Why Are My Aquarium Plants Dying?

There are some basic reasons aquarium plants do not thrive, with lighting being one of the most important. No matter what fertilizers you use, or how much gravel you have in the bottom of the tank, most of your plants will not grow without light. The best way to provide light is to use the hood that came with the tank and make sure the lights are working. Ambient light from the room the aquarium is in will not be enough to keep the plants from dying. You can also purchase fluorescent lights from any pet store to add more light to the tank. You need to make sure the light is getting down to the bottom of the tank, especially in the larger, deeper tanks. Standard light strips come with 15 watt lights, which word well for smaller tanks.

Two four foot light strips (40 watts each) will provide 80 watts of good lighting for a larger tank. If you are trying to grow plants in a 50 gallon tank, you might want to invest in two double four foot light strips, providing 160 watts of light.

Plant choice is also a factor in why your aquarium plants are dying. Some aquarium and fish stores will sell plants like pathos or parlor palms that will not survive in an aquarium. To make sure you have the right kind of plants for your aquarium purchase a plant guide for aquariums or research online before going to the store.

You can purchase aquarium plants that have been grown with the roots fully submerged and the leaves in the open air. This prevents algae or snails on the plants. However, if you do this, watch for the leaves that were previously out of the water to start to die off once submerged. Do not worry about this as the new growth will be adapted to life under water and will thrive.

You may notice some of these phenomena on your aquarium plants:

• Transparent leaves: this means the chloroplasts in the leaves are dying. Check to be sure you have enough light in the tank. Another cause could be a lack of the proper amount of iron or potassium in the tank. You can correct this with fertilizer tablets. Sometimes tap water is the culprit, especially if it is hard and alkaline. If that is the case, consider using distilled water when you change the tank water.

• Hair like growth on the leaves: this usually signals fungus. There are two ways to correct fungal growth in the tank. The first one is quick but not so easy, just physically brush it off by hand. That can be somewhat messy and you risk not getting it all. The best way is to stock the tank with some algae eating fish or grass shrimp.

• Black spots on the leaves: this is caused by a lack of iron and vitamins. Check with your pet store for iron and vitamin supplements that can be added to the tank on a regular schedule.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about aquarium plants [http://bestaquariums.info/why-are-my-aquarium-plants-dying/] visit Best Aquariums [http://bestaquariums.info/] for current articles and discussions.