ORNAMENTAL AQUATIC PLANTS & ITS PRODUCTION

ORNAMENTAL AQUATIC PLANTS & ITS PRODUCTION


Contents :
—  Introduction
—  Types of aquarium plants
—  Method  of culture
—  Plant propagation
—  Types of propagation
—  Importance of aquarium plants
—  Conclusion
Introduction
•       Aquarium plants are used to give the aquarium a natural appearance, oxygenate the water and provide habitat for fish.
•       Provide decorative addition to aquarium and play an important part in maintaining the correct environment for fish to thrive.
—  Some aquarium fish also eat live plants.
Types of Aquarium Plants
—  There are three main types of plants that can be used in an aquarium-
—  Rooted plants
—  Bunch plants
—  Floating plants
—  1. Rooted plants-
—  These are the plants that can be used in an aquarium for background.
—   They usually grow from 8-12 inches tall.
—  Propagation is with the help of roots.
     Ex:-  Vallisneria spirilis, Echinodorus paniculatus, Aponogenton echinatus, Hydrilla verticillata, Sagttaria sublata.

2. Bunch Plants-
—  Bunch plants get their names from the way they are planted, in groups or bunches.
—  They grow rapidly and need lots of light. Bunch plants can be used in an aquarium equivalent of middle ground plants.
—  Ex:- Comba aquatica, Camboma caroliana, Egeria densa

3. Floating Plants
—  Floating plants take root in water, but don’t need to be anchored to the gravel. It needs only a source of light. The more light, the faster they grow.
Ex:- Azolla caroliana, Ceratophyllum demersum, Pistia stratiotes

Method of Culture
—  Propagation of aquarium plants is recognized as one of the power full & growing  industries in the aquarium trade in many parts of the world.
—  There are several producers of aquarium plants in many parts of the world.
—  In Singapore ornamental aquatic plant growing is a major industry & the produce is being exported to all parts of the world.
—  In India aquarium plant propagation is  new to entrepreneurs & due to lack of expertise & demand , aquatic plant growing enterprise has not reached the expected
Plant Propagation
v  Basically there are three types of plant  propagation method used all over the world.
  1. Vegetative propagation
  2. Sexual propagation
  3. Tissue culture
v   The first two means of propagation are well known and most widely used in aquarium plant trade, they are cheap and fairly successful with most plant.
Vegetative Propagation
—  This is the most widely used  method and  normally easiest & cheapest.
—  In this method plants are propagated by using part of the plant itself either through a stem cutting or other parts of the plant from where a new plants is grown.
—  Ex. Rotala nomaphilla, R. rotundifolia, R.mocranda, linopbila aquatica, l. beterophylla
Sexual Propagation
—  This is traditional mean of propagation.
—  This is used when a new plant is grown from a seed or spore.
—  Ex. Samolus valeradi (water cabbage)
Tissue culture
—  In this method, plants are propagated in a sterile environment using part of the plant like meristematic region.
—  Tissue cultured plants are Disease Free.
They have a shelf life of up to a month or longer.
Importance of Aquarium Plants
•       During the daytime they use sunlight and absorb carbon dioxide produced by the fish for photosynthesis & produce oxygen.
Play a major part in the breakdown of the waste products produced by fish by acting as natural filters to keep the aquarium environment healthy.
—  It clean the water by absorbing waste materials introduced by the fish and the fish food.
—  Healthy plants give off small amounts of oxygen in their root area which prevents the bottom from decaying.
Conclusion
—  It provide the aquarium fishes a natural appearance and also provide habitat to fishes.
—  Play the role as food for some fishes as some fishes eat live plants.
—  Oxygenate aquarium water by producing oxygen through absorption of carbon dioxide.

—  Prevent aquarium water to become toxic by absorbing waste materials introduced by the fish and the fish food.

For More information watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDKzqzRsB4


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