How to Plant Aquatic Anacharis

Aquatic anacharis is one of the easiest freshwater plants to grow and propagate. Whether you are using it in a fish tank or outdoor pond, anacharis is a great plant for oxygenating water and providing green food for herbivorous fish and invertebrates.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquatic anacharis
  • Forked planting stick
  • Scissors
  • Rock or driftwood
  • Fishing line
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Instructions

  1. Plant Aquatic Anacharis

    • 1

      Purchase aquatic anacharis with fleshy green stems and many leaves around each stalk. They are usually sold bundled with a rubber band or weighted clamp. Remove the band or clamp immediately to prevent stem death underneath it. Rinse the anacharis plants well with clear water to help remove any micro-organisms or eggs, such as snail or insect eggs.

    • 2

      Drop stalks of aquatic anacharis into an existing fish tank or warm pond. This plant will grow easily while floating about. The fish tank or pond should have quality light or sunlight for most of the day and have water between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 3

      Strip off the bottom inch of leaves from each anacharis stem if you wish to root them in the aquarium substrate. Use scissors to cut off any dry or dying stem end. Dig a small hole about an inch deep and bury the end of each aquatic plant stem in it. The anacharis will root in a few weeks.

    • 4

      Anchor these oxygenating water plants without planting them in the substrate by gently tying them to a rock or piece of driftwood in the tank. Do not bind the stems because this will result in their death. Rather, loop fishing line loosely around the rock and the stem simply so it does not float away.

    • 5

      Cut off the tops of aquatic anacharis regularly to keep the plant under water and to propagate new plants. Any trimmed off length of this plant can be floated or planted as described above to create another anacharis plant.