Best Live Aquarium Plants

Friday, January 10, 2014

How to Grow Bunched Plants in your Live Aquarium – Pondweed and Foxtail

Bunched plants are those like elodea and milfoil that propagate by way of cutting. You buy cuttings from your pet supplier or even big box store. Often the bundle is attached at the bottom by a lead sinker weight which will allow the stems to drop to the bottom. Other times the buddle is strung together and intended to just float on the top.

Bundles are great options for at home aquarists because the offer an alternative to the typical plant which might just be placed in the substrate. Many aquariums are filled with rocks and driftwood, which will not allow for many rooted plants. They are a great alternative. They will often move around in the tank and give a variety of habitats for your fish. They are especially great choices for goldfish.

Anacharis Canadensis or pondweed, sometimes called elodea is a great choice for the beginner’s tank. It is a plant that prefers cold water. Nevertheless it can tolerate temperatures exceeding 80 degrees F. It is long, with narrow stalks that sprout rings of thick green leaves. It will achieve a very tall look and can be positioned to stay in on place, weighted down or allowed to float throughout the tank.

Although they require constant pruning because their growth is so fast, this could work out to your advantage because new plants are taken by cutting. Pondweed is reproduced by cutting off the lower inch and planting the remainder firmly in the substrate. Weighting them with lead sinkers is a must. They do not need rooting hormone and will take up very quickly.

Another option is Foxtail or milfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum. Although it requires stronger light (or a light kept on most of the day) it will grow several inches in just one week. It is incredibly beautiful, like pondweed but with more delicate, fern-like leaves. It is one of the most commonly produced in plastic form.

Bundled plants like foxtail and pondweed require very little in the way of nutrients or special supplies. They are two of the easiest plants to grow and are a sheer pleasure to watch in your tank. Although they do not disappoint they do need constant attention, in pruning them so as to ensure you get constant growth and new free plants.