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What are the benefits of having live plants in your fish aquarium?

Just looking to know the benefits of having plants in the aquarium with my fish. I have some oscars. Will I still have to do water changes? What do I need to know and what are the best plants to have? Thanks.

Public Comments

1. They will be fun for your oscars to destroy and that is about it. Fish like oscars will go out of their way to be unappreciative little ***holes when you buy them plants. For plant tolerant fish they are good to give a natural (or more natural) environment, places to hide, will probably reduce stress, places to breed, won't damage fins like plastic and they look good. They can also grow algae on them which some animals like shrimp eat. Only if i had fish that absolutely destroyed plants would i not put any in. I would never put plastic plants in the tank. One plant the cannot be uprooted is anubias, do some research on how to grow them and maybe contemplate getting one, it would also give something for your oscars to do, like a litte christmas present. Have fun Oh and they remove nitrates, oxygenate the water (only during the day), and that guy who said they are hard to look after but thats wrong, i wouldn't care if my plants died so yeah. And i only fertiliser and have lights, CO2 i don't think is needed
2. How would you like plastic furniture in your house? A plastic TV, a plastic couch? Real plants will make fish feel more like home to them. Buy plants that are for fresh water, made for fish. They'll appreciate the hominess!
3. Plants give off oxygen and some plants have the ability to absorb pollutants in the water.
4. other than consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, they compete with algae to take in nutrients from the water. also many fish like to rest on the leaves of plants.
5. None... 90% of the time the plants die and the decaying leaves cause ammonia making tank conditions even worse. you will have to do more changes than less do your research because keeping plants is 10 times harder than keeping fish hence the attraction. you need the right light, co2 level and liquid ferts... if your up for the challenge then go for it...ask anyone with a heavly planted tank the fish in it are the last thing they care about.... java ferns, amazon swords and crypts are good beginner plants.... your tank will be twice the work not less work.... I've been keeping planted tanks for years... its mad science getting the perfect balance of light, co2 and ferts.. one is off and all your grow is one of 6 types of algae... good luck
6. They give food for the fish when you forget to feed them. Oxygen, and your fish can hide in them. Plus live plants look better than plastic =)