In a freshwater aquarium, the benefits of live plants over plastic or silk are numerous. Fish feel more at home amongst natural plants - they are more likely to lay eggs in their leaves, or for fry to take refuge in them. They keep the water cleaner by absorbing wastes and producing oxygen. For most people, though, what is most important is what is most obvious: they look much better! They are the real deal, and an imitation just doesn't hold a candle to the real thing.
So what do you need to do to convert from artificial to live plants? Here are the five steps I recommend.
1) Get a book on planted aquariums.
Try to get a book that has lots of text, not just pictures. Books that are mostly photographs are very helpful for inspiration, but to gain a core knowledge you need to start with something like "The Simple Guide to Planted Aquariums" by Rhonda Wilson and Terry Ann Barber, or "The Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants" by Peter Hiscock.
2) Ditch the gravel...probably.
Most people want stem plants in their planted aquarium. Stem plants do not root well in gravel. Very fine gravel can work, especially if it is rounded, but the pebble like gravel that is popular these days will not be friendly to stem plants. Their fine roots do best in sandy substrates.
Plain sand can work, such as pool filter sand, which is available from any pool supply store. Another option is play sand, as long as it does not say "Not for use in aquariums" - Quickcrete is one popular brand. Stem plants will need supplementation with root tabs in order to do their best in plain sand.
A name brand substrate such as Flourite or Eco Complete is best, but can be costly for larger tanks. For tanks 30 gallons and under, it's best to go ahead and spring for a proprietary substrate...you'll have a greater chance for success.
If you do not want to change over from gravel, it is still possible to have a planted tank. However, you'll probably need to confine yourself to plants that do not need to be rooted in the substrate, such as floating plants (e.g. Amazon frogbit) epiphytes (e.g. Java fern, Anubias) mosses and liverworts (e.h. Java moss, Subwassertang)
3) Upgrade your lighting.
Although this is rapidly changing, standard aquarium kits do not usually come with lighting suitable for plants. A single fluorescent bulb is not going to grow very much, very well. A newer kind of lighting on the market is T5 lighting. Compact and energy efficient, it is rapidly becoming a favorite with planted as well as marine/reef hobbyists.
Compact fluorescent lighting is another option. If you are the least bit handy, DIY kits are available to convert standard aquarium hoods into more plant friendly options for lighting.
There is a plethora of information on the internet and forums about this topic...research heavily before spending much money!
4) Settle on a fertilizer regimen, and stick to it.
Plants grow best with a nutritive substrate (or an inert substrate such as sand, with additional tablet supplementation) and a regular dosing of liquid fertilizer.
How much and what kind to use, depends on many factors - the types of plants in use, the density of the planting, the size of the tank, the amount of lighting, etc.
High lighting will demand more fertilizer, and CO2 supplementation is likely to be necessary. Moderate lighting might be able to get away without CO2, although the plants will not grow as fast or as lush. For low lighting levels, CO2 is likely not to be necessary. Research online and find a liquid fertilizer and fertilizer regimen that works for you.
5) Attack algae - strategically!
Algae woes are inevitably the down side of planted aquariums. An aquarium that previously had little or not algae, and was able to be controlled by a dwarf plecostomus, snail and/or otocinclus, may now be covered in numerous forums of the stuff!
Algae is a nuisance, but it is also a helpful indicator of imbalance. Like symptoms of an illness, algae is helpful in making a diagnosis of your tank. Are the lights on too long? Are the bulbs the wrong spectrum? Have I added too much fertilizer? Am I not fertilizing enough? Do I have too few plants for the amount of lighting I have?
These are the questions you need to present yourself when algae springs up. Algae is a problem that almost always has a solution, you just need to research and ask questions in order to find out what the solutions are.
The exceptions are brown algae (really diatoms, and not an algae at all...common in newly established tanks, but generally goes away on its own) and blue-green algae (really Cyanobacteria, a bacteria as opposed to an algae). These are not algae, but will still tell you something informative about the state of your tank. Some may require your intervention, while others will just go away on their own as the tank matures.
Water changes, water changes, water changes...this is the mantra of the aquarium keeper! When things are off balance, a water change often serves to correct it. They never hurt and sometimes help.
Last but not least, I strongly encourage the new planted tank keeper to join a forum. There are numerous ones online, some dedicated to planted tanks, and others including a planted tank section within a larger forum. Photo galleries from other members will serve to inspire you, and the knowledge and suggestions of other members will help you grow in your hobby.
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