Content
Classification of aquarium plants according to their use Medium Plants
List of plants suitable for a medium plan aquarium, depending on its size.
Legend:
- unpretentious plants;
- plants requiring care;
- demanding plants;
- lighting requirements (very weak, weak, medium, strong, very strong).
Taxiphyllum sp. "Flame"
Family: Hypnaceae
Origin: Asia
Height: 3 - 10 cm
Width: 5 - 10+ cm
Growth rate: Low
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 17 - 28 ° C
pH: 6.0 - 8.0
CO2 supply: 3 - 5 mg / l
The Asian Flame moss got its name from its original growth shape. With the growth of vertical shoots, they twist, which gives the impression of a small dark green fire, 5–15 cm high.
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Family: Acanthaceae
Origin: India
Height: 15 - 40 cm
Width: 15 - 30 cm
Growth rate: Medium
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 20 - 28 ° C
pH: 5.5 - 8.0
CO2 supply: 6 - 14 mg / l
Hygrophila pinnatifida grows in India and has original carved and very beautiful leaves. The color of the leaves can vary, depending on the conditions, from dark green to orange and burgundy.
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Family: Pteridaceae
Origin: Tropics
Height: 15 - 30 cm
Width: 10 - 20 cm
Growth rate: High
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 20 - 28 ° C
pH: 5.0 - 9.0
CO2 supply: 6 - 14 mg / l
Ceratopteris thalictroides is one of the most popular aquarium plants with finely branched light green leaves. Distributed in most tropical regions of the Earth.
Bolbitis heudelotii
Family: Lomariopsidaceae
Origin: West Africa
Height: 15 - 40 cm
Width: 15 - 25 cm
Growth rate: Low
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 20 - 28 ° C
pH: 5.0 - 7.0
CO2 supply: 6 - 14 mg / l
Bolbitis heudelotii is an aquatic fern from West Africa with very beautiful translucent dark green leaves. The leaves are quite tough and too tough for most of the herbivorous inhabitants of the aquarium.
Taxiphyllum sp. "Spiky"
Family: Hypnaceae
Origin: Asia
Height: 2 - 10 cm
Width: 1 - 3 cm
Growth rate: Medium
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 15 - 28 ° C
pH: 6.0 - 8.5
CO2 supply: 3 - 5 mg / l
Taxiphyllum sp. "Spiky" from Southeast Asia is very similar to its younger brother, Rozhdestvensky Moss. However, in contrast to the latter, it is coarser, tougher, and with larger branches.
Staurogyne repens
Family: Acanthaceae
Origin: Brazil
Height: 3 - 10 cm
Width: 5 - 10 cm
Growth rate: Medium
Complexity of content:
Possible lighting:
Temperature: 20 - 28 ° C
pH: 6.0 - 8.0
CO2 supply: 3 - 5 mg / l
Staurogyne repens is a compact and hardy plant with bright green leaves found in the Rio-Cristalino River in the southern Amazon. Hygrophila differs from its closest relatives in its density and smaller size.
In nature, some aquarium plants grow on driftwood and rocks. Major examples are Anubias, Javanese Moss, Thai Fern, Bolbitis, and others. A typical biotope for such plants is the proximity to the waterfall or lake below it, or the area around the waterfall, which is continuously irrigated with water spray. Plants settle in cracks and voids of stones and driftwood and are fixed on them with their roots (called crampon or rhizoids), while so firmly (even on very slippery surfaces) that it is almost impossible to separate them intact.
The idea of industrial cultivation of such plants was born in aquarium stores.Plants were not a staple commodity, but rather an annoying misunderstanding when it was necessary to catch fish in a net or clean an aquarium. The logical solution was that the plants could be grown on easily moveable rocks or driftwood. This production was started at Tropica Inc ..
Aquarists have been growing plants on rocks and snags for a long time, but fast and efficient production was not so easy. The production process requires a lot of space, and plants often grow so slowly that it takes years until they reach marketable size. The driftwood needed to be compact but heavy enough to support the plants. For economic reasons, the stones were not supposed to be too heavy, so lava from Iceland was chosen instead of pieces of stones.
The shops that bought these plants were delighted. If the fish was difficult to catch, the seller would simply take the plants out of the tank, the rest was easy! Other benefits soon emerged. The new fish released into the aquarium acclimatized in such an environment much faster - they returned to their natural color in record time and suffered less from stress. Sales jumped!
But Tropica soon faced new challenges. In stores, it was difficult to explain to customers that such plants are not for sale! Tropica was initially skeptical about the commercial potential as the price of the plants was quite high due to the complex production process. However, demand significantly outstripped supply, even when production was increased.
There were more than enough aquarists willing to pay quite a lot of money in exchange for the benefits. It was now possible to plant the aquarium with plants in a very short time, while still looking as if they had been growing there for years. This, and the fact that plants can be moved around the aquarium without disturbing or damaging them, which previously caused growth retardation, has made them extremely popular for demonstration purposes. In addition, these plants can be used in an aquarium to camouflage technical devices, hoses and wires. 
Aquarium plant cultivation on an industrial scale began with the cultivation of individual specimens, and then the plants were marketed in plastic pots filled with mineral wool. The production of plants grown on rocks and driftwood is already the third generation of aquarium plants and is a natural continuation of this process.
Create a moss background
To create a wall of moss, it is placed in one layer between 2 pieces of mesh (plastic, harmless to fish). Mosquito netting (sold in household stores) may work. Along the perimeter and in some places in the middle, you can insert suction cups into the holes, which will serve as an attachment of the mesh to the back wall of the aquarium. Moss should be laid more evenly, if you leave large areas without moss, then there is almost no chance that they will overgrow by themselves. They fasten the nets to each other (tie or sew its edges around the perimeter with fishing line) and fix this structure to the wall of the aquarium using suction cups. Moss sprouting through the mesh covers it, creating a beautiful wall.
Make sure that the edges of the mesh are as tight as possible to the glass. If even a small space remains between the wall and the net, it will serve as a trap for aquarium fish and shrimp, which can end up with their death. To stiffen the structure, you can attach this mesh to a piece of plastic. It is convenient to take such a structure out of the aquarium if necessary.
In its thickets they find shelter and food (ciliates) fish fry. For them, in the thickets of moss, an ideal environment for development is created, saturated with oxygen and microorganisms.
You can also make a carpet on the bottom.
Moss on stones and snags
Moss on stones and snags
We remove the bark, all rot and dust. For disinfection driftwood, tree roots and stones, boil them for 24 hours in salt water (1 kg of salt per 10 liters of water, adding water as it evaporates). If bought in aquarium stores, then you can boil for less time. The snag must be soaked so that it does not float up or be taken from the river. It is better not to take snags from ponds, there are many microorganisms. I bought driftwood from the store, shaped it, boiled it in salt water, then in unsalted water. I soaked it for a couple of days until they stopped floating up.
Not all stones are suitable for use in an aquarium. The main thing is not to change the composition of the water. Many granites, pebbles, lava, pumice are suitable.
We attach the moss not tightly to the decoration, applying it in one layer. If you put it in a bunch, then the lower threads of moss will begin to die off, rot. The moss will grow and cover the entire set. So, one layer is enough.
For fastening, a fishing thin transparent line... We do not damage the moss, we do not fix it tightly. When the moss grows (over time, it will attach itself and it will not need fasteners), it can be carefully cut or left, because the line will no longer be visible. Or can be used for mosses that take root well on the substrate. cotton thread... Over time, it will spray itself in the water.
Anubias on snags and stones
Attaching anabius to a snag
Anubias on a piece of lava
Anubias dwarf (anubias Bartera, anubias nana) in natural conditions grows along the banks of streams, rivers and is not attached like all plants, using soil, but on snags, stones due to strong tenacious roots. It is very rare to find anubias nana that grows from the ground. If you have purchased a cutting of this plant, then do not rush to plant it in aquarium soil, try attaching it to a driftwood. On it, it will look much more natural, and it will give the snag an unusual look. Over time, anubias will grow on the driftwood and the driftwood will become very picturesque.
How to add anubias to a snag? A hole 0.5 cm in diameter is drilled in the snag in the place where we will fix the plant. Next, using a very thin fishing line or strong thread, we attach the plant to the snag, trying to thread the roots into the hole made. It is desirable to wind the fishing line in 2 layers so that the plant does not fall off before it has time to build up the root system around the driftwood. After that, we lower the attached anubias into the aquarium along with the driftwood.
Anabias is attached in the shade under the scabbard
This miniature aquarium plant grows very slowly. Only a month after attachment, the plant begins to gradually wind its roots around the snag, releasing 1-2 leaves. But after a while, anubias is able to grow into a dense green carpet on a snag, giving it the appearance of a flowering tree. Likewise, anubias attaches to a stone.
Due to the fact that the dwarf Anubias prefers shaded areas of the aquarium, it is very convenient to plant it in poorly lit areas. Too bright lighting, on the contrary, negatively affects the appearance of the plant: dark and brown algae appear on the surface of the leaves, which spoil the appearance of anubias and are quite difficult to get rid of. Therefore, try to place a snag with anubias nana in a shaded area. And Anubias simply does not tolerate direct sunlight, and its leaves may suffer from this. If your aquarium is located near the south window, try to shade the anubias.
The background
Aquarium background
The simplest background option is film, sold in every aquarium store. It happens with different patterns, but it is best to stay on a black background. From the outside of the back wall of the aquarium, you just need to attach it scotch tape.
Or glue it to the glass outside with liquid glycerin (sold at the pharmacy). Smoothly expel air with a spatula.If there is even one air bubble left, the back wall will not look very nice. After that, it is necessary to fix it on all sides with adhesive tape (scotch tape).
Can be used as a background printed photo large size of the kind you like.
Can be used cork bark... Cork tiles are available in many stores. Must be thoroughly rinsed and dried before use. Maybe not a good idea. Tiles are made from crushed cork under pressure. If glue is used during formation, then it may not always be safe for the inhabitants of the aquarium (then it might be better outside the aquarium). If inside the aquarium, then glue the cork bark to the back or side walls with silicone sealant for aquariumswhich after complete hardening harmless to aquarium inhabitants.
We attach plants to the cork bark with a fishing line. At first, the line will be noticeable, but when the plants grow, they will close it from the eyes. It is good to stick various projections on the wall, then the uniform background will become more diverse and it will be easier to fix the plants.
You can stick twigs, pebbles, shells on a base that does not absorb water. And glue or in some other way fix this decoration outside the back wall.
Can be done lattice of bamboo tubes. The strict geometry of the lattice is not needed here. Floats up, so we fix the structure on a strip of plexiglass... And then we attach it with suction cups and you can press it down with pebbles. We attach anubias or other suitable plants with fishing line to the trellis. Everything is ready.
It is necessary to provide places for attaching equipment to the glass with suction cups. It is better to make a wall of plants on such trellises, they will be able to disguise the aquarium equipment from the view of the person admiring the aquarium.
Coconut shell in aquarium
For decorating an aquarium in natural style use stones and driftwood, plants... Ceramic locks, chests, etc. for shelters - it is somehow artificial and most likely appropriate in "children's" aquariums. Also, to create shelters and grottoes in a natural style, in addition to snags, stones, plants, it is good to use coconut shell... It looks very beautiful, natural and harmonious in the aquarium.
We cut the coconut: be very careful, it is better to securely fix the coconut with something like a vice, and not hold it with your hands, it slides, in general, it is dangerous. Then we drain the milk, clean the inside of the nut mass. If required, trim with pliers. If it is not possible to cut a coconut with a grinder, then you can try to expand 3 of its small holes to the 1st big one with pliers. We sand the edges so that there are no sharp protrusions. We do not touch the hairs that are on the outside of the coconut, it is more beautiful with them. You can boil it in water like driftwood, but not necessarily - you can immediately put it in the aquarium.
Also from coconut shells m. make a prefabricated structureusing sealant for aquarium when gluing. It can be all kinds tunnels, grottos.
When after 2 days the sealant completely hardens on the coconut decorations, you can fix aquarium plants (anubias, hornwort, could, cut cladophora, etc.). Then lower it into the aquarium. All is ready. The coconut shell is heavy and does not float.
Aqua design styles
Dutch aquarium (Dutch Styles) - ordered rows of maximum contrasting in relation to each other plants and clearly regulated by zones. Emphasizing the depth of the aquarium, contrasting textures and colors. Beautiful underwater garden, herbal aquarium. Plants are the main thing in this aquarium. Fishes are secondary, mainly small schooling fish are launched.
Natural aquarium (Nature Aquarium Style), style Takashi Amano... This is when a natural landscape is reproduced in an aquarium, a landscape that we can observe in nature. An attempt to imitate terrestrial landscapes, or rather, their elements.
Natural style aquarium
German Open Style (German Style, Open Style). Harmonious combination of the underwater part of the plant world and its emersed part, that is paludarium... This style either recreates a natural biotope, or creates such a compiled piece of nature.
Paludarium
Natural the style (El Natural Style) of ecologist Diana Walstad. There is no filter here, these are fish-plant natural balance aquariums. There are no technically sophisticated aquarium systems in it. Many aquarists prefer this one, as the plant aquarium that is closest to natural conditions.
Storyline aquarium. Sunken treasure chest, underwater grotto, ships or castles, etc. An aquarium with one large fish, for example, a large catfish lying at the bottom of almost the entire aquarium, is also a story style.
Aquarium in the form of a Ship Chest with decoration Old sunken ship
Pseudomore... Freshwater aquarium simulating the seabed. Corals, seashells, etc. are used in its design. Pseudomore is populated mainly with bright, marine-like fish. In this design, shells, corals, white stones are used. The effect of blue glowing water is achieved with a Marine-Glo fluorescent lamp in combination with Aqua-Glo and Power-Glo. Fish are selected based on their tolerance for hard water. These include: iris, bright African cichlids, viviparous, karptooth. The color scheme of the "Pseudo-Sea" style mainly consists of red, gray, white, blue. The sea fits perfectly into a strict office, a bright nursery and even a bathroom, but other aquariums will look better among wooden classic furniture in dark colors.
Vanguard... Not a natural design direction. Bright colored lighting, colored ground, figures and accessories of forms that do not exist in nature, etc. An aquarium decorated in this style can become a very effective element in modern trends in interior design, a kind of color spot. A significant drawback of this design is the complexity of creating a favorable and functional ecosystem, which can create inconvenience to its inhabitants.
Coral reef or nautical... To create it, you need to create a real sea (salt water) in your aquarium, with coral reefs, plants and typical representatives of such depths: tropical sea fish. Usually in such an aquarium there is a rather picturesque bottom and decoration, and the number of fish is relatively small.
Marine aquarium
Minimalism... This design is suitable for those aquariums that are in small spaces. Because thanks to this design, the room visually seems deeper. The essence of the style is that plants and other decor do not occupy more than 20% of the total area. It is best to populate such an aquarium with the same type of fish, otherwise the predators will crush the weak, since the latter will not have much to hide.
Tropical or Equator, Underwater Jungle. Like Dutch, but without strict plant placement rules. The most popular and most frequently encountered.
- Aquariums - types and forms, where it is better to put, photos (see more ...)
