How to Have a Lush Aquarium

Insert foreground, middle-ground and background plants in your aquarium. Arrange the smallest plants in front and the largest at the back. A dwarf Amazon sword plant (Echinodorus quadricostatus) is ideal as a foreground plant because it produces bright green leaves and runners. The banana lily (Nymphoides indica) is a suitable middle-ground plant: It will develop floating leaves if the aquarium is very bright. Finally, the Java fern (Microsorum pteropus), one of the most familiar aquarium plants, looks best in the background.

Ensure your aquarium has enough light to emphasize the color of the plants. Although the best way to add light to a fish tank is with lighting equipment, usually built into the lid, most plants require some natural light to flourish. If you're using fluorescent bulbs, 2 to 3 watts per gallon is sufficient for an aquarium with several plants.

Monitor water quality carefully, as most aquatic plants will die in brackish (slightly salty) water. The water should be clear and clean; cloudy water resulting from decaying food and other debris will harm the plants and leave your tank looking less lush. To make matters worse, it can also interfere with light intensity and deprive your plants of essential nutrients.

Install an efficient filtration system, but ensure it isn't so strong that it creates surface disturbance or carbon dioxide will be lost. The filter will create several benefits, including dislodging decaying food and plant matter, and circulating nutrients through the water. Avoid undergravel filters, as the filter structure will limit the amount of gravel in which you can root your plants.

Prune your plants often. Some aquatic plants are prodigious growers and will even grow above the water surface; their leaves must be cut back regularly to keep them from shading out smaller, slower growing plants. Pruning is also an effective way of removing dead or dying leaves, which look unsightly and can give the tank an unhealthy appearance. Pieces of pruned plants can be regrown in the substrate if you need more plants.