How to Add Live Plants to Freshwater Tropical Fish Tanks

Plants can add a whole new dimension to a freshwater tropical fish tank, providing not only a naturalistic beauty, but shelter for your fish to explore. There are literally dozens upon dozens of different types of plants you can add, most of which are available at local pet stores or from online retailers. Adding them to your aquarium is a fairly easy task, but there a few considerations you have to make first and a few materials you should gather.

Things You'll Need

  • Twisting plant weights
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check your water quality to make sure it is optimal, with a temperature of around 80 to 85 degrees F and a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0. Also make sure that there is adequate UV lighting, using fluorescent lighting instead of incandescent. Fluorescent uses one long UV bulb, or sometimes two, while incandescent uses two standard light bulbs.

    • 2

      Examine the plants to be added to your aquarium and remove any snails. Snails often attach themselves to plants in pet stores and once added to your tank can proliferate quickly, becoming a nuisance.

    • 3

      Place the plant under a faucet and gently rinse it with warm water to remove any loose dirt or dead leaves.

    • 4

      Wrap the plant weights, which twist like twisty ties, around the bottom of the plant. This ensures that it will not float up from the bottom.

    • 5

      Bury the bottom of the plant, including its roots, in the gravel, sand, or other substrate you have in your tank. Some plants do not need to be buried and are instead free-floating, like water sprite or water hyacinth.