Identifying Plant Groups
Within aquariums there are many variables that can affect plant growth which can make managing the environment rather difficult. In my experience the best way to mitigate any issues is to choose the right plants for your setup and start off strong.
There are many different plants with different growth habits that thrive in varying conditions. Understanding their facets will help in forming environments that will best facilitate their healthiest growth.
Rosette Plants
Rosette plants produce leaves from their crown and feed heavily from the substrate through their roots. Rosettes spread by sending off runners or creating a clump of smaller plants which can be separated from the mother plant and placed elsewhere. A good example would be any Cryptocoryne species.
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Stem Plants
​​Stem plants grow by extending their stems upwards and creating new nodes from which leaves form. They feed both through their roots and by absorbing nutrients directly from the water column. This makes them incredibly versatile and they often tend to be rather fast growing. My favourite recommended stem plant would be any Ludwigia species.
The nodes of a stem plant is also where new roots emerge from. These plants can be cut anywhere between the nodes and replanted to propagate (I advise a minimum of 2 nodes per cutting, one to root and one to shoot).
Cuttings will root in any medium through which it can pull nutrients; this means that the node can be buried in the soil to root or it can just be floated in water to produce new roots.
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This image is a botanical drawing of Ludwigia repens 'Rubin'
Sourced from Tropica​
Rhizomatous Plants
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Rhizomatous plants will form thick root structures (rhizomes) that cling onto wood and rock; it is from these structures that new leaves emerge. They feed only from the water column so it's important that they aren't planted into soil; this can cause the rhizome to decay and the plant will die. Any Bucephalandra species would be a great ambassador for rhizomatous plants.
This plant can be separated by taking cuttings of sections of the rhizome. Each section of the rhizome will sprout new leaves and become its own plant.
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This image is a botanical drawing of Bucephalandra pygmaea
Sourced from Tropica​
This image is a botanical drawing of Marsilea minuta
Sourced from Tropica​
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Grasses and creepers cover a range of plants which individually could be classified as rosettes, rhizomatous or stem plants. Some form clumps from crowns that eventually begin sending out runners to spread, whilst others continuously run beneath the substrate layer, sending up new leaves as they go; There are even some that extend their stems and root into the substrate as they creep along its surface. I've grouped these into the same category as they can all be used to create mats or carpets along broad surfaces in the tank. A good set of examples of these would be Eleocharis parvula, Marselia crenata or Micranthemum 'monte carlo'.
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Grasses, Creepers and Carpet Plants
Floating Plants
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Floating plants are rather self explanatory in their specialism. They float on the surface of the water, giving them access to vast amounts of light and cO2, whilst their roots sit in the water pulling nutrients directly from the water column. They're incredible nutrient consumers and because of this, they're great at keeping water parameters clear and stable. One great floater is Salvinia natans.
Floaters are often very fast growers and can quickly cover the whole surface of the water. This can stop all light from reaching the plants below it. Often times this just means those plants will die but the worst case in this instance would include unwanted algal blooms caused by the presence of decay in the water. Regular removal of excess floating plant growth is integral to keeping a system healthy
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Mosses
This image is a botanical drawing of Salvinia minima
Sourced from Tropica​
This image is a botanical drawing of Vesicularia montagnei 'Christmas moss'
Sourced from Tropica​
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The final group that I'll outline is moss. Aquatic mosses have no roots and feed directly from the water column. They can easily be glued onto or stuffed between rocks and hardscape to create thick clouds of green. A great moss to work with is Taxiphyllum barterii.
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Mosses tend to be incredibly robust and will make new growth anywhere on the plants. It can be chopped up finely and placed and it will still live; as it grows in a manner more akin to expanding in size.
All the images used in this section were sourced from Tropica which is a great company that grows and sells high quality aquarium plants. Tropica plants are grown invitro so they have a much smaller chance of arriving with pests.​
