Grow Live Plants Easily with the Amazing Aqua-Floras Ornaments!
The Aqua-Flora line of ornaments is amazing and easy-to-use if you want to grow live plants in your tank. The live, freshwater plant seeds sprout straight out of the ornament, and provide an amazing aquascaping experience!
What is an AquaFlora?
What kind of plant is the Aqua-Flora?
The Aqua-Flora has been developed using the seeds of “Glossostigma elatinoides” or “Glosso” for short. The Glosso plant is a “carpeting” plant, meaning that in ideal conditions will grow into a thick carpet like it does on the bottom of lakes and bogs in its origin of Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. These plants are relatively easy to grow if kept in the right conditions.
How do I care for my AquaFloras?
Give it the proper lighting
For the Glosso plant to thrive, it must have plenty of light. When you place your Aqua-Flora into your aquarium, make sure it is in an area with plenty of light and away from shade. We do not recommend using the ambient light of the room as the primary lighting for your Aqua-Flora, as this is not enough for most aquarium plants to thrive. If you do not have enough light for your aquarium, the Cascade Plant Growth LED Light is a great choice for smaller tanks that can help your Aqua- Flora grow.
We recommend your aquarium light be on 10-12 hours a day to create ideal conditions for your Aqua-Flora plant to grow. If you cannot switch the light on and off at the same time each day, we recommend putting your light on a timer to ensure your plants and fish get a proper day/night cycle.
Know your Nutrients
Aquarium plants get their nutrients from the water and substrate. Once your Glosso plant starts to establish itself, you may notice roots growing down into the gravel of your tank. We’ve had success growing Aqua-Flora without the need for aquarium plant fertilizers, but for faster plant growth, the addition of any aquarium safe plant fertilizer, root tabs, and CO2 supplements may help. While these additions will aid in the growth, we have had successful plant growth from Aqua-Floras without these additions.
Water movement/ circulation is another important factor in ensuring your Aqua-Flora is getting enough nutrients for maximum plant growth. Check to see if your filter is creating enough water movement and circulation for your Aqua-Flora. A gentle sway of your plants leaves/ decoration in the water current is a good indicator your water is moving at an optimal rate. For additional water circulation and movement, consider adding an air stone which will move the water while adding oxygen for your fish and other inhabitants
Keep an eye on water temperature
Another important factor in growing your Aqua- Flora successfully is to ensure the water temperature is set to what it would encounter growing naturally- we recommend keeping your aquarium set anywhere from 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve these temperatures, check out the full Penn-Plax Heater Line to give your Aqua- Flora the temperature conditions it needs for maximum plant growth.
*Most freshwater fish and plants will tolerate this temperature range; ALWAYS research what temperature your fish and other plants require before increasing or decreasing the temperature in your aquarium for an Aqua-Flora.