Simple and unpretentious algae in the aquarium. Unpretentious aquarium plants: nias, elodea, hornwort, kabomba. What are aquarium plants
They play an important role in the life of its inhabitants. Having plants in an aquarium offers a number of benefits. Let's look at which aquarium plants are useful, their photos with names and which ones can be recommended for beginner aquarists.
it small plant that floats on the surface of the aquarium. The leaves are small, convex below and filled with air chambers, which ensures the buoyancy of the duckweed. The leaves are solitary, bright, green, oval. Stem up to 2 mm long. Duckweed is a perennial, photophilous plant.
Duckweed can be used as an aquarium decoration and as an additive to the diet of fish. It is also used to create shadows. Sometimes duckweed enters the aquarium quite by accident, for example, with other plants or with live food.
Duckweed is unpretentious and gets along well in new conditions. For this plant, it does not matter what quality the water and temperature are. Duckweed is enough if the temperature of the aquarium is between 12 and 30 degrees. It is a floating plant and needs a lot of overhead light and no strong current to grow.
Some types of fish (angelfish, goldfish, other viviparous) eat duckweed. You can also cook from it dry food. The leaves are collected, dried and ground. This food is nutritious and contains many vitamins. Other fish may use duckweed as a spawning shelter.
Duckweed reproduces with the help of daughter plants. They form along the edges of the leaf plate. The breeding process is very fast. Let's look at duckweed as a plant that easily takes root in an aquarium, its types with photos and names.
There are several types of duckweed:
This is a fairly popular plant. There are many types of Vallisneria. For aquariums, only three types are used - spiral, giant and dwarf wallisneria. 
Conditions for growing Vallisneria:
- temperature in the range of 22-28 degrees;
- water should be hardness up to 8 mg-eq / l;
- water pH - from 6 to 7.5;
- every week it is necessary to replace 1/4 of the water from the volume of the aquarium;
- plant in a slightly silted soil, which includes medium-sized pebbles or in river sand;
- when growing spiral and / or dwarf vallisneria, the soil should be 3-4 cm thick. When growing giant wallisneria, the soil should be 7-8 cm thick;
- lighting - 0.5 W per liter.
But it is impossible to shorten vallisneria because the tips of the leaves will start to rot! If the plant has grown too large, it is recommended to thin it out. In this case, you need to remove the daughter plants. 
Important! If you are going to treat fish with preparations containing copper, Vallisneria must be removed from the aquarium, otherwise the plant will die. Vallisneria also dies if rust or the antibiotic Bitsillin-5 is present in the aquarium.
A plant of the aquatic family. Homeland - North America. Grows in rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps. In the aquarium it is used for decorative purposes. 
Elodea grows rapidly, the shoot can reach 2 meters. Shoots can be cut to the length that the aquarium allows. Elodea roots are thin, brittle and long. The stem is branched. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, up to 1 cm long, bright green in color, without petioles.
Elodea is a dioecious plant. You need to grow male and female individuals in an aquarium. The peduncle of Elodea is long and reaches the surface of the water. Flowers are small.
Growing conditions:
- water hardness in the range from 2 to 14 meq/l;
- acidity of water - from 5.5 to 8 pH;
- temperature - from 16 to 24 degrees;
- the plant needs light, although shading is possible;
- light day - 12 hours;
- the volume of the aquarium - any;
- soil - any, but the plant is easier to keep free-floating.
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This is a common and unpretentious plant. Hornwort has a green thin stem, needle-shaped leaves. This plant is suitable only for underwater life. Hornwort has no roots and does not need to be planted in the ground. It just floats in the water column. If this is not convenient, then the hornwort can be attached with stones or driftwood. 
acts as a filter in the aquarium. This plant enriches water with oxygen and removes nitrates from it. The hornwort also works on the principle mechanical filter- delays suspension. If a plaque from turbidity forms on the plant, then it can be washed under running water.
Hornwort grows at a temperature of 20 to 30 degrees. If the temperature is closer to 30 degrees, then the hornwort can accelerate its growth and grow up to 20 cm in a week.
Hornwort requires bright lighting - about 0.4-0.5 W per liter. But he does not like direct sunlight. It is recommended that daylight hours be 12 hours.
When changing water by 1/4 of the volume with an interval of once a week, the hornwort does not need mineral top dressing. It reproduces only by division of the stem. Even if you have a very small piece of stem, you can grow a whole plant from it. 
Limnobium
homeland of limnobium shoot-bearing- tropical and subtropical countries of North and South America. This plant is a floating on the surface of the water glossy leaves on short cuttings. Leaves no more than 2-3 centimeters in diameter. This algae is used not only as a decoration, but also as a shade in the aquarium. It is able, under favorable conditions, to completely cover the surface of the aquarium, so it is recommended to remove excess limnobium. 
Limnobium does not require special temperature conditions. It is kept in both tropical and moderately warm aquariums. The recommended water temperature is 20-30 °C. In cool water, limnobium slows down growth and decreases in size. Algae grows best in soft water, hardness should be no more than 10-12 mg-eq / l.
Like most floating algae, Limnobium needs strong light, but it can live in shade for a while. Use fluorescent lamps with a power of 2 W per 1 sq. dm. When using incandescent lamps, the plant can get burned.
Fertilizing limnobium with mineral fertilizers can be omitted. It multiplies very quickly, with the formation of daughter shoots at the ends of the lateral shoots, which can be separated after the formation of three leaves and a root. 
It grows in all moderately warm regions of the planet. This is an openwork moss of bright green color floating on the surface of the aquarium. Riccia is often used by experienced aquarists as a natural spawning substrate for fish and as a shelter for fry. It is also used as a shade. 
Riccia grows in a tropical and moderately warm aquarium at a temperature of 22-26 ° C. May die or stop growing at temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. Water should be soft, neutral or slightly alkaline, as growth slows down with hard water. It is also recommended to regularly change 1/5 of the water.
Use good lighting for Riccia growth, as in low light it will disintegrate and not create islands. It should be remembered that when direct rays of the sun hit it, it is better to shade Riccia. Use standard fluorescent lamps for lighting, but do not use incandescent lamps.
Algae have enough substances that enter the aquarium with or fresh water, so there is no need to feed Riccia separately. It grows very quickly, from a small Riccia thallus it spreads throughout the aquarium in a short time.
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java moss
Homeland of Javanese moss- Southeast Asia. This is an interweaving of thin dark green threads that are tightly attached to uneven stones and snags. If left untouched for a long time, moss forms attractive growths on objects in the aquarium. It is used as a place for fish spawning. - This is an unpretentious plant that grows slowly throughout the year.
The ideal temperature for moss should be 24-28°C. If the temperature is lower, the moss stops growing. The hardness and reaction of the water does not matter to him, since moss grows in any water. It should be remembered that the water must be transparent, because in muddy water, algae grow plaque, which disrupts the nutrition of the plant and worsens its appearance. Water changes are often not required.
The type and intensity of lighting in the aquarium also do not play a role. Moss can grow for a long time even with minimal light, but in bright light it grows faster, acquires a rich green color and begins to branch in threads.
Moss grows well when placed at the bottom of an aquarium without soil. Reproduction takes place vegetatively, for this it is enough just to put a small piece of moss in water. It can also be grown in a greenhouse with high humidity. Sometimes moss peels off from the stones and snags on which it grows, rises in the water and simultaneously grows both in the water and in the open air. 
Cryptocoryne
It was introduced by aquarists from Southeast Asia, where it lives in the coastal zones of numerous islands, small rivers and reservoirs with stagnant water. In fact, these are marsh plants that grow under water and bloom in the air.
Cryptocoryne there are many species, they can be identified solely by the bedspread, which consists of a chamber for the inflorescence of the tube and petal.
Cryptocorynes are very unpretentious. Temperature regime should be 24-28 ° C, the water regime should be neutral in terms of hardness and acidity. Aquarists recommend changing up to 1/3 of the water in the aquarium weekly for normal growth.
Set the light not very bright, diffused. It should not be forgotten that there should be nutrient substrates in the soil, which consist of complex fertilizers. Also, the soil should be about the same temperature as the water, as cool soil will slow algae growth.
Cryptocorynes do not like transplants, because leaves will appear in a new place only after a few months, even if the care is correct. Cryptocorynes reproduce by shoots that may be in the substrate. A small leaf, formed at the end of the shoot, eventually grows into a small bush. After 5-6 leaves are formed on it, and the age is several weeks, Cryptocoryne can be transplanted.
There are a number of species of this plant for the aquarium, below you will find their photos with names:
- cryptocoryne undulata;
- Cryptocoryne Twaiteza;
- cryptocoryne cordate;
- cryptocoryne spiral;
- related cryptocoryne;
- cryptocoryne purpurea;
- cryptocoryne ciliate;
- cryptocoryne pontederiole;
- cryptocoryne parva;
- cryptocoryne small;
- cryptocoryne reverse spiral;
- Cryptocoryne Neuville;
- cryptocoryne Griffith;
- Cryptocoryne Beckett;
- cryptocoryne aponogetonolifolia;
- cryptocoryne Wendt;
- cryptocoryne Walker;
- Cryptocoryne Albida.
Echinodorus
Echinodorus is a perennial marsh grass, some species can also grow on land. The absence of a stem is the main feature of all types of echinodorus, even large representatives.
The leaves of the plant appear directly from the rhizome, thickenings (rhizomes) grow from there, on which buds then grow. The usual way of reproduction is by budding.
The leaves of Echinodorus are strongly elongated and very dense. The shape of the leaves is spear-shaped, pointed or oval on top, as well as elliptical.
Echinodorus is a flowering algae, a long peduncle grows directly from the leaves, ending in an inflorescence. Branches can form on the peduncle and leaves grow. Roots are already growing from them, and the daughter plant is separated from the mother. it's the same characteristic way reproduction of echinodorus together with the root.
Echinodorus contain, as a rule, in deep aquariums, since their height can reach 60 cm. Grass is planted in the center of the aquarium closer to the back side.
Coarse sand or fine gravel is used as the soil. Also, it will not be superfluous to add river silt to the soil. The ideal temperature will be 18-26 degrees Celsius, water hardness - 5-10 meq / l. The acid balance must be neutral. These conditions are suitable for most decorative species, however, there are features for individual species.
Different types and hybrids of echinodorus are created to this day. Next you can see the names of the species and varieties of these algae with pictures:
- echinodorus angustifolia;
- echinodorus cordifolia Tropica Marble Queen;
- echinodorus gentle;
- echinodorus osiris;
- echinodorus Bleher, or yarrow;
- echinodorus ruby;
- echinodorus Kleiner Bar;
- Echinodorus Rose;
- echinodorus osiris doppel mouth;
- Echinodorus Jungelstar;
- echinodorus amazonica.
Ludwigia
Ludwigia is an algae of the cypress family. The genus of this plant includes more than 75 species. It grows all over the world, but more often you can find Ludwigia in the tropics and subtropics. Most species prefer to grow on land rather than in water. 
The most common are creeping, marsh and arcuate ludwigia. Aquarists do not agree on the content of Ludwigia. Some say that it is unpretentious, while others are convinced that growing a plant requires experience and some skill. Despite this, it can be said with accuracy that if Ludwigia gets into favorable conditions, it will grow quickly and abundantly.
This algae grows up to 30-35 centimeters, blooms well. Flowers are mostly small and green. In the creeping variety, in addition to green, also yellow which makes it especially attractive.
The ideal water temperature for Ludwigia is 20-28 ° C, if the temperature drops, then the plant will grow well for some time. In the future, in a cool aquarium, growth slows down. Bright lighting is an important factor, as ludwigia love light. If they periodically receive direct sunlight, the leaves will become brighter.
Ludwigia are planted in the ground or simply left to float on the surface. Weakly silted sand is ideal as soil, since the root system is poorly developed.
Important! Water hardness does not matter, but if it is more than 8 mg-eq / l,the leaves will become brighter. Regular water changes should be done, but this is not essential.
To propagate Ludwigia, you need to separate the top from the stem, the cuttings must be 10 centimeters long, they are planted in the ground or left on the water surface. 
For a comfortable life of plants in an aquarium, all growing conditions must be taken into account. Thanks to the information in the article about some algae that are not whimsical in the aquarium, their types with photos and names, you can easily make your choice.
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About the benefits of aquarium plants.
Plants in an aquarium play an important role in the life of its inhabitants. We can say that the presence of plants in the aquarium is only a huge number of pluses:
Plants are the "lungs" of an aquarium.
During the day, they release oxygen during photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into the energy of chemical bonds of organic substances in the light by photoautotrophs with the participation of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll in plants, bacteriochlorophyll and bacteriorhodopsin in bacteria). In modern plant physiology, photosynthesis is more often understood as a photoautotrophic function - a set of processes of absorption, transformation and use of the energy of light quanta in various endergonic reactions, including the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic substances.
Simply put, in plants, the process of converting water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) under the influence of sunlight into an energy-rich organic compound - glucose (C6H12O6) takes place. The formula for photosynthesis can be represented as follows:
6CO2 + 6H2O = C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6O2
In the dark, the reverse process occurs:
С6Н12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O
Plants are the key to a stable biological balance in the aquarium.
One of the main elements that plants use to build their bodies is nitrogen (N), which they take from nitrate (NO3). Nitrate is a poison, a breakdown product of nitrogenous compounds. To make it even clearer to you, let's analyze the chain that flows in the aquarium.
"DIRT AND GARBAGE"
(dead organic matter, fish food, feces, etc.)
decomposed by bacteria
AMMONIA/AMMONIUM NH4
(the strongest poison, destructive to all living things)
under the action of another group of bacteria decomposes into
NITRITE NO2 followed by NITRATE NO3
(less dangerous, but also poisonous)
further decompose to
GAS STATE OF N2-NITROGEN
and come out of the aquarium water
For those who want to study the issue in more detail, I recommend going to the forum thread:
The above diagram shows the process of nitrate formation, which is used by aquarium plants as fertilizer. Thus, we can say that they are connected to the process of removing poisons from the aquarium. Moreover, we note that in dense herbal plants NO3 is zeroed out to such an extent that the aquascaper has to replenish it using the appropriate fertilizer mono-compositions.
Plants are a tool for setting up an aquarium.
Of course, the processes that take place in the aquarium do not end only with the nitrogen cycle. There are many aspects that affect the condition of the aquarium. Plants are an aquarium tuning fork, with which you can immediately assess the condition of the aquarium. An algae outbreak, crooked plants, holes in the leaves are signals to the aquarist that something is wrong and action needs to be taken.
Live plants are the natural habitat of many fish and other aquatic organisms: shrimps, snails, and so on. The concept of a natural aquarium, which was praised, was based primarily on the postulate of recreating naturalness.
Plants are fish food and spawning grounds.
Many hydrobionts are phytophages. Moreover, many of them use plants as shelter and spawning grounds.
Note that some fish generally just graze like sheep in a meadow and mow down all the vegetation. For example, the family, well, just loves plant foods. For these types of aquarium inhabitants, plant foods are needed, for example, Tetra Vegetable. But the question arises, why spend money when you can feed the fish with fresh, actually grown vegetation. In an aquarium separate from goldfish, you can grow fast-growing duckweed or hornwort and periodically feed it to golden gluttons.
Live aquarium plants are beautiful and natural!
Aquarium with live plants.
Aquarium with artificial plants.
What do you need for aquarium plants?
A novice aquarist usually thinks that plants in an aquarium are too much of a problem. Actually, for the normal life of plants in an aquarium, as well as for fish, the main thing is to create optimal conditions. In relation to plants, this is achieved by selecting proper lighting, neutral soil, the correct concentration of fertilizers, and proper water parameters.
Lighting. Light intensity and mode play a very important role for plants. daylight hours, they must be optimal. After all, the process of photosynthesis will not be without it. Some plants need a lot of lighting, some vice versa. You can learn more about the nuances of lighting in the following articles. ,.
Soil for aquarium plants. In general, we can say that the soil for plants should be neutral (not hissing), 5 to 7 centimeters thick, light and fine. It is this thickness and more that will allow the plants to take root well. Detailed article about soil and substrate for aquarium plants -.
Rules for planting aquarium plants.
An example of preparing a Cryptocoryne bush for planting.
Who interfered with the whole process? =)
Fertilizers for aquarium plants . Plants need macro and micronutrients. Macro fertilizers (NPK) - nitrate (NO3), phosphate (P/PO4), potassium (K). Micro-fertilizers - .
Modern aquarists do not know this problem. Any pet store sells tablets or liquid plant fertilizers. For example, . Such tablets are crushed and applied under the root system of plants. There are other fertilizer complexes that a beginner can use. For example, . There are also more "serious" fertilizers, which are already separated by macro and micro elements.
- Protects and strengthens new plants.
- enhances growth thanks to a valuable plant hormone.
- promotes the formation of roots.
- improves root survival during planting and transplanting.
- Enhances resistance with macronutrients.
- fertilizes plants purposefully through roots.
How to use: The tablet should be crushed and placed on the ground near the roots of plants.
This is an intensive fertilizer that is used for the development of all varieties. aquatic plants. Contains iron and a complex of all nutrients necessary for leaf growth. Promotes the formation of chlorophyll (green leaves), guarantees a uniform long-term supply of residual elements. Free from nitrates and phosphorus, which causes no load on the natural environment existing in the aquarium.
It is especially effective when sharing with TetraPlant Crypto fertilizer. Fertilizer promotes the development of healthy and strong plant roots.
Aquarium plants and fertilizer video from Tetra
In addition, it is possible to independently prepare fertilizers for aquarium plants. Of course, this is a whole science for a beginner. Therefore, at this stage, we do not recommend beginners to get involved in this topic. But we will give the link =) .
There is also an old, old-fashioned method - to put lumps of clay under the roots of the plant. We do not recommend this method at all. In practice, beginners get a cloudy aquarium, but there is not much use from it. Clay is very dusty!
Caring for aquarium plants
Caring for aquarium plants consists in cutting and pruning them as needed. When trimming, you need to: remove rotten leaves, trim an overgrown plant, cut off daughter plants, planting them in a new place. Must be changed weekly aquarium water to fresh.
In this section, we will highlight one of the most important aspects for plants - CO2. CO2 is a gas that aquarium plants need. Plants are 50% carbon (C). Under natural conditions, the concentration of CO2 in water ranges from 15-40 mg/l. But in the aquarium, this indicator tends to zero, even though the fish and other inhabitants of the aquarium produce it in the process of life, but in very small quantities.
CO2
This is the main construction material plant organisms! Plants in an aquarium, with a competent supply of CO2, become: beautiful and healthy, fast-growing.
Plants release O2 during photosynthesis! This process is popularly called bubbling or perling of plants. In turn, the oxygen released by plants is consumed by fish and other hydrobionts, which eliminates the need for mechanical aeration of the aquarium during daylight hours.
- in addition, when CO2 is supplied to the aquarium, the pH level decreases. What virtually all plants and some soft-water fish like.
We hope that our video materials will be useful to you and encourage you to be creative!
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How many plants do you need in an aquarium?
List of aquarium plants for beginners.
Like fish, there are a huge number of aquarium plants. Here is a section of the site where there is a description of most aquarium plants with photos and videos -. List of aquarium plants -Live plants in an aquarium look much more beautiful than artificial ones. However, beginners are in no hurry to buy them, believing that they are difficult to care for. So that care does not cause a lot of inconvenience, it is enough to competently approach the choice of representatives of the flora. We bring to your attention aquarium plants for beginners, shown in the photo with the names below, which are unpretentious and grow well even in non-ideal conditions.
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java moss
This plant is a hardy champion in a variety of aquarium conditions. It wonderfully tolerates poor lighting, can live in an acidic environment and in a wide range of water temperatures. Java moss can be positioned both on the surface of the water and under it by attaching a fishing line to snags or other accessories.
If the lighting is weak, then it is better not to plant it on the bottom of the aquarium. Moss can kill dirty water, where organic suspensions settle on the leaves, forming a plaque. Thus, he loses the ability to breathe, against which the process of photosynthesis worsens.
Anubias
The second place among unpretentious plants in the aquarium is occupied by dwarf anubias. It grows well in moderate light conditions, does not respond to changes in acidity and water hardness. Anubias has dense leaves, so fish and snails are not afraid of it. It looks especially beautiful on a snag, so it is often incremented. Its disadvantages include slow growth.
hornwort
It is one of the three most unpretentious plants. Its peculiarity lies in the absence of roots. Stems are dug into the ground, thereby forming beautiful shrubs that resemble fir branches.
The hornwort grows quickly and tolerates moderately hard water well. The stem can disintegrate in soft water. For the successful maintenance of this plant, good lighting is recommended.
Elodea Densa
Vallisneria
A very hardy plant, so it is perfect for planting in a beginner's aquarium. It grows very quickly, releasing arrows from the shoots. Due to its narrow and long leaves, it looks very beautiful in any pond. The disadvantage is rapid reproduction, so from time to time it is necessary to cut new shoots. Otherwise, Vallisneria will flood the entire volume of the aquarium. For more information about Vallisneria, watch the video from the Green Style channel.
Arrowhead subulate
Outwardly, it resembles a bunch of grass, as it grows in a chain. This plant is suitable for planting in the foreground, because the leaves have a bright green color, and the arrowhead itself is undersized. It reproduces, like Vallisneria, by shoots, so it can quickly spread throughout the aquarium.
Riccia
This is a floating plant. The lower leaves are often a refuge for some fry and small aquarium inhabitants. There are also fish that love to eat this plant. Riccia grows quite quickly, preventing natural light from entering the aquarium. In this regard, it must be periodically weeded.
Cryptocoryne
One of the most popular plants in the aquarium. It can be red, bronze or green. Often, aquarists plant several types of Cryptocoryne at the same time, decorating the reservoir in an original way. The plant normally tolerates a lack of light, adapts well to water of moderate hardness. The disadvantages of cryptocoryne include difficult recovery after transplantation.
Ludwigia
Among existing species of this plant there are both unpretentious and very capricious specimens. For beginners, experts recommend using swamp ludwigia. It has bright green leaves, and in very bright light becomes red.
Does not tolerate lack of light. In this case, the stems are strongly drawn out and lose their beauty. Ludwigia is not demanding on acidity readings, the optimum temperature for it is from 20 ° C to 22 ° C.
indian fern
Ideal for the beginner aquarist. This fern has beautiful leaves with small cuts. It adapts well to different conditions and water parameters in the aquarium, but requires good lighting.
All considered plants are externally different from each other. But by combining several species in one aquarium, you can create an original and beautiful landscape design under water. When choosing, beginners should be guided by the following parameters.
- Attitude to insufficient lighting. Many inexpensive aquariums are equipped with weak lamps, which is why they are cheap. Insufficient light can lead to the death of some plant species.
- All unpretentious plants for the aquarium can live in different conditions. For them, water hardness is absolutely acceptable, which varies from 4 ° to 20 °. Beginners in the aquarium trade often forget about this indicator, just like the temperature of the water.
- Regular maintenance and cleaning of the aquarium. If the aquarium is left unattended for several months, it begins to become dirty as a result of too much density and rotting of the plants.
- Resistance to sudden changes in conditions of detention. Most beginners forget about their aquarium for a long time, and during this time various processes take place in it, which require constant monitoring. A sharp change in the characteristics of the water in the aquarium can withstand only unpretentious plants.
It is worth noting that there are a number of reasons why preference should be given to living plants in an aquarium. First of all, this is the appearance of a home pond. A more natural aquarium looks exactly with the presence of vegetation. In addition, plants are food for some types of fish, inhibit the growth and reproduction of lower algae.
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The request returned an empty result.Video "How to make the background of an aquarium from Ricci"
Often, beginner aquarists have to hear complaints that plants do not grow in them - they turn yellow, wither, rot leaves, rot roots, stems “bald” ... Unfortunately, such symptoms are caused not only by not quite the right conditions in the aquarium or violations of the rules its "launch", but also simply by the wrong selection of plants.
In the literature on indoor floriculture, in the descriptions of certain flowers, special pictograms of the difficulty of content are often put, in gradation from “extremely unpretentious” to “very capricious”. However, for some reason, such designations are not accepted for aquatic plants. And in vain ....
Yes, unfortunately, some plants can upset the novice aquarist. What kind of plants are these? Conventionally, they can be divided into two groups. The first are plants that are actually terrestrial, growing in tropical rainforests or along the banks of water bodies, and with some difficulty maintaining a constantly immersed state for a couple of months. By the way, there are among the "hygrophytes" (namely, that is the name of such plants) and those who do not care what is around them - moist air or fresh water. But we’ll talk about them a little lower ... The second group is really aquatic (well, or at least capable of growing under water for an arbitrarily long time) plants, but requiring special conditions which are difficult or impossible for a novice aquarist to provide. For example, light at least 1 watt per liter, or daylight hours over 12 hours (for a beginner, the aquarium will instantly overgrow with thread), or the mandatory supply of CO 2 and mineral fertilizers. A beginner should not mess with such species either. And why? After all, there are so many aquarium plants in the world that grow beautifully in almost any aquarium and forgive many mistakes of “dummies”. Let's describe some of them.
1. Hornwort. Nayas. Elodea.
Let's start with plants that either do not have a root system at all, or those who, in general, do not really need roots. In the old literature they were united in the group "Plants floating in the water column". These are primarily hornworts (light green Ceratophyllum submersum and dark green C. demersum), nayasas (primarily Guadalupe Najas guadelupensis = N. microdon) and "elodea" (the collective name for several species, the main of which Egeria densa and Egeria najas).
hornworts Often used as starter plants by aquarists when starting a new aquarium. They are so unpretentious that they are able to live in almost any water, with any indicators of hardness, pH and temperature. In nature, hornwort is found everywhere, from subarctic reservoirs to equatorial ones, including mountain lakes and brackish river estuaries. The hornwort does not form roots, so it is either left floating or fixed in the ground with various devices (arms, studs, weights). Plastic rings with suction cups are sometimes sold on the market and in pet stores - you can pass a bunch of hornwort through such a ring and attach it with a suction cup to the aquarium glass somewhere behind a snag or stone so that the hornwort grows beautifully because of the decoration. In addition to the light green and dark green hornworts already mentioned above, two more species are found in aquariums - Cuban and red stem (from our Far East). And in total there are more than 50 species of them on earth. The hornwort reproduces extremely simply - it branches easily, and any branch that has fallen off forms a new plant. The only drawback of the hornwort (and its main advantage) is its very rapid growth. Hornwort is able to absorb nutrients from the water with all its parts, and process them into its tissues at such a speed that it outstrips even filamentous algae in this process, taking away their "bread". Such a growth rate requires a significant amount of nitrate nitrogen as a nutrient, and therefore the hornwort effectively purifies water from excess nitrates and organic matter. And this determines the second popular use of hornwort - as a natural "algicide" to help cope with algae invasions in the aquarium and normalize the nitrogen cycle.
In the same capacity (as a starter plant and as a natural algaecide), aquarists also use Guadalupe naias(Najas guadelupensis). Unlike the hornwort, the nayas has roots, and if it is planted in the ground, then its branches take root normally. But in general, he doesn’t really need roots: the growth and development of naias is almost not affected by the form in which it is grown - free-floating or rooted. Even a small twig of naias in good conditions able to grow in a month into a dense, branched green bush, occupying half of the aquarium. It is an ideal substrate for the spawning of many simple fish species that form self-sustaining populations. In the thickets of naias, the "Galaktika" microrasboras, common cardinals, etc. love to spawn. This is also a great place for fry of viviparous fish - guppies, swordtails, platies - in order to hide from voracious parents. There is only one drawback of naias: once you start it in an aquarium, it is quite difficult to get rid of it completely. The stems of nayas actively branch and intertwine, and at the same time are quite fragile. When removing it from the aquarium, several pieces will inevitably break off and "hide" among other plants, and after only a few days they will germinate and give new young plants.
Canadian elodea (Egeria canadiensis) it is no coincidence that in the countries of Europe, where it came in the century before last from North America, it was called the "water plague". This beautiful, and even elegant plant, having found itself on a new continent for itself, on which there are not so many animals that feed on it, began to multiply uncontrollably, filling all stagnant and slowly flowing reservoirs in record time. Over time, the protective mechanisms of nature turned on, elodea integrated into European ecosystems and ceased to pose a great threat to shipping, but it is now one of the most common aquatic plants, including in our country.
Cultural lines" Elodey" (Egeria densa, Egeria najas, Lagarosiphon major etc.), grown in aquariums, do not come from a natural Canadian form introduced in our country, adapted to cold water, but from plants of tropical regions. Unlike the domestic Elodea "from a puddle", the store one is perfectly adapted to warm water of our aquariums, and may well be recommended to novice aquarists as a simple and unpretentious supplier of oxygen to fish and joy to the eyes. Elodea can be grown as a floating plant, but it is better to plant it in the ground, where it takes root quickly and willingly. Elodea propagates in the same way as most long-stemmed plants - with branchlets broken off from the mother plant, which are easily rooted in the ground. Elodea blooms and in nature is very rare, but in an aquarium it is completely "lazy" to do this. Elodea are rarely used in aquarium design, but in vain! This is a beautiful plant of the side plan, forming very pretty bushes on the sides of the main composition of the aquarium.
2. Vallisneria. Sagittariya.
The following plants, which I would like to recommend to beginners, are very similar in appearance on the familiar to us terrestrial cereals lawn grasses. These are rosette plants with long narrow "herbaceous" leaves collected in dense thickets - vallisneria. different types(ordinary, spiral, Asian, twisted, American, giant, etc.) and tropical arrowheads - saggitaria.
All vallisneria extremely unpretentious, feel good in almost any aquarium, easily and quickly multiply by creeping shoots - "whiskers", on which, like garden strawberries, chains of young plants are formed. Different kinds and forms of vallisneria have leaves that are straight as ribbons, or twisted into a spiral, light green, dark green, reddish, and even brindle-streaked. The length of the leaves is also variable - from 20-25 cm V.spiralis f.nana, up to several meters (!) V.gigantea. Scientists believe that our aquariums contain up to a dozen species of different wallisneria, but aquarists in practice do not really distinguish between them, dividing all wallisneria into "ordinary", "spiral" and giant. All wallisneria form dense, dense thickets, so it is better to plant them along the back glass of the aquarium, as a backdrop for all compositions. It is necessary to ensure that the shoots of Vallisneria do not crawl into the middle part of the aquarium and do not fill the entire volume.
Giant wallisneria- This is a plant for large, tall aquariums. Whatever your height, it will still grow to the surface and put its long, wide ribbon-like leaves on it. It is more thermophilic than other types of vallisneria, and its leaves are hard and tasteless for fish, which allows it to be planted even with those types of fish that are "not friendly" with plants. For example, this is almost the only plant that normally survives in the society of large American cichlids - astronotus, goldfish, and other species that actively spoil plants. Giant wallisneria leaves that shade the surface of the water too much can be trimmed.
Unlike Vallisneria, saggitaria are short-leaved foreground plants. These are relatives of our common marsh arrowhead, but in contrast to it, the styloid is traditionally bred in aquariums ( Sagittaria subulata) and Japanese ( S. platyphylla) saggitaria do not form surface leaves and do not crawl out of the water. The underwater leaves of the sagittarius are very similar to the leaves of the vallisneria, but shorter, stiffer, sickle-shaped. In good light, the length of the leaves of saggitaria does not exceed 5-10 cm, which allows them to be used as foreground ground cover plants. Saggitaria reproduce with the same long ground shoots as Vallisneria, and in good conditions quickly cover open areas of the aquarium ground with a pretty green lawn. If the conditions in the aquarium are far from ideal, the saggitaria simply stops growing, but does not die or rot, which makes it possible to recommend it to novice aquarists as one of the first plants: it easily forgives the mistakes of not very skilled amateurs. If the saggitaria begins to actively grow in height, form long (15 cm or even more) leaves - most likely this means that it does not have enough light, and it reaches for it. Hardness, pH, salt composition and temperature of the water in the aquarium are not of fundamental importance for the saggitaria - it is able to live in almost any water, as long as there is enough light and the water is clean.
- Sagittaria broadleaf, Arrowhead broadleaf, Japanese
3. Aroid plants.
From Anubias as an unpretentious plant for beginner aquarists, I want to recommend only one species - Anubias barteri var. nana and its varieties - petite", nana "round leaves", etc. This is a dwarf variety of a very variable species of Anubias Bartera, which does not experience any problems when constantly kept underwater in an aquarium and is very undemanding to conditions. For beginner aquarists, this anubias is very attractive for its shade tolerance, ability to live not only planted in the ground, but also attached to a stone or snag, as well as slow growth, which allows us to reduce care for it only to the infrequent removal of a yellowed or rotten leaf. The features of this very grateful plant, which we already talked about in an article about "slow aquarium" allow you to create voluminous, expressive aquarium compositions from it and use it as the main "framework" for the design of an aquarium for a novice amateur. The exceptional endurance of this anubias is due to the fact that in nature it grows in the coastal zone of unstable reservoirs West Africa, periodically ending up in water of different purity and composition, and even in the air. The only thing Anubias nana does not like in an aquarium is too bright light, in which its leaves begin to become covered with green algae, so plant anubias in the shade, under elodea or vallisneria thickets. The tough, leathery leaves of anubias are rarely damaged by fish, and therefore can be planted even with plant-unfriendly species such as African cichlids and medium-sized goldfish. And in good conditions, dwarf anubias is sometimes able to please the lover with underwater flowering, releasing an elegant white flower that looks like a miniature feces or calla.
Another group of aroids that do well in beginner aquariums are cryptocorynes. Of course, not all! Some cryptocorynes are very capricious and whimsical, but numerous color varieties Cryptocoryne Wendt (Cryptocoryne wendtii), as well as species such as Willis ( Cryptocoryne willisii), affinis ( Cryptocoryne affinis), pontaderiofolia ( Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia), aponogetonolifolia Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia, parva ( Cryptocoryne parva) and some others - quite suitable as plants for the first aquarium in life.
Except C. affinis and C.aponogetifolia, the rest of the species listed above are small plants, with a leaf length of no more than 10-12 cm, quite suitable for the foreground. Unlike most rosette plants, Cryptocorynes relatively easily tolerate root damage when transplanted from place to place within the same aquarium, quickly take root and start growing. But with a sharp transfer from one aquarium to another, a strong (from 30% or more) water change, and especially when transporting to another area with a different salt composition of tap water, cryptocorynes (especially cryptocorynes affinis) sometimes experience osmotic shock, leading to the simultaneous shedding of most or almost all leaves. Of course, this phenomenon (called “cryptocorin disease” in the literature) should be avoided if possible, but even if this happens, it’s not scary: the plant will have enough strength to soon grow a new rosette of leaves in a new place.
Cryptocorynes are not very fond of new ones, just running aquariums, with completely washed soil and a low content of organic matter. However, as the lower layers of the soil silt up, they begin to grow much more cheerfully and more willingly. The best fertilizer for these plants, which naturally grow in small reservoirs of tropical peat bogs, is the natural waste products of fish that have sunk into the ground. They grow especially well in aquariums inhabited by viviparous fish - platies, swordtails, mollies. With good light and adequate nutrition, many species of Cryptocoryne color the underside of the leaf plate in a thick brown, dark red, and even burgundy. This evidence is very good condition plants.
Cryptocorynes reproduce in the same way as Vallisneria - by shoots formed on long horizontal shoots, but only in Cryptocoryne these shoots usually grow under the ground surface and rarely form more than 1-2 daughter plants on one shoot. When transplanted, such shoots (even those that have not yet given daughter plants) easily break off and remain in the ground. Such a "hidden" process is then able to germinate as a new plant after a long time, unexpectedly pleasing the aquarist with a new Cryptocoryne where the old one once sat. Under good conditions in old silty aquariums, Cryptocorynes form daughter plants at a short distance from the mother plant, growing into dense, dense thickets.
As you gain experience with the plants listed in this article, novice aquarists can add other, more whimsical and more interesting plants to their aquariums, many of which we will discuss in future articles.
A lively and bright aquarium is not only about fish. Even with the most beautiful representatives of the fish kingdom, it can seem deserted and bleak if there is no vegetation in it. Creating an underwater green garden is not always easy, but if we select hardy inhabitants for it, there will be much less problems and worries. What plants can be considered unpretentious? Let's figure it out!
As we already call species that:
- sufficient lighting of medium intensity 0.3-0.5 W / l;
- there is no need to organize the supply of CO2;
- no need to add organic or mineral fertilizers to water or soil - they have enough of what remains of the fish.
Hardy representatives are found in many plant taxa (systematic groups).
green algae
This filamentous algae forms a colony in the form of a fluffy green ball, which looks very picturesque and allows you to greatly diversify the aquarium design. The ball can be cut and attached to the bottom, turning it into a rug or a small lawn. Cladophora is simply adored by shrimp, as well as fish fry, which find a huge amount of edible microorganisms between its strings.
Cladofora requires lighting from 0.5 W/l, not too hard, neutral water (balls fall apart in water with high pH values), which should be clean and transparent. Prefers coolness, up to 23-24°C, loses its shape in warmer water.
Therefore, if the Cladophora lives in a warm water aquarium, at times - after about a month - the balls should be placed for several weeks in cool water to restore the colony.
Cladophora.
mosses
This group includes the most hardy of aquarium plants -. We can say that this stoic only needs water to live, everything else is minor details. It tolerates low light and a wide range of hydrochemical characteristics. It gives room for creativity when decorating: it can form floating clouds in the water column, create a lawn on the ground or cover stones and driftwood in a picturesque way (first, Javanese moss needs to be fixed on the desired surface, later it can grow to it).
Like cladophora, it is dearly loved by shrimp and fry, as it provides them with shelter and a rich food base. It serves as an excellent substrate for biofilter bacteria, and is itself a good filterer, retaining suspended particles of organic matter.
Also moss, from the hepatic department, which is an interweaving of individual short small branches. It is usually allowed to swim near the surface, where it serves as fish food, a spawning site, and a nursery for fry. Riccia does not have organs for attaching to the substrate, but it can be fixed on any surface, for example, with a fishing line. Required water temperature from 22 degrees. And it should be soft, neutral or slightly acidic, with regular partial changes.
Java moss.
ferns
Undemanding include Thai and Indian water ferns.
It has embossed leaves, similar in shape to willow. It grows quite slowly, eventually forming bright green dense and lush thickets 25-30 cm tall. It is usually placed at the side walls, in the corners or in the background of the aquarium. A small bush can be placed even in the central part of the nano aquarium. The Thai does not need rich soil, since his root system is represented by small rhizoids and does not penetrate deeply. But it can be fixed on a snag or ceramic decoration, depicting an interesting landscape, for example, an abandoned castle, through the stones of which trees sprout.
Or ceratopteris, outwardly quite different. It has dissected, openwork light green leaves, well-developed roots, it forms a large tall bush. But he needs conditions for good growth similar to his Thai counterpart: medium or good lighting, fairly high temperature, soft water, slightly acidic or neutral. It is necessary to have a nutrient soil (sand or fine smooth gravel), the layer thickness is not less than 4-5 cm.
Thai fern.
flowering plants
These include the vast majority of green inhabitants of the aquarium. They have such a variety of shapes, sizes, colors that the eyes run wide. Let's try to give descriptions of the most unpretentious, dividing them into groups, based on the decorative value in the aquarium.
Lush back
These are plants that have enough big sizes and are usually used to create the background and side wings of the aquarium.
Very popular among aquarists - a fast-growing plant with long, pointed leaves of a light shade. Consumes nutrients with the entire surface, therefore, helps to reduce the level of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the water. Serves as a favorite food for herbivorous fish and snails. Prefers silty soil of small fractions, temperature from 24°C, not too hard water, medium lighting. Tolerates varying degrees of acidity.
Its close relative, hygrophila straight, nomafila, or lemongrass, is a little more decorative: its leaves have a pinkish border under intense lighting, are located closer to each other, in good conditions the plant bushes. The tops of lemongrass rise above the water, so they can be interesting to arrange an aquaterrarium or. This species needs at least medium lighting, hard water, neutral or slightly acidic reaction.
Hygrophila polysperma.
The same conditions are necessary for another representative of the hygrophile - the heterophyllous hygrophile (dimorphic), or blueme. She is remarkable in that her leaves various shapes- from oval, slightly carved along the edges, to deeply dissected, feathery, lacy. All the mentioned types of hygrophiles are planted in groups to form dense voluminous curtains.
The inhabitant of the background, creating a fluffy openwork background, is also widely known. It has a long stem and a high growth rate (which means that it draws excess nitrogen out of the water well), fry hide in its thickets, adult fish spawn, and shrimp are usually found. Everyone loves cabomba! And she likes lighting from 0.4 W / l, clean neutral or slightly acidic water with a hardness index of no more than 8 °.
A magnificent background can be created by the Guadalupe naiad. It does not require rooting, feeling good in a free-floating state, but, being fixed on the ground, behaves like a full-fledged bush. This plant is the embodiment of grace and subtlety, but at the same time very unpretentious. The only thing it needs is good lighting, it adapts easily to the rest.
Caroline cabomba flower.
But why do we have all plants with long, narrow or needle-shaped leaves? We need to diversify our backdrop with some circles, and the white-headed hydrocotyl is perfect for this. Its leaves have a rounded shape, and the thickets are somewhat reminiscent of the usual marsh marigold in miniature. Next to our green lace and Christmas trees it will look very fun and original.
Of the requirements - only light is not less than 0.5 W / l and clean, periodically replaced water.
Growing to the surface, hydrocotyl forms floating leaves that can obscure other greens, so you need to be careful here and not let it capture too much territory.
To fill the gaps in the background of the aquarium, you can use and, collected in bunches of several branches and pressed to the bottom. They will not be able to form lush thickets, since they do not take root and do not bush, but it is quite possible to add density and texture. They are undemanding to water parameters, they tolerate almost any hardness and acidity. True, in very soft water, the stem breaks at the hornwort, and the resulting cuttings spread in different directions. Lighting like medium or good. Elodea grows best in cool water, up to 23°C. 
Let's decorate the center
To revitalize the central part of our reservoir, you can use large spreading bushes, for example, Amazonian echinodorus. This species is distinguished by its shade tolerance (tolerates light of 0.25/l), grows in a wide range of acidity values, and prefers moderately hard water. What is required for it is a thick layer of nutrient soil.
In a spacious aquarium in the center and closer to the ends, you can plant low species, for example, a twisted mini-twister - several of its bushes growing nearby will create a pretty curly grove. It is not picky about light and water parameters (it only dislikes high hardness and pH values) and grows well in almost any conditions.
The middle plan will be decorated with their dark glossy greens and. They don't need bright color, they grow in almost any water hardness slowly but surely. Anubias require nutritious soil, but they need to be planted correctly: only the roots are added dropwise, leaving a creeping stem on the surface. Anubias can be grafted to snags, and their dwarf representatives can be placed in the foreground, for which it is very difficult to find suitable vegetation in a moderately lit aquarium.
Anubias and Javanese moss attached to a driftwood.
Let's add some red
Of course, the greenery in the aquarium is great, but I want other colors as well. Unfortunately, most plants that have a red color or patterned multi-colored leaves are very picky about light and hydrochemical indicators.
An exception to this rule are Indian rotala and. Their leaves are reddish, sometimes slightly purple below, and they create bright islands against a general emerald and malachite background. The red color on the leaves appears only in conditions of at least medium lighting. At the same time, it is good if the light comes not only from above, but also from the side, then the leaves are located close to each other and several stems planted side by side form a lush bush.
If the lighting is only upper, the lower part of the stem gradually loses leaves and becomes bare. But this issue can be solved by periodic cuttings and transplantation: cut off the upper parts of the stem and collect new bushes from them. Water these plants need warm, clean, not too hard, neutral or slightly acidic.
As you can see, the choice of unpretentious plants to decorate our underwater kingdom is not so small. All of them are different, and with their help you can realize the most daring design ideas. There would be desire and patience!
To learn how to pick up aquarium plants and plant them, look at the video: