Aquascaping, aquarium decoration, would not be the same without plants, with special attention to aquarium cover plants , capable of creating incredible and beautiful submerged landscapes.
Being successful with natural plants in the aquarium is not too difficult, but it must be clear that, like fish, not all plants need the same care and that is why it is convenient to be clear about their needs.
If you want to start changing the look of your aquarium, I suggest you take note and do not miss a detail of the following aquarium plants, they are the most popular and easy to find. With a little patience on your part and the help of a specialist like zoobio.es, I’m sure you will get spectacular results.
Marsilea hirsuta
- Scientific name: Marsilea hirsuta
- Common name: Water clover
- Temperature: Between 22ºC and 28ºC
- pH: Between 6 and 7
- gH: Between 6º and 20º
- Growth, height: It can reach 5 cms.
It has its origin in the swamps of Australia, where it lives submerged or emerged, exhibiting different shapes depending on the situation: submerged it has four-lobed leaves, like a clover, and on the surface it only has one leaf per node. It expands easily covering the entire bottom of the aquarium, so it is perfect for placing in the front of the aquarium.
It has a moderate growth , so you should not despair because it takes time to cover the bottom of the aquarium. If you are going to need an extra contribution of CO2 to obtain the best results. Aquarium lighting should be high. If you have an aquarium with lower lighting, the plant will grow taller and with larger leaves. If you want to multiply it,it is spread by stolons .
Hemianthus callitrichoides
- Scientific name: Hemianthus callitrichoides
- Common name: Cuba
- Temperature: Between 20ºC and 28ºC
- pH: Between 5.5 and 7.5
- gH: Between 0º and 18º
- Growth, height: It can reach 5 cms.
Hemianthus Callitrichoides, known in aquariums as Cuba or Hemianthus Cuba, is a cover plant native to South America, specifically from the island of Cuba. It is highly appreciated in aquascaping for its delicate appearance, made up of tiny leaves of just a few millimeters, and its fantastic green color.
For its optimal growth, a good contribution of CO2 and intense lighting are necessary, if these conditions are met it will grow between 3 and 5 cm in height, if the lighting is not correct, it can reach 15 cm, looking for the light.
Of course, its growth is fast, the ideal if you want to cover the bottom of your aquarium with ease … it also multiplies by cuttings with ease.
It needs a loose, fine substrate, with a large amount of nutrients, in which iron must excel.
Eleocharis Acicularis
- Scientific name: Eleocharis Acicularis
- Common Name: Aquarium Grass
- Temperature: Between 18ºC and 28ºC
- pH: Between 5.5 and 7.5
- gH: Between 6º and 13º
- Growth, height: It can reach 8 cms.
Aquarium grass is so called because it reminds something of grass, grass, with thin and pointed leaves and that, depending on the lighting and care, can reach a good height, although the normal is about 7 or 8 centimeters. It is convenient to carry out regular pruning, to achieve a wide growth.
They need a lot of lighting to grow well, and you have to pay close attention to the conditions of the aquarium (low concentration of nitrites), including the internal current of the aquarium, to avoid that beard algae grows on it.
Although they do not require extra CO2 contributions, it is convenient to improve their growth.
Glossostigma Elatinoides
- Scientific name: Glossostigma Elatinoides
- Common Name: Glossostigma Elatinoides
- Temperature: Between 15ºC and 26ºC
- pH: Between 5.5 and 7
- gH: Between 4th and 8th
- Growth, height: It can reach 20 cms.
The Glossostigma elatinoides is a ground cover plants native to Australia and New Zealand, which has become the most popular aquariums in creating Japanese style, but also is appreciated in the Dutch aquariums.
Its appearance is that of a clover, due to the shape of its leaves. It remembers and is similar to Cuba, but with wider leaves, less compact and with a somewhat messier growth, generating a much more natural, less forced appearance.
It needs a large supply of nutrients , it is necessary to apply fertilizers for aquarium plants periodically, also to have a very fertile substrate and contributions of CO2.
The lighting must be intense to favor its horizontal growth,it also requires periodic pruning. Without proper lighting and pruning it tends to grow upwards, so pruning is necessary to stimulate horizontal growth.
Micranthemum tweediei
- Scientific name: Micranthemum tweediei
- Common name: Montecarlo
- Temperature: Between 24ºC and 28ºC
- pH: Between 5 and 7.5
- gH: –
- Growth, height: It can reach 10 cms.
Another plant with clover-like leaves , similar in appearance to Cuba or Glossostigma, but with much lower care requirements.
They are ideal if you do not have or do not want to install a CO2 supply system in your aquarium. For this type of covering plants, the extra contribution of CO2 is preferable, to achieve a much more compact growth.
They also require good lighting , but are able to easily adapt to a less lit aquarium.
Its growth is fast under good conditions, but in any case it will be able to cover the bottom of the aquarium without problems.
Tips for keeping your aquarium carpet plants in good condition
Each plant requires different conditions , we cannot generalize excessively, but upholstery plants coincide in many respects. In general terms, if you want to have beautiful aquarium cover plants, you will need:
- Illumination. Lighting must be bright for good results, and plants must grow more compact and horizontally, at least 1 watt / liter.
- CO2 contributions. Most cover plants require CO2, they could grow without extra CO2 inputs, but they would tend to grow more slowly and less compactly.
- Fertilizers for aquarium plants. They are great eaters of nutrients, so you have to schedule the periodic supply of nutrients. There are many formulas, the most popular being liquid fertilizers, but they are also available in powder or tablet form.
- Adequate nutritive substrate. In the same way that they need periodic contributions of nutrients, the substrate on which they grow must be nutritious.
I hope that the selection of plants is of interest to you, and that these tips have served you as a guide.
