Aquatic plants 

are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic

environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to
as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other
microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that grows in or near water and is
either emergent, submergent, or floating. In lakes and rivers macrophytes
provide cover for fish, substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen,
and act as food for some fish and wildlife.

Choosing live plants for your aquarium might seem as simple as heading to
your local fish store and picking out a few bundles.

But, if you want your plants to thrive, you have to put as much thought into
choosing them as you did for your fish and your other tank decorations.

There are many different live aquarium plants to choose from and they
each have their own unique requirements for care.

So before you stock your tank with aquarium plants, you should take a
minute to think about why you want them, which types would best suit your
tank, and how you’ll care for them.

Let’s discuss how you can do this.

 Convert carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen for your fish.

 Live plants use nitrates and other chemical waste products, helping
remove them from the water column so they don’t harm your fish.
 Saturates your tank water with oxygen which helps aerate the tank.
 You achieve a natural look.
 Provide shelter and security for fish and break up sightlines which
can be beneficial for territorial fish.
 Can be used to conceal aquarium fixtures to improve aesthetics.
In addition to these benefits, aquarium plants help improve and maintain
the quality of your tank water.

Aquarium plants can be divided into three different categories based on

their placement in the tank:

 Foreground plants
 Mid-ground plants
  Background plants
 Foreground plants are the plants you place at the front of the tank –
they are generally shorter and grow fairly slowly.

 Some foreground plants are called carpet plants because they tend to

spread outward rather than upward, covering the bottom of the tank
with a green carpet-like layer.

 Mid-ground plants are taller than foreground plants and can be used

along the sides of your tank and in the middle.

 They can add to the aesthetics of your tank without taking away too
much valuable swimming space.

Background plants are the larger plants you use in the back of your
aquarium – they can create a natural backdrop for your tank as well as a
place for your fish to hide.

Other essential components needed for aquarium plant growth are

substrate and lighting. They should be taken into proper consideration
before the aquarium is set up.

If you’ve ever owned a freshwater aquarium then you’ll know how beautiful
they can look with real live aquarium plants.

Don’t get me wrong, plastic plants have their place in the hobby but nothing
can beat the look of a fully planted freshwater aquarium full of healthy live
aquatic plants.

Plants play a vital role in your aquarium they offer shelter for your fish and
a place for your fish to breed and take care of their young.

But by far the biggest benefit of having live aquarium plants in your fish
tank is the fact that they produce oxygen (O2) and absorb the carbon
dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH3) that your fish generate. This is
beneficial for the growth and survival of the inhabitants of your aquarium.
 Elodea is a genus of 6 species of aquatic plants often called the
waterweeds described as a genus in 1803. Classified in the frog's-bit family
(Hydrocharitaceae), Elodea is native to the Americas and is also widely
used as aquarium vegetation and laboratory demonstrations of cellular
activities.
Genus: Elodea; Michx. 1803 not J. St.-Hil. 1805 ...
Family: Hydrocharitaceae
water lettuce, difformis, sagittaria subulata (awl leaf arrowhead), elodea

Hygrophila difformis, commonly known as water wisteria, is an aquatic

plant in the acanthus family. It is found in marshy habitats on the Indian
subcontinent in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. It grows to a height
of 20 to 50 cm with a width of 15 to 25 cm.

Can I float water wisteria?

It can be rooted in the substrate and will form dense thickets. It creeps
along the substrate and can/will get tall as well. It can also simply float on
the surface and the leaves will turn upright and the roots will hang in the
water. This reduces light naturally and provides cover for fry and surface
fish.

Here are five key anatomical features used to identify aquatic plants:

 Where the plant is growing

 Leaf arrangement on stem
 Leaf blade architecture
 Characteristics of the leaf edge
 Venation of the leaf
The general place where the plant is growing might be characterized as
emergent, floating, or submerged. Emergent means that the plant grows up
and out of the water for the majority of the growing season. Emergent
plants might have a thick, waxy cuticle to prevent the leaves from drying
out. Leaves and stems are also rigid and composed of spongy tissue and
air spaces to keep them above the
water. https://www.ausableriver.org/sites/default/files/images/Aquatic_Vege
tation.png

Floating leaf plants will have leaves at the surface of the water, either
attached or unattached to the substrate below. Stems attached to the
substrate will be elastic, or have lots of slack. Floating leaf plants might
also be tough and leathery due to their waxy cuticle. Additionally, they are
usually circular or elliptical leaves with smooth margins. 

Examples of attached and unattached floating aquatic plants including

Duck weed (left) and Water shield (right).
Submersed plants create the majority of biomass below the water surface.
They do not usually have a thick cuticle because they are always below the
water surface so there is no need to protect from drying out. Therefore,
leaves tend to be flexible so they can float in the water column without
resisting water movement.

Leaf arrangement can be categorized as alternate, opposite,  or whorled.

Alternate arrangement is when one leaf grows from each node, with leaves
emerging in an alternating fashion as you go up the stem. Opposite
arrangement is when two leaves emerge from each node, on opposite
sides of the stem. Whorled arrangement occurs when three or more leaves
arise from each node, emerging from many directions around the stem.
 Examples of alternate (left), opposite (middle), and whorled (right) leaf
arrangements.
The leaf blade architecture is characterized as either simple or
compound. Simple leaves have an undivided blade whereas compound
leaves have a fragmented blade with many leaflets.
 Unlike a simple leaf blade, a compound leaf blade is divided into several
leaflets.
The edge of the leaf blade might be entire, sinuate, dentate, or lobed.
Entire meaning that the leaf has a smooth margin and sinuate meaning that
the leaf has small curves and wavy edges. A dentate leaf has little teeth on
the edges of the leaf, and a lobed leaf is one that is partially divided. 

Sinuate (left), dentate (middle), and lobed (right) leaf examples.

The venation of the leaf is another characteristic that can help to identify
an aquatic plant. This attribute can be characterized as parallel, palmate, or
pinnate. Parallel veins will run parallel to each other (as the name
suggests) from the base to the apex of the leaf. Palmate venation occurs
when all veins emerge from a central point and radiate out. Pinnate
venation is when veins are arranged along two sides of a central midvein. 
Elodea densa: Species Data

Family Hydrocharitacea

Care Level Easy

Color Green

Light Level Low

Water Conditions 59-82° F, KH 3-8, pH 6.5-7.5

Max Size 24 Inch

Placement Background

Propagation Background
Probably known best as a popular oxygenating plant, which is often sold
with goldfish and goldfish bowls and smaller aquariums.

Thought of as a pond or coldwater plant, Elodea densa actually is just as at

home in warmer waters. This is because it’s actually native to warm
temperate South America in southeast Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Thanks to its ability to adjust to varying water conditions, it is now

considered a problematic and invasive species due to its popularity in
home aquariums and subsequent release into non-native habitats. In
certain rivers and ponds, it has completely overtaken native wildlife plants
and suffocated them into decline.

It is known for its ability to add essential oxygen into aquariums and ponds
but it can also help to prevent algae because it absorbs a great number of
nutrients from the water.

Still today Elodea Densa is the most popular aquarium and pond plant and
is sold around the world to millions each year. Inexpensive, fast-growing,
beneficial and good looking it’s no wonder it’s the number one choice for
most beginners.