to make sure that the soil doesn’t rise up and make the water muddy. The water will be extremely clear if you have been cautious. Else, if the soil does muddle up the water, it might take anywhere from two to five days for the soil to settle again. Whenever you dig up an aquatic plant, a little bit of soil might come up, but it poses no problem.

After you finish putting in your aquarium plants, you may add a bit of fertilizer to the lower layer.

Read here to find out how to make a moss wall for your aquarium tank, or
Read here to understand how to choose the combination of plants and fish in your newly setup tank

David

As mentioned in our previous article on Interior aquarium, let’s discuss more about Ecological aquarium here.

The ecological aquarium is an example of creation of an underwater paradise for your pet fish based upon their needs and likes. Bringing them into your home is for your pleasure of course, but a lovely and natural environment is what will keep them alive, happy and thriving.

When you create an atmosphere in which they will breed and produce fry to continue a generation of new pet fish, you have created both beauty and function. This in itself is an example of artistic creation. You will invest time, money and energy and as a result you will be able to watch beautiful and realistic scenes of underwater activities of your fish.

If the fish like it, you will like it too. If they take an occasional nibble on the live aquarium plants that is actually rather interesting to watch also. Eventually, appearance and well being of aquarium inhabitants will affect you in a pleasant way.

If you intend to lodge freshwater devil fish in your tank along with a piece of coral reef you can laugh at the idea of little plastic towers and bridges. What would a real fish do with a tower? How would a fish utilize a bridge. It is better to consult with experts who will instruct you as to which aquarium is suitable for which fish and the type of freshwater plants would be suitable for those fish. The placement in the home or office are also important.

If on the other hand,  you make a start from the concrete form and have already chosen the location in your office or your home, select corresponding inhabitants who may find it a suitable environment. The exotic fish provide aesthetic pleasure to the human who chooses to keep them as underwater pets.

For benefit of both Aquarist and fish it is best to seek out the advice of an expert before buying plants which will be dead in two months or may be detrimental to the fish sharing the aquarium.

As a summary of what we have discussed:
* The main attractive feature of the interior aquarium is its ideal design which complies perfectly to the space it occupies.
* Fish in such aquariums often feel uncomfortable or will not survive due to discomfort.
* The focal point is to make something that simply looks good.
* The Dutch aquarium is an original underwater garden set up to appeal to the aesthetic sense.
* An ecological aquarium differs radically to the interior aquarium.
* You set up and design the underwater environment of the ecological aquarium to be a vivacious interactive habitat for the keeping of fish.
* It may be aesthetically pleasing to you especially when filled with the thriving fish population you have chosen to live in it.
* The inexperienced aquarist should approach this delightful hobby with the attitude of “fishy needs first, human needs second.”
* Create something based on the helpful advice of experts which both you and your fish will enjoy.
* The home ecosystem with sea flora and fauna is more labour consuming, but at the end, it is your labor and your success.

If  you missed out the previous article, please read on for more information on Interior aquarium tank.

We wish you a pleasant journey in building your Ecological aquarium tank!
David

Depending on the space they fill in a home or office, aquariums can be divided into two types: Interior or Ecological.

We shall discuss about the Interior aquarium over here, and they are known as Dutch aquarium as well.

The main thing about the interior aquarium is its ideal shape or size to fill the space it will be kept in. As a rule, this aquariums also fills a niche and performs the function of enhancing the room or office it was created for. There may be a sconce or other lighting placed nearby to provide a sense of quiet twilight for the purpose of relaxation and decoration.

This type of aquarium will often have a very unusual form such as a column. A high and narrow aquarium is likely to bend due to the additional weight of the water when added. Not only does the design not prove to be functional, but the fish will not be comfortable.

The discomfort of the fish will not be beneficial to their health. Everything looks beautiful and unusually attractive. But what beauty can there be in dead fish. The Dutch aquarium may be fashionable now but fish are not creatures of fashion, they require the comfort of an underwater environment similar to what they would have experienced in the wild.

This concept of the Dutch aquarium is really artistic and in compliance with the laws of harmony and beauty. It is an underwater landscape consisting of multi colored aquatic plants. There are some very realistic silk plants along with artificial plants made of other materials that are lovely, but they are only for show. The Dutch aquarium is a copy of an original underwater landscape.

An aquarium filled with stagnant displays of artificial plants provides beauty to the eye however, the purpose of the aquarium is defeated. The Dutch aquarium may present a back wall which is a background for rock terraces of various sizes and colors of stones but the ecological variation is one of true to nature beauty and provides the perfect living conditions for fish. A true aquarist began his interest in this hobby because he wanted to have pet fish.

Make it simple, we are not too impressive of such interior aquarium, for the sake of the fish. What do you think?

Please read on for more information on Ecological aquarium tank.

David