The Best Plants for an African Cichlid Tank

Selecting Plants

• There are species of plants that can be used in tanks with African cichlids. These include the many varieties of the Anubis plant (such as angustifolia, barteri and coffeefolia), hammer leaf plant, crispus, rigidifolius, ulvaceus, African onion plant, Amazon sword, jade hormanii, Java fern, varieties of Vallisneria (jungle, corkscrew and contortion) and Java moss.

Preparing The Tank

• Your plants need to be added to your tank before you add water. Planting your varieties in clay pots inside the aquarium will ensure that the cichilds do not pull them up by the roots. A pebble can be used at the bottom of the pot to weigh it down. Add some peat moss and micronized iron, and fill it with aquarium gravel. Aquarium plants are best planted in bunches. Plants not in pots should be secured by rocks or other matter.

Aquarium Lighting

• Your plants will need the right amount of light to grow. Check the requirements of each plant species to determine if it needs full or partial light. Fluorescent tube lighting is typically used in aquariums. Plants need light wavelengths of 450 and 680 nanometers to survive, so make sure the brand you purchase emits light at this strength.

Caring for Plants

• Keeping your cichlids well fed will prevent them from devouring the plants in their tank. You can feed them vegetable matter, such as blanched zucchini and spinach, in addition to their regular feed. If you purchase ferns or mosses, they will need to be trimmed regularly. Vallisneria leaves that turn yellow need to be removed.