The growth rate of every aquarium plant differs. While some are slow growers, others grow at a faster pace and require weekly trim. Isn’t it? Even if weekly trim seems daunting, there are many benefits of fast growers as well, such as making your tank lush green within a few weeks, and you can enjoy the aquascape. At the same time, they help clean the tank of contaminants, and fish feel more at home in their presence.
This article is all about the fast-growing aquarium plants and the ways you can care for and maintain them. Also, we will learn the pros and cons of adding them to your aquarium so that you can make a mindful decision while selecting the live plants for your tank.
Taking Care of Fast-Growing Aquarium Plants
Usually, fast-growing aquarium plants are easy to take care of. When the water parameters are suitable, they grow with no effort. However, you need to keep an eye to understand if anything is lacking or if the other is in surplus. If anything is unbalanced– temperature, pH, hardness, nutrients, there will be algae bloom. So, it is easy to understand that something is wrong in the tank.
However, there is one concern that aquarists may face with fast-growing aquarium plants. Often, it is seen that fast-growers proliferate rapidly in the initial stages, and this growth suddenly comes to a halt. It mainly happens because they absorb the nutrients rapidly, and once the nutrients are gone, the growth either stops or slows down.
So, if you have experienced the fast growers that were once growing rapidly and seem slowly dying off, fret not! There are ways to prevent this situation and overcome this growth restriction.
Ways to control the growth of fast-growing aquarium plants
There is no surprise that fast growers tend to overtake the tank. Whenever you grow a fast-growing plant in a confined space, they overtake it completely within a few days. As a result, nutrients in the water are depleted, and light is blocked for the rest of the aquarium plants. It is when controlling their growth that it is helpful.
Below are some of the ways to control the growth of fast-growers in a tank-
1. Controlling the level of nutrients
When you have supplemented the water with liquid fertilizers, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), there is a high chance that the plant will overtake the tank within a few weeks. Therefore, controlling their levels, such as reducing the amount of N and P, will help.
2. Regular pruning and trimming
It will help to maintain the size of the plant. At the same time, it will ensure their dense and healthy growth. For this, you can remove the fast-growing stems and cut them to the desired size.
3. Adjusting light
Usually, the fast-growers flourish under high light conditions or intense lighting. Therefore, reducing the light by using a powerful LED or reducing the photoperiod (the number of hours the plant receives the light) will help.
4. Limiting carbon dioxide supplementation
Most of the aquatic plants perform well even when you don’t add additional carbon dioxide. However, supplementing the same spur rapid growth. So, when you have fast-growing aquatic plants, try to limit CO2 supplementation to control their growth.
5. Aquascaping for balance
It is important to design the aquascape mindfully. When there are fast-growers, limit their growth by creating boundaries around them. It will allow them to grow only within a specific area. It can be done by using hardscapes around them, such as rocks and driftwood.
Besides these effective ways to control the growth of fast-growing aquarium plants, you can also implement the following-
- Introduce herbivorous fish and invertebrates in the tank that often munch on green leaves and control the growth of fast growers.
- If possible, reduce the temperature slightly, as the higher temperatures usually favor fast growth.
- Add competing plants in the tank so that there is always a demand for nutrients, and it will limit the growth of fast-growing aquarium plants.
- Select a variety of aquarium plants and add some of those that grow slowly and have less invasive habits.
Below, we are listing some of the fast-growing aquarium plants that will instantly add a touch of greenery to your tank. Take a look!
1. Elodea Densa- Popularly known as waterweed, Elodea Densa is a great beginner plant. It grows quickly and has few demands. Moderate light will help the plant get a vibrant green color, whereas low light conditions will turn it brown. While an additional dose of carbon dioxide will promote its growth, it will still grow without it. It is easy to grow, but you have to push the stem deep into the substrate; otherwise, a water current or fish may pull it out.
2. Dwarf Hygro-With the right water parameters, and even with minor fluctuations, this species of Hygrophila grows profusely. Popular as dwarf hygro and Indian waterweed, it is also a robust and sturdy aquarium plant. However, due to rapid growth, regular pruning is required. One drawback of Dwarf Hygro is that it can grow tall and wide, taking up huge space in the tank. This is another reason why regular trimming is necessary.
3. Hornwort- From beginner-friendly features to fast-growing habits– there are many reasons like these that compel aquarists to add Hornwort to their collection. When there are enough nutrients in the water and proper light, it proliferates and grows abundantly. Also, it can withstand wide water conditions, making it easy to grow anywhere. If you want a plant that doesn’t demand your special attention other than regular trimming, Hornwort will be the best pick.
4. Water Wisteria- This is another species of Hygrophila that is loved by aquarists due to its fast-growing habit and low-demanding nature. Being hardy, you don’t need to pay any attention to water wisteria as it proliferates easily. Just plant it in the substrate and allow it to grow under the right water parameters. Water with a good nutrient supply and the right pH will help it flourish.
5. Rotala Rotundifolia- There are many species of Rotala rotundifolia, such as ‘Green,’ ‘High red,’ ‘Pink,’ ‘Blood Red,’ etc., and all of them are easy to grow. At the same time, due to their vibrant colors, they instantly draw the attention. It is one of those aquarium plants that aquarists use to add colors and depth to the tank.
6. Amazon Sword- One of the popular and widely loved aquatic plants, the Amazon Sword grows quickly and looks stunning. The large leaves appearing like swords make it attention-grabbing. Being tall, it is often used by aquarists as a background plant to create the best aquascape. No one can stop it from growing under the right water conditions and nutrient-rich substrate. It is a root feeder, so adding root tabs will help immensely.
7. Duckweed– With the tendency to grow abundantly, duckweed is another fast grower that you can have in your tank. However, you need to be extra cautious because once it starts to proliferate, nothing can stop it from overtaking the tank. The good thing about duckweed is that it is highly compatible with a goldfish tank. Also, it can help to remove nitrates from the tank and provide good shelter to the fish.
So, these are some of the commonly found fast-growing aquarium plants that you can have in your tank. If you don’t find these, look for Amazon frogbit, Ludwigia repens, Brazilian pennywort, Brazilian waterweed, Java moss, etc., which also fall under fast-growing aquarium plant species.
Conclusion
Fast growers have their own set of pros and cons. While most of them are least demanding and proliferate the tank easily, the chances of them overtaking the tank are relatively high. So, once you understand how to control their growth and even restrict it in certain cases, they are easy to handle. Creating a lush green aquascape within a few weeks is possible with fast growers. All you need is to add the right and compatible plant and enhance the tank’s aesthetic allure.
