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Freshwater

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Part III: Water, Chemicals, and Plants<br />

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)<br />

This plant grows very quickly and will become matted if not pruned.<br />

The shiny green leaves are oval in shape. The plant stalk is thick and keeps<br />

the plant buoyant. It has beautiful purple flowers. This has a huge root<br />

system that fish will love to eat. Fortunately the roots grow faster than the<br />

fish can eat them.<br />

Level: Easy<br />

Temperature: 59–85 degrees F<br />

Light: Bright<br />

PH: 5.5–8.0<br />

Placement: Floating<br />

Keeping It Real<br />

There are several reasons for keeping live plants in your aquarium. Live<br />

plants do all of the following:<br />

Provide natural shelter to make your fish feel safe and secure.<br />

Provide good places for aquatic species to spawn.<br />

Help keep light levels down in setups that require dim lighting.<br />

Provide a good food source for many aquatic species.<br />

Help to remove nitrates from your aquarium.<br />

Lend a more realistic look than artificial plants do.<br />

Reduce CO2 and add oxygen to the tank for your fish.<br />

Help control algae by competing for the same resources.

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