To create a favorable microclimate in the aquarium, it is necessary that, in addition to fish, there are plants in it. One of the most common is the hornwort. It is found throughout the globe and is very unpretentious. This is a perennial plant with no roots, so keeping the hornwort in the aquarium is very convenient. It is held in water by the unusual structure of the stems.
Hornwort easily grows in any conditions and creates a microclimate favorable for most fish in the aquarium.
Features of this plant
1. It is so unpretentious that it grows in any water and can withstand temperature fluctuations from 12 to 30 degrees.
2. The peculiarity of this plant is that it is pollinated in water and therefore grows very quickly.
3. Hornwort in the aquarium is very useful. Where it grows, there is no debris, few other algae, the water is always clean.
4. If you have got a hornwort, caring for it will be easy. It is only necessary sometimes to take it out and rinse from debris. If some branch has broken off, throw it back into the water, and it will grow as an independent plant.
5. This plant, due to the special surface of the stems, does not eat snails. therefore
the aquarium where the hornwort grows will always be a beautiful pond with thickets of elegant leaves.
6. Hornwort in an aquarium cleans water and enriches it with oxygen.
Plant description
Hornwort prefers ponds with stagnant water. He does not like strong currents and sunlight, so he grows best in depth. This plant has no roots. In order to keep itself near the bottom, it uses special stems - white, with very thin leaves. They penetrate the silt and hold the hornwort near the bottom.
Another feature of the plant is that it absorbs water and minerals throughout the surface of the stem. Its stem is hard, thin and contains silica. The leaves are dense, needle-shaped, repeatedly dissected. They contain lime and break easily. The entire surface of the plant is covered with a special film, which is impervious to water and gases, and small hairs. The flowers of the hornwort are very small, collected in inflorescences. This plant is pollinated directly under water. His fruit is a nut with spike-like growths.
Species of hornwort
This beautiful plant has about 30 varieties. But most often, four of its species are used in aquaristics: hornwort
dark green, light green, Cuban and red stem. They differ not only in color, but also in the features of the content. Some species are more thermophilic, others grow in winter. But any hornwort in the aquarium grows very quickly and cleans the water well. True, some of them are very fragile, so it is difficult to breed them.
Features of the Cuban hornwort
This is the most common type of aquarium plant. The Cuban hornwort is very beautiful due to the reddish stalk and fluffy branches. It grows throughout the year and does not die off in winter. The stalks of this species of hornwort are fragile, so it is convenient to keep it in an aquarium. With good lighting and warm water, it grows rapidly and can grow by a meter in a month, while at the same time forming a fluffy bush.
It propagates by cuttings and can grow both in the ground and floating in the water. Several stems of hornwort, lowered into the aquarium, can make the water crystal clear. It is very beautiful and unusual: a reddish stem shines through a bunch of dark green leaves. This plant will decorate your aquarium and create a favorable microclimate for fish.
Other hornwort species
1. Dark green hornwort is often grown in aquariums. It got its name because of the sharp leaves, as if cast from dark glass. This species is also called underwater, because it loves to grow in the water column, and only in winter sinks to the bottom and slows down its growth. Its stems are very fragile, but from
a broken off shoot quickly grows a new plant.
2. Light green hornwort is also called semi-submerged, because it can grow both in the water column and recessed into the ground. Its leaves are light green in color, sometimes a little reddish. This plant is very unpretentious and can live at any temperature and water hardness. It grows rapidly, reaching a length of a meter. Often the lower levels of the aquarium are obscured by this. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly shorten the stems.
3. Red-hornwort - this is the same unpretentious plant, but it is more difficult to keep it in the aquarium. Its dark red stalk is very fragile and soft, it breaks at any touch.
The benefits of this plant
1. Being in the aquarium, hornwort prevents the overgrowth of algae. It purifies water, actively absorbing nutrients from it, thereby depriving other "brethren" of food.
2. A hornwort aquarium plant is a natural filter. Its thin fluffy twigs as a magnet attract all the garbage and waste products of fish to themselves.
3. The rapid growth of the plant contributes to the active enrichment of water with oxygen. It is very good for fish.
4. Thickets of plants serve as an excellent shelter for fry. In addition, fish like to spawn in them, as any caviar lingers well on the leaves.
5. Some fish feed on hornwort leaves and can do without other food for several days.
How to care for hornwort
It is undesirable to strongly heat the plant into the ground, especially when pressed with a stone. After some time, the delicate stem will begin to rot in such conditions. If you want to root a hornwort, it is best to do this with a suction cup. Attach it to the bottom and gently wind the stalk with a soft wire. The hornwort looks very beautiful if planted in groups along the back wall of the aquarium.
Hornwort care is simple. It can withstand any temperature,
water hardness and lighting. True, he does not like bright light, so put it away from the lamps. With high temperature and good lighting, the hornwort grows rapidly - up to 2-3 centimeters per day. In this case, he needs additional top dressing, because the products of the vital activity of fish will not be enough for him. It also needs to be shortened from time to time so that the top of the plant does not reach the water surface by 4-5 centimeters.
What you need to do if you have a hornwort aquarium plant? Sometimes it needs to be pulled out and washed under running water to wash away the dirt. In addition, the hornwort does not like a sharp change in conditions. With temperature or light changes, it can become sick and discard leaves. In this case, you need to remove all of them from the bottom of the net and remove the bare sections of the stem.
Every beginner aquarist should know what benefits the hornwort benefits in the aquarium. Photos of these plants will help you choose the variety that suits you and place it correctly.