What’s the Time Frame for Plant Growth in Aquariums?

At the “cookie-cutter corporate superstores,” aquarium starter kits often include fish and plants species that grow quickly. You may get juvenile rainbow sharks and fancy goldfish along with hornwort and Java moss. This is a pretty clever marketing strategy aimed at getting beginners excited about entering the fish keeping hobby. The idea is to let them see species growing before their own eyes in a matter of days. A similar strategy can be applied with those who want to get into aquascaping. They can start with low-light plants that are known to grow faster before they get into exotics that may grow slower and require more maintenance. Just how long aquatic plants will take to grow will depend on the species and certain ecosystem factors. The above notion isn’t promoted at Aquatic Warehouse. We only sell planted aquariums that are compatible with fish that we’ll personally match with your system.

Freshwater Plants that Grow Quickly

Freshwater planted aquariums tend to be more popular among aquarists. Compared to their saltwater counterparts, freshwater aquatic plants tend to be more resilient, which means they can not only grow faster but also with less complicated parameters. If you want to start planting right away, get some hornwort stalks, anchor them toward the back of the tank, and watch them grow all over without fertilizer or special lighting. However, note that these plants can expand to 10 feet in less than two months, so you’ll need to trim them. Wisterias can grow from 3 to 20 inches in about 16 weeks. We recommend plants we refer to as “stem plants.” These plants sprout roots from the stem (like hornwort) and are very beautiful in texture and color, but they need better than rudimentary lighting and aren’t expensive.

Saltwater Plants that Grow Fast

Green fingers are macroalgae that can go from spore to two inches in less than three months. All you need to do is cure live rock the right way and keep the water at the level recommended for your marine fish. Turtle grass is another saltwater plant that will grow quite quickly, but you’ll need to provide lighting that’s on the daylight spectrum plus a sandy substrate on top of rock that’s rich in mineral nutrients. Seahorses love swimming and bedding among turtle grass.

Improving Aquatic Plant Growth

Aquascaping enthusiasts are known to take their time establishing their tanks before adding fish, but once the nitrogen cycle is complete, they’ll want to see small fish swimming about. Remember, you need high-quality aquatic plant substrate, liquid CO2, fertilizer, and good lighting. The key to speeding up growth in the aquarium is to invest in an adequate lighting rig. LED lamps should generate a good amount of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) equivalent to 80 lumen per gallon. All plants react positively to more intense lighting conditions, and they’ll accelerate their growth accordingly.

High-Tech Planted Tanks

The most exuberant aquascapes are equipped with a tank that injects additional carbon dioxide gas in a bubble form, which is a key nutrient for plants to achieve maximum growth and a lush plant appearance. These are known as high-tech aquascapes, but seasoned aquarists can still generate a small amount of CO2 in a natural, low-tech fashion that involves adding shrimp or a small school of tetras. It’s more efficient to just add the super inexpensive Excel liquid carbon source from SeaChem daily to get outstanding results and less algae as well.

Whatever fish tank supplies you need to properly care for your planted aquarium, you can find them at Aquatic Warehouse. Stop by our store in Kearny Mesa to get everything you need, or order your supplies on our website and have them shipped directly to you. If you have any questions, call one of our friendly and knowledgeable aquatic experts today at 858-467-9297.