Having live plants in your aquarium allows your fish to thrive, live happier and longer lives. Featuring live plants makes your aquarium more attractive and provides your fish with a natural food source. Aquatic plants are the recycling system of the aquarium. They are like the underwater trees of the aquatic ecosystem. There are different types of underwater plants in our oceans where underwater animals have the ability to replenish on the natural food source. If sea animals need to thrive off live plants in our oceans, fish in our aquariums need live plants as well. Keeping fish only aquariums is difficult because it has to overcome the drawbacks of not having live plants. Diseases can arise among fish only aquariums which can be treated by medicine, but by the time the medicine is given, some fish may already be severely affected. Instead of desperately trying to keep your fish alive, opt for decorating your aquarium with live plants. Maintaining and keeping your plants healthy will in turn keep your aquarium’s inhabitants happy.

There are immense benefits of keeping live plants in your aquarium. In addition to making your aquarium attractive and having natural decor, live plants provide vital functions for aquariums as well. Instead of solely focusing on trying to make your fish happy, shifting your focus to keeping your plants well maintained. This will result in thriving, happy, and vibrant fish. The biggest benefit of featuring live plants is that they produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and ammonia that fish produce. Ammonia is a primary waste product of fish. A build-up of ammonia will cause problems in your tank and for your fish. Live plants produce adequate amounts of oxygen in aquariums while absorbing carbon dioxide. Live plants promote aeration and provide oxygen through photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, the plants absorb light, nutrients, and carbon dioxide to release oxygen as a by-product. As the plants grow; they generate more oxygen, which your fish can then breathe. Fish only aquariums are often aerated with an air stone and an air pump. In a planted aquarium, air stones and air pumps are unnecessary. Adding live plants to your aquarium helps recreate a natural ecosystem. This may be one of the most beneficial ways to keep your fish healthy.

There are many types of filters out on the market to filter your tank. Power filters, canister filters, and sponge filters are options for filtration in an aquarium. These types of filters remove fish waste and food waste through mechanical filtration, chemical filtration and biological filtration. Chemical filtration is filtration through carbon and biological filtration is through the bacteria growing on the other filter media. There are a variety of filter designs available. If however, the filters are not cleaned regularly and properly, the filters effectiveness drops over time. Filters provide good mechanical and biological filtration, but plants provide a unique kind of filtration. In a planted aquarium, only mechanical filtration is needed. Plants have their limits of filtration which is why many aquariums have a mechanical filter as a backup. Chemical filtration is not advised for planted aquariums as it will remove beneficial compounds and fertilisers that are needed by plants. Plants on the other hand, can absorb and remove waste created by fish, excess food, decaying materials, and even heavy metals. Even harmful chemicals to your fish can be absorbed by plants. Plants also provide additional surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow on. This provides additional biological filtration. As long as the plants are growing and healthy, they will continue to act as good filters. The overall quality of water in aquariums is also higher when plants are growing in it.

Plants provide shelter and security for the fish in your aquarium. Some types of fish can be very territorial. By adding live plants, it allows for different species of fish to coexist by providing cover and protection. Some species of fish even breed and lay eggs on the leaves of the plants. In fish only aquariums, you can clearly see that there is nowhere for the fish to hide and cover. The environment can be dull and is more susceptible to disease. With no protection, your fish can become stressed. Fake plants like plastic plants can provide protection to your fish; however, they do not provide the benefits of live plants. Fake plants can be harmful to your fish as they are hard and will provide a place for bacteria to accumulate. Because plants compete with algae for nutrients, they can help reduce algae growth. Algae occur when there are nutrients in the water and there is light. Every tank with live plants will have some level of algae. This can be easily managed by adding plants. Plants can absorb all the nutrients and compete against algae. Algae are often a problem in aquariums with no live plants. Algae eaters and scraping the algae off the glass can be a way to combat algae, but by adding plants to your aquarium is a simple and inexpensive method. Having the right balance of light levels and nutrients with live plants can most likely leave you to never having to clean algae from your tank again.

Another benefit of featuring live plants in your aquarium is that plants are another food source for your fish. In fish only aquariums, your fish solely depend on you to feed them. By feeding fish the same type of food, it does not allow for variety in their diet which may not be as healthy. This can also make your fish more susceptible to disease. Because the fish depend on you for food, if you forget to feed them, they have no other alternative food source. Having live plants allows your fish to have a variety of food sources. Although not all fish eat plants, many fish do. Almost all fish consume plant material when given the opportunity. Most fish are omnivores and need to eat plant material. Fish that eat plants will pick at the leaves and dead or dying plant matter if no other food is available.

Many people agree that live plants are very beneficial for your aquarium and your fish. Mentioned are the main benefits of having live plants in your tank, but there are many more. By adding even a few live plants to your tank, it will greatly positively affect your aquarium and its inhabitants. So when you choose to decorate your aquarium with live plants, you will not only help create a more natural environment with interest and colour, but ensures that your fish are healthy, happy and vibrant. Choosing the right live plants for your tank may be difficult without the right advice. At Guppy’s online aquarium store, we have more than 30 years of experience in the pet industry. Our expert team can help you choose the right type of live plants for your aquarium. You can contact us either by phone, email or even call into our warehouse in Burleigh, Queensland. We pride ourselves on our reliability and client satisfaction. We administer the finest aquarium products online for you and your fish to indulge in. We have a wide range of live plants such as frilly Amazon Sword, Anubias, Amulia bunches and many more. Depending on the type of fish you have, you should opt for plants that will suit your fish. Our experienced team can advise and assist you when choosing plants as well as other aquarium related queries. With years of experience under our belt, you are guaranteed to benefit from our knowledgeable staff. We want your fish and aquarium inhabitants to grow and thrive. We suggest that if you are starting out, start with low light plants first. With low light plants, algae will slowly grow as well as your plants. Not all plants need bright lighting. There are different types of plants that require different levels of lighting to thrive. If you want to create a natural looking garden in your tank, add a variety of different plant species. Choose short and long plants to create depth and red plants for colour. This will result in a beautiful and lush tank. We also offer plant fertilisers to enhance the growth of your plants.Our team will help you decide on which plant fertilisers to choose from that will be best suited for your aquarium. You can depend on us for accurate, reliable and distinguished advice.

Not only do we provide live plants at Guppy’s Aquarium, but we offer a wide selection of other aquarium products. Whether you are in need of a new tank, chillers, fish food, pumps, or any other product, we’ve got you covered. We have specials to save you that extra bit of money and all of our premium products are offered at incredibly low prices to begin with. Our online store is based in Australia and we import our products Australia wide depending on the product bought. At Guppy’s Aquarium Products Online, we aim to ensure you buy right the first time. Do not hesitate to contact us and have a look at our selection of second to none aquarium products!