How to Make an Anchor for Aquarium Plants

Aquatic plants add beauty to an aquarium and supply oxygen to the fish. Living plants also make use of carbon dioxide, which can suffocate fish if allowed to build up in the tank. Most aquarium plants must be anchored in the substrate, and thin lead strips are ideal for this purpose. These strips are soft and bendable, and they're nontoxic in your fish tank. You can secure plants such as moss to driftwood or rocks, using very thin cable ties or dark thread.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquatic plants
  • Work surface
  • Lead aquarium strips
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Driftwood
  • Rocks (optional)
  • Dark thread
  • Cable ties (optional)
  • Plastic tongs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the plants from their plastic packaging, and place them on a clean work surface

    • 2

      Use a sharp pair of scissors to trim away any dead or yellow leaves.

    • 3

      Carefully wrap one of the soft, bendable lead anchor strips around the base of the first plant, just above the roots.

    • 4

      Wrap the lead strip so it forms a complete ring around the plant̵7;s stem. Make the lead tight enough that it won't slip off the plant, but loose enough to allow for some growth from the plant.

    • 5

      Use plastic tongs to make a number of depressions or holes in the gravel. Rinse your hand and arm to remove any soap residue or lotions, which are harmful in aquariums, and place each plant into a hole in the gravel.

    • 6

      Group three or four plants of the same species together, and place tall plants toward the rear of the aquarium. Use the plastic tongs to scrape gravel back around the roots of the plants.

    • 7

      Place three or four pieces of driftwood in the aquarium, to hide the plant bases and lead anchors from view.

    • 8

      Place one or two more pieces of driftwood on a clean work surface. Using very thin cable ties or pieces of dark thread, attach some moss to the wood.

    • 9

      Use one or two rocks in the place of the driftwood, if you so choose.

    • 10

      Remove the driftwood or rocks, after the moss has begun to grow and has attached itself to either. Cut off the cable ties or thread, and return the driftwood or rocks to the aquarium.