Secure the cuttings in the aquarium, leaves up If you look closely at the nodes, you will notice tiny brown root buds along the vine.Try to have at least 3 or 4 leaves above the water to help photosynthesis of light into the pothos’ growth energy. Strip the leaves away from these nodes.Cut below a node, leaving at least two more nodes on the upward side of the vine. ![]() Pick a vine that has plenty of nodes A node is a junction where a stem and leaf bud from the vine.Start with healthy plants If propagating cuttings from existing plants, start with a healthy specimen with whole, brightly colored leaves and branches.Doing this does not harm the host plant and gives you aquarium pothos for free. It can hold and grow much easier if the wall is covered with a cork plate.Propagating or cloning is a good way to take part of an existing plant and let it grow on its own. Given time, climbing fig can cover the back wall above an aquarium. It may take years to grow, but once grown, it is a very decorative plant and a perfect water cleaner. It is a perfect water purifier water Malawi and Tanganyika tanks because it can easily adapt to higher pH degrees.Ĭlimbing fig (Ficus pumila), also a most robust and adaptable species, is a slow growing but persevering plant like Anubias. As a fast growing plant it keeps the bottom substrate healthy through its vigorous network of roots. It can be planted directly into the bottom substrate provided that the water depth is less than 40 cm (16 inches). Under natural sunlight it may grow as high as 1.5 meters (5 feet). Umbrella papyrus is an excellent plant for large aquariums and ponds. A piece of Epipremnum pinnatum attached to the side glass will soon grow roots in water (see the related picture below). You don’t even necessarily need a hydroculture pot for inserting the plant in an aquarium. It can easily be propagated vegetatively by just cutting side shoots that can be put in a vase filled with water. Its dense roots look very natural and decorative in an aquarium providing hiding places for shrimps and small fish. It is robust and adaptable, and it grows fast. I can highly recommend Golden pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum) for every aquarium lover. I tried every plant in the list above except for Monstera deliciosa with good results excluding the two Syngonium species I had kept. The vigorous Monstera deliciosa, a kind of creeping vine, is one of the best water purifiers among indoor plants which needs but lots of space for growing. Split-leaf Philodendron (Monstera deliciosa).Umbrella papyrus (Cyperus alternifolius).Golden pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum, syn. ![]() Most common indoor plants used for water purification in aquariums: ![]() Most fast growing and robust indoor plants suitable for hydroculture can be used in aquariums or tropical ponds for water purification. You may find below an image gallery of these plants. That is, for reducing all kinds if organic and inorganic contamination such as ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate etc. The services of emergent plants can hardly be replaced by hightech filters and tedious maintenance work like frequent water changes.īesides amphibious plants like Anubias and Echinodorus species I use a number of common indoor (room) plants in my aquariums for water purification. Keeping emergent plants for water purification is almost mandatory in order to keep sensitive fish like Apistogramma species. The faster a plant grows the faster it purifies water. These can be land plants, amphibious plants like Anubias and Echinodorus species, floating plants like duckweed and water hyacinth, water plants with emergent leaves like water lilies and lotus.Įmergent plants receiving preferably natural sunlight can purify water much better than the most high-tech manmade filter can do. With emergent plants, or plants with the aerial advantage, Walstad means all sorts of plants whose leaves are not submerged in water. Enhanced biological activity in the root masses of floating plants.More efficient oxygenation of the root area.More efficient use of carbon dioxide (CO2) and light (aerial CO2 is not limited by the dissolved CO2 in water).Much faster growth (in terms of real growth measured by dry biomass).In comparison to fully submerged plants, emergent plants are characterized by:
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