Do Aquariums Need Live Plants?

Fish do not need live plants in their environment to live, as plastic plants are an acceptable substitute for emulating the fish's environment. But there are benefits to putting living plants into your aquarium.

  1. Function

    • Live aquarium plants can act as supplemental food for fish that are herbivores. They can also add helpful bacteria to the tank, which can aid in waste breakdown.

    Benefits

    • The major thing that plants add to an aquarium is the natural circulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. According to the Freshwater Fish Aquarium Source, it benefits your fish's health if their aquarium imitates their natural environment as closely as possible.

    Considerations

    • The upkeep of aquariums with live plants is considerably more than that of an aquarium with plastic plants, requiring a 50 percent water change weekly. Depending on the type of plants you want, the setup can also be complicated, as the pH must be very precise (between 6.0 and 6.9) according to articles on Practical Fishkeeping.

    Size

    • According to Aqua-Fish.net, aquarium plants can range from 5 to 200 cm in length, with many variants in circumference.

    Time Frame

    • If you do plan on utilizing live plants, it takes about a week to prepare the tank before it is ready to be inhabited by fish.