Tropical fish - live plants?

Question

are they messy? do they create algae or oxygen for the water? do the fish eat them? are the bulbs that grow better than the already grown ones?

Answer 1

They are only messy if they aren't doing well.  As long as you choose the right plants for your tank (based on lighting and whether or not you inject CO2), they are no trouble.  Algae isn't created, it is a simple plant.  Healthy plants will actually fight algae by using the nutrients (mostly nitrate, phosphate, iron, etc.) the algae needs, essentially starving it.  Plants oxygenate the water as they photosynthesize.  When the lights go out, the plants start USING oxygen, so they should not be relied upon as a filter or oxygenator.  Some fish will eat some plants-- carnivores like Tetras will rarely eat plants, and some plants (Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, Onion Plants, etc.) aren't very palatable, and most fish ignore them.  Many times, the bulbs you buy are dead.  I much prefer pre-sprouted bulbs, or just plants that don't produce bulbs at all, as you are ensured that they're alive.

Answer 2

Live plants are usually a good thing in a fish tank for a couple of reasons.  They provide a hiding place for fish and create a more comfortable environment for them.  Most small aquarium fish have an instinctive knowledge that they are prey and feel more secure and happy if they have a place to hide.  Some fish will nibble at some plants, but most will not do much damage to them.  Live plants also provide oxygen and absorb the waste produced by the fish which they use as fertilizer, helping to keep the aquarium cleaner and reduce the toxic byproducts, such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.  It is however, important to try to keep plants healthy.  Dying plants can be messy and rotting vegetation will only add to the toxic elements in the water.  Some larger cichlids have a tendency to uproot plants and move decorations around, so when adding plants to a tank with these types of fish, care should be taken to weight the plants down or use potted plants.  There are many varieties of aquatic plants available.  Some grow from bulbs, others from seeds or rhyzomes.  It's not that any are better than others, but they have varying needs, from easy care plants that need low light & little care to high maintenance plants that require special lighting, regular fertilizer dosing and CO2.  You should get the plants that suit the tank and care you can give them.

Answer 3

Not messy, they compete with algae for the nitrite in the tank, so that lessens the algae build up and only some fish eat them, like goldfish. All african cichlids HATE plants tho, they uproot them and everything! Just research the fish b4 you buy to see if it will eat live plants.

btw, a lot of pet store employees will not know much about a fish, si it is more reliable to search the internet and look at many care sheets.;)

Answer 4

They are generally not messy.

They do create oxygen for the water and decompose wastes.

Some fish will eat them (ex: goldfish) but most won't.

I haven't tried the bulbs but the already grown ones work fine.