Freshwater Aquarium Plants

Adding aquarium plants to your aquarium can be a good idea because these plants use nitrates which may be troublesome to your tropical fish if your nitrate levels are high enough. Live plants do more than that though, they simply look nicer than their plastic counterparts.
Some are easier to take care of than others. The more hardy aquarium plants include the Java Fern, Hygrophila polysperma and Vallisneria spiralis.
You will need to check out a couple of things before embarking on your live plant adventure.

Water Parameters
Plants are just like your tropical fish when it comes to water parameters. Different aquarium plants require different water conditions. Be sure to find out the required water conditions for the plants you want. You need to know things like ph, hardness levels and lighting levels for each plant.
Good Substrate
You will need to have a good substrate in order for your plants to survive. There are clay planters you can get to place your plants in or you can even place some plants directly into the gravel. If you place your plants directly into the gravel you will need to use an iron supplement for your aquarium water since these plants won't be getting the nutrients they need from the iron fortified clay.
Good Lighting
Different aquarium plants require different levels of aquarium lighting, usually measured in watts per gallon. If you want your plants to thrive you must pay attention to this measurement in order for photosynthesis to take place. CO2 is also required for photosynthesis. CO2 can come from the fish respiration process going on in your tank. However, if you have a heavily planted tank, you may want to get a CO2 injector for your aquarium because you won't be getting enough CO2 from your fish.
Fish Compatibility
Certain fish species will make aquarium plant keeping a nightmare. For instance, Silver Dollars really enjoy nibbling on live plants. Likewise, Oscars and Goldfish will enjoy uprooting any aquarium plants you place in the tank. If you already have fish, do some research on your particular species before embarking on your live plant journey.
Save yourself some money and dead plants by researching the plants you want to get before buying them so that you can determine their exact needs and whether or not you can meet those needs.

Aquarium Plant Profiles

Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus)
Argentine Sword (Echinodorus argentinensis)
Hygrophila polysperma
Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Umbrella Plant (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Vallisneria spiralis

Related Pages

So You Want to Grow Aquatic Plants
Keeping Aquarium Plants
Why have a planted tank?

What do I need to start a saltwater aquarium?

Well, for the type of saltwater fish tank setup (marine aquarium) described in this article you will need the following equipment:

• Aquarium
• Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background - see Aquarium Aquascape Design for more info on painting the tank background.
• Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral
• Live Rock
• Saltwater Mix
• Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a refractometer
• Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, etc.)
• Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter)
• Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3)
• Heater - be sure to get one large enough for the size tank you're getting
• Protein Skimmer - See the equipment reviews section for protein skimmer reviews
• Saltwater test kit(s) to test water parameters and monitor the infamous aquarium nitrogen cycle
• Saltwater fish food
• Aquarium vacuum
• Fish net
• Rubber kitchen gloves
• Aquarium Glass Scrubber or make your own DIY Algae Scraper
• Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets
• Aquarium thermometer
• Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock
• Quarantine Tank for acclimating new arrivals and monitoring for signs of fish disease
• Power Strip
• Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water.

Realize the responsibility, time and costs involved
A saltwater aquarium setup is just like having a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. In order to have a successfully setup saltwater aquarium you will have to work at it. On a daily basis you will need to feed your saltwater fish and monitor the water parameters (temperature, nitrates, etc) and some of the aquarium equipment on your saltwater setup. Once a week, or at most once every month, you will need to perform some kind of aquarium maintenance on your fish tank. Most of the time you will be performing water changes and water quality testing.
Cost is a very serious factor. Take the list above and research the prices of the various equipment needed to setup a saltwater fish tank. You will soon realize that a saltwater aquarium can cost significantly more to purchase than a freshwater aquarium setup. Not to mention that saltwater fish are usually more expensive that their freshwater counterparts.
You also need to understand that setting up a saltwater aquarium takes time. It often takes 4 to 8 weeks before you can add any marine fish safely to your marine aquarium setup.
Read, read and then read some more
There are many great saltwater books out there and we've reviewed a few of them. Some of the better saltwater books are:

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist,
The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium,
Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies,
Reef Secrets,
Simple Guide to Mini-Reef Aquariums,
Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium,
Marine Fishes, 500 Essential to Know Aquarium Species, and
The New Marine Aquarium.

There is also a ton of information online on saltwater fish. Do yourself a huge favor by reading as much as you can before you invest any money in your aquarium equipment and fish. You'll be glad you did. To get a general idea of how much it costs to setup a saltwater aquarium, check out the Freshwater vs. Saltwater Aquarium page for more info.
Decide on an aquarium size and location
It's a good idea to know what kind of saltwater fish you want to keep before you purchase your aquarium. Do a lot of research on the various types of marine fish to determine which fish you would like to get. Some marine fish only grow to be an inch or two, whereas other types can grow to 12 or 18 inches! Knowing what kind of marine fish you want will help you decide the size of the aquarium they will need. Many books stress that you shouldn't get started in the saltwater hobby unless you have at least a 40 gallon. But if you've done your research and thoroughly prepared, there is no reason why you can't start with a smaller tank. Be warned, a smaller tank will pose more challenges and will force you to perform more frequent water testing and maintenance.
You will want to place your aquarium in an area where the light and temperature of the tank won't be affected by external sources such as windows and heater vents. You will also want to place your aquarium on a stand that will be able to hold its total weight. A good rule of thumb for determining the total weight of a full aquarium is 10 pounds per gallon of water. For example, a 55-gallon tank will weigh approximately 550 pounds when filled with water only! You also have to account for the total amount of live rock, sand and equipment.

Buy your aquarium and equipment
Now is the time to decide on the type of filtration you will want to use when you setup your saltwater aquarium and the type of protein skimmer. We do not recommend using an undergravel filter. An undergravel filter is not needed and will only cause you headaches down the road. Since we will be using live rock as our biological filter, you really only need a modest filter for the mechanical and chemical filtration. Don't skimp on the protein skimmer. After the live rock, the protein skimmer is probably the next most important piece of equipment. When it comes to protein skimmers you really do get what you pay for. We have posted a few protein skimmer reviews and there are many more out there. Listed below are skimmers that we have reviewed:

AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer - *Very good
Tunze Nano Protein Skimmer - *Very good
Red Sea Prizm Protein Skimmer - *Ok, but needs frequent adjustments
Fission Nano Protein Skimmer - *Don't waste your money
Visi-Jet-PS Protein Skimmer - *Don't waste your money

You will also need to purchase a heater capable of heating the aquarium size you have.
Get the live rock, sand and a power strip. Try to get 1 to 2 pounds of live rock per aquarium gallon. One rule of thumb for the amount of sand that you will need is about 1/2 to 1 pound of sand per gallon of water. Don't use sandbox or playground sand because it can have various unknown particles that may be harmful to your fish. Get either live sand or an aragonite based sand (from caribsea) or crushed coral.
Set up your aquarium, stand and equipment
Wash out your tank with water only! Do not use soap or detergents. Soap residue left behind will be harmful for your saltwater fish. Smoke test your aquarium by filling it with fresh water and check for leaks. If it passes the leak test, drain the fresh water from the aquarium.
Affix your background at this time. Be sure to use tape all across the top back of the background to prevent any salt creep from getting in between the background and tank glass. Alternatively, you can also paint the back tank glass (paint the outside back, not the inside). Painting the back glass can be better than using a background because you won't have to worry about salt creep making its way in between your aquarium background and the back glass. For marine tanks, a black background can help the fish colors stand out more. Deep blue is another popular color choice and it can help create the illusion of depth. After painting, let the tank sit for a day or so to allow the paint to dry.
Install your heater, hook up your filter, protein skimmer and any other equipment you have and be sure to use a drip loop on all of the power cords. For more safety tips, read the aquarium electrical safety article. Don't plug in anything yet!
Add pre-mixed saltwater to the aquarium
All of the marine salt mixes out there are made slightly differently. There is much debate as to which salt mix is the best. Here is a comparison on some of the available saltwater mixes. Unless you're considering a reef tank, most of the commonly available mixes should serve you fine. You'll soon develop a salt mix preference after you've worked with them for a while.
Use a clean 5-gallon bucket to mix the saltwater. First fill the bucket and then remove the chlorine and chloramine. Use something like Tetra AquaSafe for Aquariums. Read the directions on the salt mix package carefully and then add the salt mix slowly to room temperature water. Stir it well and test it with your hydrometer or refractometer. Once you get a specific gravity reading between 1.021 and 1.024 you can add the saltwater to your aquarium. Repeat this process until you have filled your tank. If you have a large aquarium you can mix the salt in the tank. Mixing in the tank can be more difficult and messy, so just be sure that you have thoroughly dissolved all of the salt mix before using the hydrometer.
Turn on the aquarium and let the water circulate for a day or two.
Cure the live rock

Live rock is probably going to be the greatest expense with the initial setup of a saltwater aquarium. For a reef tank setup it may be the aquarium lighting. For this reason, you are probably going to treat your live rock like gold once you get it. However, even though it can cost a lot of money, it will probably end up saving you money (in fish) because it is the best form of biological filtration. The curing process can last anywhere from 1 week to 2 months or more depending on the shape the rock is in when you get it.
Drain some of the aquarium water and then place your live rock in the tank. Try to place it in the middle of the tank and aim the powerheads (you should have 2 or 3) at the live rock. Placing the live rock in the middle of the tank will allow you to siphon up the debris that the powerheads will be blowing off.
Every few days turn off the power to the tank so you can perform live rock maintenance. Use some new rubber kitchen type gloves while doing this to protect your hands and the rock. You will need to scrub the live rock with a brush that has plastic bristles (old tooth brush) to remove any obviously dead or dying organisms. You can do this directly in the tank. Siphon up the debris and then refill with pre-mixed saltwater. The day before you perform the live rock maintenance get your saltwater ready. If you have a smaller tank you can use a couple of 5-gallon buckets for this purpose. If you have a larger tank you may want to invest in a large rubber trash can for pre-mixing your saltwater. Whatever you use, you will need to place a powerhead and a heater in the pre-mix container so that the mix dissolves correctly. Test your water throughout the curing process to determine if the tank is cycling.
During the curing process your tank may smell pretty bad and a good indication that your live rock is cured is when it no longer smells bad but more like the ocean. Use your test kits to verify that the tank has indeed cycled. You should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and some sort of reading on the nitrates.
Add your substrate
First, drain some of the saltwater in your aquarium to allow for the sand you're about to add and turn off the power to the tank. We'll use the 5-gallon bucket to clean the sand. Use the 5-gallon bucket to pre-mix about 2 gallons of saltwater. Add your sand to the bucket and then stir. This will allow some of the dust and dirt to rise so you can then siphon it off. Drain some of the saltwater from the bucket before adding your substrate. Use a plastic cup, ladle or something similar to add the freshly cleaned substrate to your aquarium. Use one of your powerheads to blow off any sand that gets on your live rock during this process.
Allow the tank to settle for a few days
Monitor your water parameters closely during this time. Check the salinity or specific gravity, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and carbonate hardness levels and correct as necessary. Ideally, you want the following readings for your saltwater tests before you start adding fish to your saltwater aquarium setup:

• temperature: 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)
• specific gravity: 1.020 - 1.024
• pH: 8.0 - 8.4
• ammonia: 0
• nitrite: 0
• nitrate: 20 ppm or less (especially for invertebrates)
• carbonate hardness: 7-10 dKH

Slowly add saltwater fish after the tank has cycled
I can't stress enough the need to use a quarantine tank for any new marine fish. You are playing a game that you will eventually lose by adding fish directly into the main tank. For more information on using a quarantine tank, please read How To Setup A Quarantine Tank. Only add one or two saltwater fish at a time. Only adding a couple saltwater fish at a time gives your filtration system the time needed to take on the increased biological load that the new fish introduce. When bringing home new saltwater fish, the acclimation process is a little more involved. Dump the bag contents (fish and water) into a clean 5-gallon bucket and then add about 1 cup of aquarium water to the 5 gallon bucket every 10 minutes. Continue to add 1 cup of aquarium water to the 5-gallon bucket every 10 minutes. After an hour or so your marine fish or invertebrate should be ready to add to the aquarium (qt tank). Following this more involved acclimation process will help reduce the amount of stress imposed on the saltwater fish. Stressed fish often leads to dead fish! Don't feed your saltwater fish on the first day. They probably wouldn't eat any food on the first day anyway. Let them get acquainted with their new home.

Perform Regular Aquarium Maintenance.
Be prepared to spend some time every day to monitor the temperature and salinity levels on your newly setup marine aquarium. You will also need to spend some time once a month to clean your tank and change out some of the saltwater. Try to change 20% of the saltwater in a given month. This could work out to doing small 5% water changes once a week. Performing regular small water changes will reduce the nitrate levels, replenish elements that have been used up and skimmed off and keep your saltwater fish happy and healthy. Remember to never add freshly mixed saltwater to your aquarium because it is fairly caustic freshly mixed. Mix it up the day before you will be doing maintenance.

The salinity

The salinity is a basically the most important factor of keeping marine fish. You can't just put salt into the water, but also you can't go to the sea and take some water into the tank. You need a special instant marine water. Usually you buy a bag of it, mix it with the fresh water and than you can put it into the tank. This instant marine water consists of salt, but also of other minerals which marine fish and creatures need. You have to mix all the powder with the water, even if you don't use all because it might happen that some minerals are only in the one place of the bag and if you do not dissolve it all some important minerals may be missing in the water later.

The place and the stand

A GUIDE TO YOUR OWN AQUARIUM - A Ultimate Aquarium Guide You MUST Own!Another important thing is the place for your aquarium. You have to select the place where the temperature is the most stable during the whole year. If you put the tank near the window, the sun can heat the tank too much in the Summer, and Winters will make it a colder place. Another aspect is the aquarium stand. Usually a marine aquarium is very heavy because of the amount of the water. Also if you want to copy the reef exactly, you need some stones. Another reason why the stand has to be strong. Maybe the stand should be filled out with steel, or it should be made of cement and bricks.

The lighting

The best option is to buy an electric light, of course isolated from the tank, so the salt will not damage the metal parts. It is the same story with the light as with the water conditions. If you want to have a natural looking aquarium you have to provide a lot of bright light, just like it is on the coral reefs. But such aquarium is full of algae so the water is not crystal clean. Generally, if you want to have a clean water in the tank then you need less light. On the other hand, less light means less algae which is a natural fish' food. The light should be in the form of long fluorescent tube. If you use normal wolfram bulbs, the water could overheat.

The filtration

The most difficult thing regarding marine tanks is the water filtration. It is not enough to filtrate excrements from the water, you also need a kind of sterilisation. The most suitable types of saltwater filtration is the UV filtration, ozone filtration and the protein skimmer. The UV and the ozone filtration must be be used carefully because they may filter the water too fairly and could result in more harm than profit. For instance, killing too much bacteria so the fish will lose their natural immunity and also the bacteria eliminates nitrates, so that you can lose a natural way of filtration - biological filtration which is just another effective way of cleaning the water. These bacteria live in the substrate so selecting the substrate is very important because bacteria are the cheapest and the most natural way how to keep the water of quality high. You may buy a filter with an aerator, or you can buy the aerator as an standalone product. The aerator has to have a reverse valve so the water will not damage the machine. Also the aerator stone doesn't have to be grain, because the salt use to choke up. It is very important for two things; The first is that fish need a lot of air in the water and the second one is that there must exist a water stream.

The temperature

Sea is a very big space and so the unimaginable amount of water is the reason why there are such stable conditions. Of course in every part of the world there are a bit different conditions. In closed seas the salinity is higher than in the open seas because there is an intensive water evaporation and the water is renewing a little slower. A good example is the Dead Sea. Another reason why this sea has so high salinity is the fact that there are more minerals than usual. The temperature is different too. Of course at the North Sea the temperatures are different than in the waters nearby the Equator. But if we speak only about the tropical seas, there is difference only a few °C. As it's mentioned above, the stable conditions in tanks are important because just like in the freshwater tanks also here could the bad water conditions cause stress and the stress causes illnesses. The temperature is one of the most important things in general. It should be about 24°C. Here it is so easy to show you that the size of aquarium is so important. Because the bigger the tank is, the more stable the temperature is, even if there is an electricity outage. Big amount of water is capable to keep the warm for a while. However, not longer than for a one day. You can even stabilize the temperature for unpredictable cases; if you have an isolation material on the back, on the sides, under the tank and maybe within the aquarium cover too. It is enough to have a clear glass only at the face of the tank.

Mohiner Ghoraguli: Style

Mohiner Ghoraguli: Style

Wrasse

A diverse group of fish with an equally wide range of characteristics. Some wrasse species are aggressive towards small fish and invertebrates, others are reef safe. Some are quite hardy, some typically die within weeks.

Triggerfish

While they are generally considered monsters that will chomp invertebrates, a few species can make great reef fish. Other more aggressive species such as the Undulated Trigger, and Clown Trigger will sometimes be so aggressive that it is necessary to keep as the sole inhabitant of the aquarium. All will require large tanks, with good filtration.

Tangs

Tangs generally feed on algae, though there are a few carnivorous species. Most tangs will not tolerate other fish the same color and/or shape as them. They have a spine on their tails that can cut open other fish and unprotected hands. All tangs should be given plenty of swimming room; try to have at least a 4' tank. Contrary to popular belief they will tolerate smaller (4' to 5') tanks just fine but tend to live better in larger tanks, over 5'.

Pseudochromis

Usually only a single specimen can be kept in an aquarium. Sometimes multiple specimens can be kept in larger aquariums, but usually this requires them to be added at the same time or they will be too territorial.

Hawkfish

Attractive and relatively small, Hawkfish make excellent additions to fish only or FOWLR aquariums. With extreme caution taken, they could be kept in reef aquariums, but because of their propensity to eat small ornamental shrimps and other mobile invertebrates (usually leaving sessile invertebrates alone) they are not considered reef safe. Lacking a swim bladder, Hawkfish can often be found resting in crevices of rocks or among the branches of corals or gorgonians. Hawkfish are easy to care for and not picky at all about water quality. A varied diet, including spirulina and small meaty foods like Mysis is recommended.

Dragonets

Dragonets are often mis-categorized as gobies or blennies by fish sellers. They are bottom-dwelling fish that constantly hunt tiny invertebrates for food. Most starve to death in a marine aquarium unless you provide a refugium or place for the invertebrates to reproduce safely without any fish being able to reach them.

Damsels

All Damselfish can be considered reef-safe, sometimes excluding larger, more aggressive Dascyllus varieties. Some Damselfish will host in anemones like clownfish. Most Damselfish are aggressive and difficult to catch once you put them in an aquarium.

Damselfish change gender as they grow larger and older. Small damselfish are ungendered. Eventually, they become males if no males prevent them from doing so. 1 or sometimes 2 males live with a female and guard over the eggs. Females are the largest fish and dominant over the males and juveniles. They will not allow other females into an area they have claimed as their territory without a fight. They may not allow new males or juveniles, either. Aggression increases with each change.

Cardinalfish

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One of the few groups of shoaling fish commonly available to marine aquarists, Cardinalfish are nocturnal and tend to be quite shy. They require meaty foods and will often not take prepared foods such as flakes and tablets. For the best chance of success, keep a wide variety of frozen foods on hand. In the event of a hunger strike, they will almost always take adult brine shrimp. As far as other care requirements they are similar to damsels: not picky. So long as they are properly acclimated, they tolerate a wide range of parameters. A marine aqaurist should watch the ammonia/nitrite levels of the environment, as cardinalfish are particularly sensitive to these chemicals.

Clownfish

Clownfish, more technically known as Anemonefish, are the classic aquarium fish. Both hardy and attractive, they are perhaps best known for their symbiotic relationship with Sea Anemones, a relative of coral. In the wild, Anemonefish are always found with a host, leading many potential keepers to believe that an anemone is necessary to keep them. Anemonefish are easy to keep, but their cnidarian counterparts are inordinately finicky and need high light levels, and luckily Anemonefish will thrive without them. Aquarists often find that Anemonefish will host in other things, from corals and Feather Duster Worms to powerheads and other equipment. Anemonefish care is identical to that of Damselfish, as they are actually very closely related.

Butterflyfish

Butterflyfish, when properly cared for, can make beautiful and distinctive additions to fish only marine aquariums. Often large and usually not suited for those with smaller aquariums, nor those of the faint of heart. Nevertheless, when fed a varied diet and kept in pristine conditions, Butterflyfish will usually thrive. That is, if you choose the right species. With Butterflyfish, usually a fish is going to survive, or it's not. Many species simply cannot be kept in captivity, and potential keepers must take care to only purchase those species that have a fighting chance. Also, be very picky about which specimen you choose- any sign of mishandling should be taken as a red flag.
The following species are relatively hardy and an experienced aquarist should have no trouble with them, so long as they are diligent.

Basslets & Assessors

Basslets and Assessors are small, long bodied fish strongly resembling Anthias. Their care requirements, however, are closer to those of damsels. They should be kept individually, and generally not with other fish of similar shape and colour. Feeding is easy: they will generally eat any meaty foods offered. Good water quality should be maintained at all times.

Anthias

Although Anthias resemble damsels in shape and size, the two should never be confused. Where damsels are the goats of the Saltwater world, Anthias (also called "Fairy Basslets in) are finicky and many starve to death in captivity. In the wild, they eat zooplankton, and will not accept anything but in the aquarium. They also need to be fed nearly constantly, three times a day at least. The best way to ensure the health and longevity of an Anthias is to attach a refugium where you can grow copepods to "drip" into the display tank. Unlike many other saltwater aquarium inhabitants, they can be kept in groups.

Angelfish (Dwarf)

Although Dwarf Angelfish are smaller and generally more manageable than their larger counterparts, they still have some specific care requirements. They are omnivores, but plenty of vegetable matter, preferably in the form of macroalgae, should be provided for their grazing pleasure. Their suitability for reef tanks is hotly debated, so add at your own risk. Specimens that have been successfully maintained in reef aquaria include the Flame and Coral Beauty angels. However, for obvious reasons they should not be put into tanks with expensive decorative macroalgae.

Angelfish (Large)

These big beauties are considered to be quite hardy, but because of their size may present a significant challenge to the potential keeper. They need huge aquariums, up to 180 gallons to house one for its entire lifespan. Two angels might be kept in the same aquarium provided it is a large aquarium, they are properly acclimated as juveniles, and they are have very different colouring and body shape. However, because all Angelfish have essentially the same diet, mixing them is a feat that should be left to only advanced keepers. None are reef safe, and a potential owner should be aware that they need to have plenty of vegetable matter in their diet. They undergo major changes in colouration while maturing, and unless specified given descriptions are for adult specimens.