How Do I Prepare Live Plants for an Aquarium?

When you choose to create a planted tank or add new plants to an already established aquarium, plant preparation is essential for long-term success. Following these steps for preparation can facilitate your aquarium plants' health and prosperity.

1. Acquire Your Chosen Plants

A successfully planted aquarium starts with the planning phase. Choosing the right plants for your intended setup is the best form of preparation. If you're planning an aquarium with fish species, you need plants that match their behavior and needs.

Fish like rasboras and tetras don't generally have severe effects on plants, but they can be sensitive about pH and water conditions, which means you need plants that match the fish's requirement for soft, acidic water. Silver dollars also have specific water requirements, but they may also nibble on plants, which demands plants with resilience.

Once you've planned your aquarium, including water conditions, temperatures and cohabitants, you can head to a pet shop or order the live plants you need online.

2. Free and Clean the Plant Roots

Most substrate-bound aquatic plants arrive with their roots packaged in rockwool. These plants are often grown directly in the rockwool from cuttings or seed. If you leave aquatic plants in pots, with their roots in rockwool, it is unlikely that they will truly thrive.

Before you do anything else, it's a good idea to carefully tease free the roots, removing pots, weights and other potential encumbrances so the roots are free. 

There are two exceptions here: floating plants, which generally come as free-floating bundles of plants, and carpeting plants, which are often too sensitive to survive this kind of treatment. With these plant types, you can skip straight to the next step.

3. Run a Cleanse to Eliminate Pests

Whether you purchase aquatic plants at an aquarium store or from an online specialist, there's always a chance that pests may hitch a ride on them. From snails and worms to algae and nematodes, many tank parasites love to make their homes on living plants.

The best way to keep them out of your aquarium is to pre-treat the plants. 

A diluted application of 5% bleach or 3% peroxide for 90 seconds to three minutes is one common option, but it may damage plants, and it can be difficult to wash all the chemicals off afterward. Soaking plants in an alum solution is a less toxic option with some efficacy but limited results. 

A popular modern solution is a patented technique known as reverse respiration. Plants "breathe" carbon dioxide, rather than oxygen, but most pests require oxygen for continued survival. Removing the oxygen is an obvious solution. 

By placing the plants in a dark place (to avoid photosynthesis), then filling their container with seltzer, or unoxygenated water, you can start the process of cleansing. This technique is the most effective and the least damaging to the plants. 

Using a tool like a CO2 system can effectively increase the carbon dioxide levels, suffocating pests and rendering eggs unviable within 12 hours. After any of these treatments, ensure you rinse the plants thoroughly.

4. Plant Your Chosen Vegetation in the Tank

Now that you've taken your plants through all the preparatory steps, you're ready to add them to your aquarium. Some aquarists suggest exposing the plants to your aquarium conditions by doing a water change, then using that water to soak your new plants for a day or two. 

Most plants are resilient and should adapt readily to their new home. The main trick is to ensure each plant is planted according to its needs. 

If you're planting stem plants, ensure they're properly placed in the substrate, and use plant weights if needed. For plants like Anubias, you can attach them to driftwood or rocks using a rubber band. Floating plants go on top of the water.

Now, it is worth noting that some plants may suffer shock at first. Do your best to leave them alone, and they should recover in a few days or weeks, producing new leaves from the roots. 

Build the Optimal Environment for Aquatic Plants With AFA

Are you ready to give your new plants the home they truly deserve? You need reliable equipment that will meet your plants' needs for years to come.

As the original provider of planted tank equipment, Aquatic Design Amano (ADA) produces high-quality equipment that will keep you coming back for more. As the original importer of ADA products, AFA is here to support your aquarium dreams.

Explore our shop to discover premium products, from CO2 systems to lighting systems and more, or contact us to discuss your needs.