Aquatic Plants - The Science Backstory

In my last blog entry, I covered the basics of Aquatic Plants in aquarium life. This week, I will cover the nuts and bolts of how plant life affects the environment. In other words, the science behind the curtain of tank walls. So, let's hop right in with the first topic: Carbon Dioxide.

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

Without carbon dioxide, plants cannot perform photosynthesis (the process where they turn light energy into energy that they can use). Most plants will do well with the carbon dioxide produced by breathing fish and other animals in the aquarium, but there are of course exceptions. Some aquarists use CO2 injections to promote plant growth. This can produce wonderful results when balanced with sufficient lighting and necessary nutrients. Even plants that would survive without any additional CO2 can start growing much more rapidly when they receive extra CO2. CO2 can come from fermentation or from a gas cylinder filled with liquid CO2. 

Fermentation
Producing CO2 through fermentation is actually quite straightforward and can be carried out even by aquarists on a limited budget. You will need a 1.5-2.0 liter plastic bottle. Poke a hole in the cap and let an airline tube run through it. (The attachment must be airtight.) The airline should ideally have a non-return valve. Fill half of the bottle with water. Shake in ½ cup of sugar and ½ teaspoon of baking yeast. Secure the cap and wait for the fermentation process to start. It should be up and running in no time, just like when you bake a loaf of bread. When gas starts to evaporate through the airline, attach an air stone to the tube and place it in the aquarium. The fermentation process will normally provide the aquarium with plenty of carbon dioxide for at least two weeks. 

Healthy Aquatic Plant Environment

NUTRIENTS

Just like terrestrial plants, aquarium plants need nutrients to survive.

Macro nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium
Other nutrients: Boron, Iron, Nickel, Zinc

In addition to the elements mentioned above, plants need trace elements of many other elements as well. If you fail to provide your plants with all necessary nutrients, it can lead to stunted growth, yellow leaves or even prove fatal. So, how can nutrients enter the aquarium? Nutrients are present in tap water and well water.  They are present in fish food (and will therefore also be excreted by fish). Nutrients are present in potting soil and aquarium substrate. You can purchase special fertilizers intended for aquarium use.

Before you decide on using fertilizers, keep in mind that simply filling your aquarium with a lot of fertilizers will not aid plant growth. Fertilization must always be balanced with light and carbon dioxide. It is also very important to purchase a special aquarium fertilizer, since fertilizers for terrestrial plants contain too much nitrogen which will cause algae growth and injure the fish. 

SUBSTRATE

As I pointed out earlier, some aquarium plants must be planted in the substrate or in pots, while others grow attached to rocks, driftwood etcetera. There are also floating plants and plants that can grow in several different fashions. If you want to keep plant species that need a substrate to grow in, ideally chose a substrate where the particles are 1.5-3.0 mm. There are naturally exceptions to this rule, but many plant species can not tolerate finer substrates since their roots cannot handle anaerobic conditions well. When the particles are 1.5 mm or bigger, it is easier for water to circulate which prevents clogging.

When it comes to substrate depth, the requirements vary a lot from species to species. The popular Amazon Sword, will for instance grow quite big and need to be rooted in at least 8 cm of substrate.

Amazon Sword

PREVENTING DISEASE

Unhealthy Aquarium Plants

Only purchase vegetation that look healthy. Don’t buy flora from aquariums where the fish seem unhealthy. Plants can carry malicious microorganisms and infect your fishes. If you want to feel safe, sterilize the plants before you place them in your aquarium. You can for instance use a dilute solution of potassium permanganate (provided that you have plant and fish species that can handle traces of potassium permanganate). Keeping a plant in potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes will kill most malevolent microorganisms.

Healthy Fresh Water Aquarium Flora

Remove all damaged leaves before planting. It is better to remove a lot of leaves than allow them to decay and pollute the water. Don’t panic if most leaves die, turn yellow or dissolve after planting. The shock of being repotted can make plants lose their leaves, but they’ll grow new ones.

That's it for this week!

Sources:

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/plantbas.htm

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/plants/grow.php

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/plants/aquarium.php

Aquatic Plants

Aquatic plants serve many purposes in an aquarium, such as adding oxygen to the water and helping to keep the water chemicals balanced. Caring for aquarium plants isn’t hard as long as you choose suitable plant species. All aquarium plants need light, carbon dioxide and nutrients to live. If you have an aquarium with normal incandescent lighting or subdued fluorescent lights, stick to plants that have low light requirements, like JavaFern. If you don’t want to use carbon dioxide boosters, stick to plant species that will do fine with the amount of carbon dioxide that’s produced by your fish. If you don’t want to use fertilization, choose a plant species that will absorb the nutrients it needs from the water.

But why keep aquarium plants? Well, live aquarium plants help keep the water quality up by binding organic waste. (Note: please keep in mind that dead and decaying parts of plants must be pruned away – otherwise, the organic waste will be released back into the water.)

Live aquarium plants will convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and will prevent algae infestation by competing with algae for nutrients. Many aquarium fish species are from waters where aquatic plants are common. They feel more at home in a planted aquarium. Fish that like their environment are less prone to illness and tend to be more active, display vivid colors and spawn. 

Keeping aquarium plants can reduce your fishes’ stress levels. Why? Two reasons: one, they decrease the amount of fighting by forming many small territories in the aquarium instead of one big one; and two, they provide weaker fish with hiding spots where they can find sanctuary if they are being bullied by larger fish.

Photo courtesy of: www.freshwateraquariumplants.com

Planting aquarium flora can be done in a variety of ways that vary from species to species. Some plants should be planted in the substrate or in a pot. Other plants should be anchored to driftwood, rocks or similar. There are even some plants that just float around freely in the water!

Potted aquarium plants are quite common since they’re easy to move around without disturbing the tank’s layout. When the plant outgrows its pot, you simply repot it just like you would with a normal houseplant. Many species can be broken up and divided into several smaller plants.

Many different types of pots can be used in the aquarium as long as they don’t contain any substances capable of polluting the water. Plastic pots, bottle bottoms, yoghurt containers, and similar are inexpensive alternatives, while clay pots tend to be somewhat more expensive.

When potting your plant, use potting soil and plenty of water. Moisten the soil to drive out any pockets of air before you pot your plant. Fill 2/3 of the container with the wet soil and use your finger to make a small hole for the root system of your plant. Place the roots in the hole and carefully fill the rest of the container with the soil, then proceed to add a layer of aquarium gravel on top of it. Before placing the pot in your aquarium, submerse it in water for a few minutes to remove air that got in while you where planting. 

Different plant species also have different requirements when it comes to lighting. Some aquarium hobbyists claim that planted aquariums are really a pain to keep, but this is usually because they buy plants without learning how plants should be cared for than it actually being hard. It’s easy to understand why plants rapidly wilt and die in the aquarium of a newbie, and why an average hobbyist feels planted aquariums are impossible to keep.

fluorescent aquarium light 

As a rule, it is suggested that planted aquariums get 0.5-1.0 watts of fluorescent light per liter of water. Generally speaking, a 50 liter aquarium with standard dimensions will therefore require 0.5 watts x 50 = 25 watts. This rule will vary if you keep really high demanding or low demanding species, if your aquarium is very deep, or if your aquarium is really densely planted. 

Incandescent lighting is common with beginners. There are many low demanding plant species that'll do well with nothing but incandescent lights, but the problem is that incandescent lights tend to get too warm. This will affect the water temperature in your aquarium.  Investing in fluorescent lights can therefore save you money in the long run.

Incandescent lighting

Try to mimic the natural day length for your plants species. Many popular aquarium plants are tropical and are therefore used to 12 hours of light a day. If you keep temperate species, give them at least 14 hours of light each day during the summer and no more than 10 hours a day during the winter. Keeping the lights on 24/7 will aid algae growth and may also disturb your fish.

Still, keep in mind that the plants you choose may have different lighting requirements. Do the necessary research before you add anything to your tank.

Next time, I’ll talk about the science behind the carbon dioxide, nutrients, and substrate levels for your aquatic vegetation. Stay tuned!

Sources:

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/plantbas.htm

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/plants/grow.php

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/plants/aquarium.php
www.freshwateraquariumplants.com

Water Temperature

This week, we’re going to talk about water temperature.

Like with pH, different fish need different temperatures to be healthy and happy, but it is very important that the water temperature be consistent. Rapid fluctuations in temperature can cause physical stress to fish. If you recall, when a fish gets too stressed, it can die. So, with the shadow of sudden death looming over your fish, what do you do? Simple: get an aquarium heater.

Above: 110V 200W Watt Submersible Aquarium Fish Tank Water Heater

Aquarium heaters are available in a variety of types, sizes, and prices. If you’re in the market for one, make sure you research the reliability of the brand – a poor quality heater may overheat the water. There is less dissolved oxygen in warmer waters, meaning your fish can and will suffocate. Of course, it’s possible to avert this problem with the proper equipment, but it’s best not to risk overheating your fish, anyway.

Higher temperatures may present problems for some of your tank inhabitants, but tank temperatures constantly changing in degrees too much up or down in short periods of time seems to be more of a threat. If you are having extreme problems of constantly fluctuating temperatures, that vary more than four degrees or better, up or down, one of the first solutions is to add a chiller. Chillers allow you to keep warmer or cooler temperatures at a precise setting at all times.

Above: Aqu-indirect Chiller

Now, what temperature should the water be at? The vast majority of tropical freshwater fish prefer a water temperature of 76 to 78º Fahrenheit. Some species like cooler water and some prefer warmer water, but this range generally works well.

Above: a discus

For pond fish (such as goldfish), the water needs to be a bit cooler. Most aquarium hobbyists recommend that pond fish be kept in an environment with a temperature between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

With saltwater, it gets a bit tricky. Some aquarium hobbyists say that keeping your saltwater tank between 75 and 77 degrees is best, some say 75-80 degrees, and others say 80-85 degrees or higher. The truth is somewhere in the middle: fishes and corals from different parts of the world have different temperature preferences. Thus, to ensure the lowest possible stress levels for fish, one should pick fishes and corals that are native to a specific part of the globe, and decide an ideal temperature for the tank based on their research of their chosen area.

Still, opinions on this topic tend to vary from person to person, though it is generally agreed upon that any fish exposed to dramatic changes in water temperatures will become stressed (which, again, may kill the fish). However, with gradual acclimation and a skilled caretaker, fish are hardy, enduring creatures that are built to adapt to their environment.

That’s it for this week’s edition of Fish N Tips. Stay tuned for more next week! 

Sources:

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/choosing-aquarium-equipment9.htm

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aquariummaintenancecare/a/aatanktemps.htm