Planted freshwater aquariums can be very low maintenance and the perfect environment for many of our aquatic pets. There are many different methods and products available to the aquatic plant keeper. No matter the particulars, growing aquarium plants is easy if you follow three golden rules to success.
Most importantly, use strong regular light. One of our favorite lights is Aqauatic Life’s “Reef 
Edition” LEDs. These lights have a built in timer to ensure a regular day/night cycle. A regular day/night (photoperiod) is critical to healthy plant growth. On average give a twelve hour night and a twelve hour day, coinciding with nature. Remember fluorescent light bulbs should be replaced annually to maintain brightness and color spectrum.
Our second golden rule is easy. Keep only plant safe fish. Many aquarium fish eat plants including goldfish, plecostomus, snails, silver dollars, many varieties of gouramis, most cichlids and the list goes on. Always research you planted tank additions to make sure they won’t defoliate your tank, sometimes during the first night.
Finally collect a few different varietes of plants and capitalize on the types that grow well in your tank. Some plants are simply more difficult to grow. Other types like Amazon swords, hygrophilia, hornwort, and anacharis are very easy to grow without special equipment. Some our our favorite plant supplies include Carib Sea’s Eco Plant Substrate, Fluval’s CO2 injection system and Seachem’s line of flourish fertilizers to help your plants grow thicker and more colorful. With time you will find the plants that thrive in your care, focus on those and don’t waste your effort with the varieties that don’t grow for you.
As the plants grow they consume the unwanted nitrate and phosphate that can lead to unwanted algae growth often leading to balanced environment in need of little maintenance. Planted aquariums include a large variety of life, often including shrimp and clams along with many unusual fish, planted aquariums can rival saltwater reef tanks for colorful lively display. Many hobbyist consider the fully domesticated, often 100% aquaculture sourced freshwater planted tank as the most satisfying style of aquarium keeping.
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