How beginners breeders can grow and sell aquarium plants?
Live plants are used for balancing an ecosystem inside your tank by wiping out toxic chemicals from the aquarium water. Plants provide hiding spots for the fish that can be used for resting, & stressed fish can use them for hiding. Also, fries can use live plants to hide from the adults.
Aquarium plants can survive for up to 5 years in an aquatic environment. They can survive in a tropical community tank. Certain fish have the problem of eating & uprooting plants. But many tropical fish will not damage them.
You can convert your hobby into business if you know how to grow & sell live plants. Stem plants can be easily propagated through cuttings so you can take them to the fish stores or local nurseries & earn money.
Lights Requirement for Live Plants:
If you want to replicate the wild settings of the plants inside your tank then provide them from 8 to 12 hours of artificial lights that simulate the natural sunlight. Choose hood lights for your aquatic plants so that it offers the rays required by the plants. Plants have different needs for artificial lights. Many plants do not need bright lights but there are species that need bright lights for showing their beautiful colors. While some of them like to stay in the shed.
Your aquatic plants’ light requirement is based on the size of the aquarium. Have a look at the table below that shows how bright light is required for different sizes of the aquarium:
Tank Size (Gallons) | Light |
10 | (1) 15-watt light |
20 | (2) 30-watt light / (2) 15-watt lights |
30 | (2) 20-watt lights |
40 | (2) 30-watt lights |
50 | (2) 40-watt lights |
85 | (3) 40-watt lights |
Do not add too many live plants to a fish tank because you won’t have much free-swimming space for the tank inhabitants.
Add from 2 to 3 inches of aquarium gravel at the bottom of the aquarium, or any other substrate required for live plants.
How Fish can Help Live Plants:
Use fish for fertilizing the plants because this way you can save money. Instead of additional fertilizers that cost money, you can use fish poop, uneaten food, & other detritus for releasing ammonia byproducts that fertilize the plants. These chemicals are dangerous for the fish but plants need them for growth. So live plants will clean your aquarium by absorbing toxins. Adding too many plants will clean the aquarium water so you won’t have to spend lots of money for buying an efficient filter. Also, a powerful filter will increase your electricity bills. But still, you will need a filter that will trap physical solid particles that will otherwise decay & release toxins in the water. A low wattage filter is fine if you have setup a heavily planted aquarium.
How to Grow Live Plants in an Aquarium:
It is easy to grow live plants in an aquatic environment because many plants have low requirements & if you have fish in the aquarium then they both can balance the ecosystem inside your aquarium. Live plants will offer shelter, food, & oxygen for the fish, while fish will offer fertilizers & CO2 for live plants.
Choose Artificial Lights for Live Plants:
The first step for setting up your aquarium for live plants is to setup artificial lights. Similar to ordinary plants, your aquatic plants will also need lights. Live plants require artificial lights for photosynthesis which can offer the required energy & nutrition to help the plant grow. Make sure you read the light requirements of your plants as well as the size of your aquarium before purchasing lights.
Use Substrate that Helps Plants in Growth:
Use substrate that helps the plant grow well in aquatic conditions. Top up the substrate with gravel that will help fix the plants & will stop fish from uprooting. Substrate should be added to the bottom of the fish tank. Adding a high nutrition substrate will help the plants grow well but it could cost more. The substances that help live plants could cloud the aquarium water but you can avoid it by adding a layer of gravel on top of the substrate. It will also help in fixing the plants.
Anchor Live Plants:
Anchor live plants that require substrate so they receive nutrition. Some of the plant species must be rooted in the substrate so they can receive required nutrition. Fix the roots of the plant in the substrate but do not bury the plant deep in them because it could cover the plant’s rhizome that could kill the whole plant.
Tie a Plant to Rock or Driftwood:
Certain live plants like to be tied to rock or driftwood for better growth. For example, you can attach Java moss, Java Fern & Anubias to the driftwood or rock. They will soon develop roots & fix themselves on top of the driftwood.
Add Fish after a Week:
After your plants settle in the aquarium then you can safely add fish. Wait for 1 week so that your live plants start growing before introducing the fish to the aquarium. Do not add fish that have the problem of eating or uprooting plants.
Trim Live Plants:
Trim live plants if they grow abruptly in an aquarium. Many aquatic plants grow fast, so it is important to trim them. This will help the plant. Also, you can sell the cuttings if you trim stem plants. Use scissors for trimming live plants.
Change 15% Water Every Week:
Change your aquarium water on a weekly basis in order to keep your plants healthy. Live plants do not need frequent water changes, but addition of fresh water will help the plant in growth because fresh water contains minerals that plants & fish need. Change from 10 to 15 percent aquarium water on a weekly basis. Make sure you add dechlorinated water to your aquarium.
How to Breed Aquatic Plants
How to Sell Aquatic Plants:
Extra plants & pruning stem plants can be used for earning. You can sell these plants in nurseries or fish stores. Or you can get a discount on your new purchases if you offer live plants. Otherwise sell them online. Make sure you earn credibility by selling healthy plants & offering discounts when you start your business. Selling defective plants could affect your business so avoid cheating. Many beginners are looking for live plants, & they may buy them from you if you sell healthy plants & keep prices lower than fish stores & nurseries. This way you can sell many plants quickly. Make sure you read instructions on how to transport live plants. Otherwise, you can use the newly trimmed plants in a new tank to reproduce more plants.
Choose plants that grow quickly in aquariums & reproduce easily. This way you can have many cuttings quickly & you can sell many plants. Also talk to the fish stores & ask them which plants they need & whether they can accept your plants. Choose plants that have high demand because this way you can sell your extra plants quickly.
I hope you have enjoyed this article. If you have any questions related to growing & selling aquarium plants, then you can ask us in the comments.
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