The document discusses aquatic plants that are suitable for aquariums. It begins by explaining the importance of plants in aquariums and the different types of aquatic plants including truly aquatic, semi-terrestrial, and marginal plants. Specific examples of truly aquatic plants are provided like Hygrophila polysperma and Vallisneria spiralis. The document also covers propagation methods for aquatic plants including asexual, sexual, and artificial propagation. It concludes by emphasizing the benefits of live plants in aquariums and their role in maintaining water quality.

1. WEST BENGAL UNIVERSITY OF ANIMAL AND FISHERY
SCIENCES
FACULTY OF FISHERY SCIENCES
A SEMINAR ON: Aquarium plant: Utility and propagation
SUBMITTED BY:
KARTIK MONDAL
FS-10/13
B.F.Sc 2nd yr 2nd sem
FAQ-225
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3. Being at the base of food chain, plants are
important in any ecosystem. Plants help to provide
the biological balance, besides creating bio-topic
aquarium.
The presence of different aquatic plant provide a
number of houses to the fishes in side the
aquarium.
Most fresh water aquariums can be set up with live
plants and whenever possible, it is recommended to
do so.
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4. Types of aquatic plants
Aquatic plants
Semi-
terrestrial
Truly Aquatic Marginal
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5. Truly aquatic plant:
These plants survive only in the water. These plants are
of three kinds:
1) Submerged plant:
• The entire plant-stem , leaves and roots remain submersed in
the water. These plant are further divided into two categories
according to their cultivation and growth pattern.
a) Rooted plants:
Such Plants are cultivated by roots , corm or rhizome , e.g. ,
Vallisneria .
b) Bunch plants:
These plants are cutivated by cutting, e.g. , Cabomba, Bacopa
etc.
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6. Contd….
2) Floating plants:
Plant which float on the surface of water are floating plant. The
stem and leaves of plant remain floating on the water surface
and their roots hang down in water column. Roots never
anchor in soil. e.g., Pistia, Lemna.
3) Emergent plants:
• The roots of the plants are anchored in the bottom soil but their
leaves floats on the surface, e.g., Nymphaea.
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7. SOME IMPORTANT
AQUARIUM PLANTS
(SUBMERSED ROOTED
PLANTS)
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8. Acorus calamus (sweet flag)
• Family : Araceae
• Origin: Indonesia.
• Description:
• The leaves of this plant are deep
green, smooth, narrow long and
pointed.
• Propagation of the plant is done by
cutting of the root stock in pieces.
• Slightly acidic water with pH of 6.5-
6.8 is more suitable for culture of this
plant.

9. Vallisneria spiralis (Eel grass )
Family: Hydrocharitaceae
• Origin: Southeast Asia Water
• Description:
• Its grass like structure grows in hard
water.
• The leaves are bright ribbon like and
grow up to 60 cm.
• It is a very hardy plant when cultivated
in the background of the aquarium it
will give very natural look.
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10. Echinodorus paniculatus (Amazon
sword plant)
Family: Alismaceae
• Origin: Central and South
America Water.
• Description:
• It is the most beautiful plant, with
35 cm long bright green leaves.
• Propagated by long aerial
runners.
• Plants grow quickly in slightly
acidic water ( pH 6.9- 7.0 ).
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11. Hygrophila polysperma
• Family: Acanthaceae
• Origin: Southeast Asia Water.
• Description:
• It is very hardy, beautiful, easy to
grow in cold water as well as
warm water.
• Its small, oval or oblong leaves
are light or bright green in colour.
• Numerous fine roots grow at the
nodes, and therefore propagated
by cutting and roots.
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12. Sagittaria subulata ( Arrow head)
• Family: Alismaceae
• Origin: North America Water
• Description:
• The leaves are dark green ,
ribbon shaped , narrow and grow
unto 45 cm long.
• They form a tightly grown rosette
on a rhizome, which produces,
long , slender runner.
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14. Hydrilla sp
Family: Hydrocharitaceae
• Description:
• Submerged weed. It grows under water.
But some of their leaves are coming out
of water. Usually they are anchored to
the hydrosoil. However, it may get
completely detached from hydrosoil and
continue to grow as free floating near the
water surface.
• The stalks are upto 3 m long. It bears
whorls of 2-9 straight dark green leaves
at short intervals. The leaves are 2 cm
long, and 0.3 cm wide. It is easy to grow
either it’s rooted or free floating form
provided it is given good light.
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15. Najas minor
• Family: Najadaceae
• Description:
• It is a flowering plant with smooth stem
which is branched.
• Plants are 20-30 cm long. Stems are thin.
Narrow leaves of 1-2 cm in length. The
leaves are green in colour. Sickle-shaped,
6-10 pairs of teeth. It lives in shallow,
stagnant waters.
• The Najas is easy to grow. It requires
good light and clear water. It can thrive
and grow as free floating.
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16. Ceratophyllum demersum ( Fox tail)
Family: Ceratophyllaceae
• Origin: South America Water
• Description:
• It is very fragile having no roots.
• Leaves are green and fox tail
shape.
• Propagation is simple by cutting.
• It is commonly used in breeding
tank of life bearers and egg layers.
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18. Lemna minor ( duck weed)
• Family: Lemnaceae
• Description:
• It has tiny leaves of only about 1 to 3 inch
length which are dark green and shiny.
• Its stem is modified into leaves which are
flat and round and root are single fibers.
• It provides food , shade and shelter to
fishes in pools.
• It is capable of purifying waste water. It
spreads spontaneously at an amazing
speed. It will cover the entire surface of
the tank if unchecked.
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19. Azolla caroliniana
• Family: Azollaceae
• Origin: North America Water
• Description:
• It is a floating fern, leaves are pale
green lie in two row on the thallus
whose stem is branched, roots are
filamentous.
• This plant serves as food and
shelter to the aquarium fishes.
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20. Pistia stratoites ( Water lettuce)
• Family: Arraceae
• Description:
• It is a floating plant with slightly
furrowed leaves , arranged in
rossette.
• The root are fibrous, adventitious
and in cluster and its propagation
is easy.
• It can be used in garden pools.
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22. Nymphaea sp. (water lily)
• Family: Nymphaeaceae
• Description:
• This plant produces very
attractive and delicate leaves and
yellow flower.
• The floating leaves are flat,
leathery and sturdy.
• It provides shade and shelter to
fishes in garden pools.
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23. Nelumbo sp.
• Family: Nymphaeaceae
• Description:
• Its leaves are saucer shaped
with long petiole arising from a
rhizome.
• Stem rhizome is a creeper.
• It is a flowering plant.
• It can be used in garden
pools.
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24. PLANT PROPAGATION
Introduction: Plant propagation is the process of
creating new plants from a variety of sources:
seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts.
• Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or
natural dispersal of plants
• Many common plant species will reproduce on
their own in a healthy aquarium. However it is often
harder to obtain ideal conditions in the aquarium for
all types of aquatic plants to readily propagate.
Some aquarium plants will reproduce freely without
assistance, while others will do better with some
help.
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25. TYPES OF PLANT PROPAGATION
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PLANT PROPAGATION
Asexual
Propagation
Sexual
propagation
(seed)
Artificial
Propagation

26. Asexual Propagation:
• Most aquarium plants reproduce asexually, meaning that the offspring
are genetically identical to the parent plant. This is also known as
vegetative propagation.
• There are three different ways for aquarium plants to reproduce this
way
Runners (slips): One way is for them to produce runners, which grow
out from the base of the parent plant and then produce what are called
"slips" at the end of the runners. These slips can eventually anchor
themselves in the substrate and survive on their own.
• Sometimes the runners that are between the parent plant and the slips
break away from the slips, and sometimes they just continue to grow
and produce more slips.
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Offsets:
Offsets also grow off of the main plant, but they grow extremely
close to it and do not wander like runners do. These offsets can
be removed from the parent plant and planted elsewhere in the
aquarium.
Adventitious plantlets:
The last asexual way of reproduction is when small plantlets form
on the parent plant, called adventitious plantlets. These can
grow on any part of the plant, i.e. nodes, roots, leaves, or stems.
After it has grown for a while, naturally its attachment to the
parent plant will die off and it will be removed, however in
aquariums you should remove them once they are about 3-4 cm
and replant them yourself to ensure survival.

28. Sexual propagation (seed)
• Propagating plants by way of seeds is often difficult to do, however it
can be done. If you are trying to reproduce plants that propagate
sexually, you should have at least two of those plants, and they should
be able to produce flowers above the water surface.
• Parent plants: Provide a low enough water level that the plants
can easily grow strong aerial stems above water. After flowers have
been produced, you must then transfer pollen from the stamen to the
stigmas using a watercolor brush, cotton swab, or your finger depending
on how large the flowers are.
• Seedlings: Seeds should be produced if pollination is successful and
you'll want to plant them as quickly as possible. First, plant the seeds in
damp soil rather than soil immersed in water. Once they start to grow
above the soil, add a small amount of water. As the plants grow,
continually add just enough water to keep them submerged in water.
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29. Artificial Propagation:
• It is also often quite easy to artificially propagate many
aquarium plants by simply cutting part of it off and
replanting it (stem plants are the easiest to do this with); or
by dividing the rhizome in two and replanting the two
pieces (ferns and mosses can be propagated this way).
• Cuttings: The best place to take cuttings is from the top stems,
however you can also take cuttings from side shoots and the middle
stems as well, they are just not usually as strong as those from the top
stems. To take a cutting, cut part of the plant off just above a node and
remove any leaves around nodes that are directly above this. This is
the area where the new roots will grow. Then plant the cutting into the
substrate so that the nodes where you removed the leaves is just
covered.
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30. Condition needed for growth of aquarium
plants
Plant growth are affected by different factors among which
the most important are listed below.
• Water condition:
The first consideration would of course be the water in
which the plants will grow. The water temperature in
aquarium play an important part in plant life. For tropical
plants 23 °c -29 °c temperature is ideal and 19-22 °c
temperature for temperate plants. As most the aquarium
plants prefer a slightly acidic to neutral water .The water
pH should be ranges between 6.5-7.5 .
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• Light:
Since photosynthesis takes place in the presence of sunlight,
light is a necessity for healthy plants but long exposure to
sunlight will also heat up the water , which is dangerous for
the plants as well as for the fishes.
• Plant Substrate:
In nature, plants are continuously receiving nourishment from
their surroundings. Aquarium plants derive nourishment from
the substrate. So nutrient carrying substrates should be used
in the aquarium.
Contd….

32. Utility of aquarium plants
 Live aquarium plants will help to keep the water quality up by binding
organic waste.
 Live aquarium plants will convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
 Live aquarium plants will prevent algae infestation by competing with
algae for nutrients.
 Many aquarium fish species hail from waters where aquatic plants are
common. They will therefore feel more at home in a planted aquarium.
 Keeping aquarium plants can reduce stress in several ways for fish.
Firstly, they can decrease the amount of fighting between the fishes by
forming many small territories instead of one big one in the aquarium.
Secondly, they will provide weaker fish a suitable hiding spots .
 Plants are also used to decorate the aquarium.
 Plants provide shelter for egg and fry.
 Aquarium plants are a source of food for the fishes.
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33. • The aquarium nitrogen cycle is simply put the method
by which fish wastes and other decomposing organic
matter (such as uneaten fish food) is converted from
Ammonia or Ammonium to nitrites to nitrates by
aerobic bacteria (Nitrosomonas & Nitrobacter), which
are then converted to free nitrogen by Pseudomonas
or nitrates is absorbed by the plant.
• Thus plants keep the aquarium free from toxic
Ammonia.
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34. Planting of the aquarium plants
• Decoration of aquarium tank with plants is an art that
can be practiced with imagination , experience and
availability of plants.
• Vallisneria and Sagittaria are two of the commnest
aquarium plants. They have the appearance of
grass and ideal for background. Bushy plants like
Ludwigia & Ceratophyllum are used in the corner of
the aquarium. Marigrass and small plants are used
to decorate the front portion. Plant should be
disinfected so as to kill harmful germs, parasites,
insects and other enemies of fishes.
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35. conclusion
• Aquatic plants are used in aquarium for various
reasons. The fishes feel more at home in a planted
aquarium. Plants are used as decorative materials in
the aquarium. Besides this plants provide oxygen,
food, shelter to the fish.
• So now a days , the use of live plants in the
aquarium is very popular worldwide.
• But the use of plastic plants in the aquarium is
slightly decrease the demand of live plants.
• Plant propagation is the best way of creating new
plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings,
bulbs and other plant parts in aquarium condition.
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Hand book of FRESH WATER ORNAMENTAL
FISHES-dr. l l Sharma.
WWW.GOOGLE.COM
WWW.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

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