Many plants do not grow well in an aquarium. Do they need mineral supplements?

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It happens when some type of aquarium plants does not take root or the plant used to grow normally, but suddenly began to wither and die. The reasons that led to the death of plants can be found out without difficulty.

Such reasons may be: inappropriate this species plants lighting, low temperature water, brown algae, when plants covered with brown bloom are deprived of all metabolic processes. Nutrient-poor soil and unsuitable hydrochemical composition of water are rare reasons, but they do exist.

Fish and snails, pinching off and eating young leaves, can have no less detrimental effect on plants. Reasons why they don't grow aquarium plants may be several at the same time.

Barb fish, just like goldfish, can pinch off young leaves of plants

I remember the case when the plant Ludwigia creeping almost disappeared in my aquarium. At that moment, when I rushed to save Ludwigia, only a small 2.5-3 cm, almost bare piece of the stem remained from her. The only reason for the disappearance of Ludwigia was insufficient lighting, although other types of aquarium plants grew quite satisfactorily under the same lighting.

There was no time to rebuild the lighting of the aquarium for the light-loving Ludwigia. Yes, and do it for a tall aquarium with the presence of tall plants not so easy, so I decided to transplant a tiny stalk of ludwigia separately into a round aquarium, using it as a substrate river sand, but as lighting homemade lamp with 40 W incandescent lamp.

It must be said that the result then exceeded all expectations, and Ludwigia, receiving the necessary light, multiplied in the red spectrum, plus elevated temperature The water from the incandescent bulb was rising just fine.

I cut the first grown Ludwigia bush into cuttings and planted it all over the bottom of the round aquarium, and after two weeks the problem with the restoration of Ludwigia as an endangered plant species in my aquarium was completely solved.

Ludwigia repens aquarium plant

But is it worth it to grow plants that, unlike other species, create this kind of problem? Another thing this time, when the cause of the approaching death of plants are heterophyllous hygrophiles and multi-seeded hygrophils, eating young leaves of plants by barb fish and tall cryptocorynes shading the light.

Hygrophila polysperma

Hygrophila variegated in nature, the plant is unpretentious and once grew in my aquarium very quickly and simply, and now from it there is a small stem with a few gnawed leaves. It will be very difficult to save the hygrophila variegated, which has about five days left to live.

Hygrophila heterophylla can be grown both in the ground and as a floating plant. There are numerous roots on the stem of this plant, and the plant itself, actively developing, is able to absorb dissolved organic matter directly from the water, and this, in my opinion, is more valuable than others.

Hygrophila heterophylla

This time I no longer have a round aquarium in which I once saved Ludwigia, and I had to use a cut-off five-liter bottle. As a soil, I poured river sand, and as lighting table lamp with 40 W incandescent lamp.

When the plants begin to grow and grow up, I will transplant them into another aquarium, but as they say, it’s better not to guess.

They do not grow, first of all it must be properly illuminated. To do this, you need to turn on fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps so that the lighting can be varied. The length of daylight hours for plants should be no more than 12 hours, and the intensity of lighting should go on increasing - from less light to more. Also plants from time to time should be using a hose with a funnel at the end. It will save the leaves of plants from soil precipitation, which slows down their growth - clean soil will settle down.

The more fish in the aquarium, the more often it is desirable to resort to the procedure for cleansing plants from silt and food residues.

In addition, the growth of plants in an aquarium depends on the composition of the water, which must contain a certain amount of substances dissolved in it. So, if there is a minimum amount of salts in the aquarium water, the plants will grow better. At the same time, the water should not be too soft - rather, moderately hard. Also, plants may not grow due to metal salts present in the aquarium water. They are responsible for the normal functioning of the aquarium flora, so their concentration should not be exceeded.

Rules for the care of aquarium plants

The aquarium should be intensively lit (40 watts of fluorescent light at 0.3-0.4 square meters water surface). When installing incandescent lamps, the power should double. The water in the aquarium should be changed several times a week. If the plants refuse to grow in the aquarium or their condition is unsatisfactory, you need to put into it not a large number of fish caring for plants - labeo, mollies, girinocheils, guppies or platies.

It is desirable to plant an aquarium densely, while using a diverse species composition of plants.

The main types of fish living in an aquarium should not be large in size. In addition, they should not be herbivorous or burrowing, as this adversely affects the growth and condition of plants. They should be fed very moderately so as not to pollute the water. Before launching the fish into the aquarium, the plants should be given several weeks to adapt, and, at the slightest sign of deviation from normal development, soften the water, intensifying this process. Remember that plants have fairly inert reactions, so they need to be closely monitored.

Quite a popular question that can be heard from an inexperienced or novice aquarist who is faced with the fact that the plants in his aquarium do not grow or grow extremely slowly.

Usually the situation is aggravated by the fact that the beginner does not know the characteristics of his plants, nor their requirements for water parameters or top dressing. Causes poor growth or the lack of growth of aquarium plants lie in the following:

• Inappropriate lighting
• Aquarium overgrown with algae
• Water that is not suitable for its parameters
• Lack of essential micro and macro elements

In addition to sufficient power, an aquarium lamp must have a certain emission spectrum, which is characterized by a color temperature scale measured in Kelvin (K) and indicated on the packaging.

The power of the aquarium lamp should be sufficient for the light to reach the bottom of the aquarium.

An aquarium overgrown with algae hinders the growth of aquarium plants. Plants and algae compete for nutrients, and with an aquarium overgrown with algae, the plants get nothing, which causes slow or absent growth.

Too hard water also slows down and stops the growth of aquarium plants. Make sure the aquarium water is between 2-6 degrees carbonate hardness (kH). Settled hardness tap water can reach 10-20 degrees of carbonate hardness (kH), which must be taken into account when starting an aquarium and weekly water changes.

The lack of micro and macro elements affects appearance aquarium plants and growth.

What to do

By the appearance of aquarium plants, one can judge which microelements the plants lack. Yellow leaves aquarium plants symbolize the lack of some trace elements, and holes in the leaves indicate a lack of others. The lack of a large number of trace elements affects growth. This happens in aquariums without fish or in aquariums with poor soil, poor in nutrients and trace elements.

Make sure the aquarium does not have the problems described above. Start the test with an assessment of the illumination of the aquarium and the hardness of the water. If the aquarium is overgrown with algae, then eliminate the cause of the appearance and put the aquarium in order. Study the requirements for the content of those plants that are in your aquarium.

Why do aquarium plants grow poorly? The most appropriate answer is the bad conditions created in the aquarium. Then what needs to be done in order for the plants to grow better? To solve the problem, you should use some recommendations.

Causes of slow growth of aquarium plants

In an ordinary freshwater aquarium, it develops in such a way that living plants die. Why is this happening? There should not be a large number of fish in the aquarium. Their metabolic products large quantities harm plants. If you decide to add more neighbors to the fish, think about whether this decision is right. Perhaps it is better to purchase another tank, and move some of the fish there.

The amount of light also affects the life of aquatic seedlings. natural light or artificial lighting should be dispersed throughout the area of ​​the aquarium. The length of daylight hours for most plants is 10-12 hours. Lighting is best done with fluorescent lamps power 0.4-0.5 W. Set the intensity of the light yourself, but it is better to start from dim, and ending with brighter. But as a result of intense lighting in the water, algae can rapidly multiply, which will also interfere with the growth of plants.

Feed the fish should be in small portions, it is better to give as much food 2 times a day as they will eat in 2-5 minutes. It is important not to overfeed, otherwise the leftover food will oxidize, resulting in the formation of toxic ammonia, which is also loved by algae. Remove leftover food with a siphon with a hose, resort to this procedure as often as possible. Do not forget to purify the water with a filter, do weekly water changes with fresh water. Aquarium plants prefer clear, infused water.

Why don't the plants in the aquarium get bigger and taller? You need to find out the parameters of the aquatic environment in which fish and plants live. Water is crucial for the well-being of all living organisms. The appearance of vegetation, its growth, reproduction depends on the composition of water. The less salt heavy metals in water, the better plants will feel. It is also recommended to make periodic measurements of water for toxic substances, acidity, hardness, oxygen levels and carbon dioxide. Many plant species grow well in a pH-neutral environment, in water of medium hardness. The hardness range is 4-15 dH, and the acidity pH 5.5-6.5 suits many aquarium plants.

In addition to salts that affect water hardness, there are also metal salts (lead, tin, copper, zinc) that can affect the functioning of seedlings. AT certain quantities they are useful but overkill allowable rate fraught with the death of the seedling. Salts contain residues of acids (nitrogenous, nitrate), the concentration of which in water can be several times higher than the permissible threshold. It is not easy for plants to process them, so they grow poorly or die.

Seedlings may not grow well due to a cramped aquarium and poor soil. Tropical species love silty, humus-rich soil. If the roots don't get enough useful substances, they die. Try to use fertilizers that will help restore the structure of the root system. A cramped aquarium is also a reason for poor growth. The stem will never grow to its desired height if there is not enough room for it.

Water temperature below normal also provokes slow growth. Some plants of temperate latitudes easily tolerate a wide range temperature regime(from 14 to 27°C). Plants native to tropical latitudes can only live in warm water (22-26°C). Lowering the recommended temperature threatens extinction. Algae are thought to be harmful, but cladophora algae is a very hardy species that endures moderately cool and warm water. Also hardy are aquarium mosses and ferns.

What should be done to improve the growth of aquatic plants?

1. The lighting should be of such intensity that the light is scattered over the entire surface of the bottom of the tank, reaching a depth of 50 cm. Incandescent lamps are very powerful, so they need to be turned on for a short time, unlike fluorescent lamps.
2. The hardness of the water medium should not be higher than 15-20o.
3. Do partial replacements water, clean the soil with a hose with a funnel. Repeat the procedure 1-2 times a week.
4. Plants must be present in the aquarium different types, preferably as many bushes as possible.
5. It is not recommended to place fish in the aquarium that harm the greenery - they eat it, dig up the soil with roots.
6. It is better to place fish in the aquarium that are careful about vegetation - these are labeo, moths, guppies, platies, young ancistrus, girinocheils, catfish corridors.
7. Feed your fish in moderation without overfeeding.
8. If the seedlings are in unsatisfactory condition, take measurements using indicators, soften the water if necessary.
9. Before starting a new tank, plants should be quarantined for 2-3 weeks.
10. Many species are adapted to aquatic environment gradually, they are passive in their reactions. Observation is required to understand whether the seedling was able to adapt to new conditions.

Knowing everything possible reasons why the plants are not getting bigger and taller, you can gradually solve the problem. Make a list of actions, set the correct mode in the aquarium, do everything possible to restore the biological balance of the mini-ecosystem.

The most important condition for successful cultivation plants is compliance required indicators active reaction and water hardness.

Mineral fertilizers introduced into the aquarium play a large, but not always decisive role for good growth plants. The nature of the soil is also very important, but only if the physical and chemical parameters of the water are satisfactory.

It should be noted that for the content various plants required and different parameters water. Vallisneria, ferns prefer very soft, slightly acidic water (hardness less than 4°, pH 6.2–6.8), cryptocorynes and echinodorus grow well in water with a hardness of 8–20°, pH 6.8–7.5, bluema, Java moss is not demanding on water and can grow successfully in various conditions. All these plants can be combined in one aquarium, but some of them will grow better, others worse. Maintaining water indicators that would suit everyone is quite difficult.

Dirt snails of the melania genus, common among aquarium lovers, do not spoil the roots of plants. But many fish are "interested" in plants. So, most cichlids undermine the roots and destroy the leaves, the barbs often pluck out the apical shoots, the metinnis completely eat all the greens.

For most plants to grow well, regular water changes are essential. To stimulate growth, it is necessary to replace 1/4 of the water weekly, and in terms of pH and hardness, it should be close to the aquarium.

As the soil in the aquarium, it is preferable to use small pebbles. The soil quickly silts naturally, which favors the growth of all rooted plants. Additional feeding in the form of clay or peat, introduced under the roots, crucial for the development of plants does not, but can improve their growth in the new soil under favorable conditions.

The conditions in the aquarium should be changed gradually, over 7-9 days. Rapid change in conditions, even in better side will harm the plants. Frequent plant transplants should also be avoided.