In the aquarium hobby, everyone wants to know if aquarium plants can grow in gravel. The short answer to this question is yes. However, we will be going over the best practices for aquarium plants and growing in the gravel!
There is often a debate among aquarium hobbyists if gravel is proper for aquarium plants. Everyone has their preferences on the appearance of the two substrates. Plants are some of the most beautiful additions to any freshwater aquarium. Plants serve as a natural filter for your whole system. The natural filtration acts as a second filter for your aquarium. The action results in a happy and healthy aquarium!
In this article, we will be going over just how effective gravel is for live plants. Each plant requires a specific atmosphere. Plants are just like any other living creature in the world. Not everything will thrive in the same environment. Some aquatic plants will thrive in a darker setting, while some plants need extreme light. The same saying goes for the gravel or soil that they use. Keep reading to discover just how effective the gravel is in the home aquarium for freshwater fish.
How to Grow Aquarium Plants in Gravel
Live plants tend to grow best in bulky gravel that tends to be relatively big. The substrate should be roughly .1 to .4 inches! When aquarium plants are placed in the gravel, make sure that they are in the substrate deep enough! To grow aquarium plants in gravel, the plants must be sturdy in place to reduce the risk of killing the plant.
To grow live aquarium plants in the gravel, you must make sure the plant’s roots are deep enough in the gravel. After having the roots covered, you must fill the substrate up until it hits your plant’s bulb.
Best Aquarium Plants For Gravel
Every aquarium plant thrives in different aquariums. However, we will give you a list of the best aquarium plants for growing in gravel. One factor to keep in mind is that a ton of research should go into an aquarium before purchasing something. If you purchase a plant before doing research, the plant may destroy your tank. I have heard horror stories of plants carrying so many snails. These snails that latch on your plants will take over your aquarium and make the tank look overrun. However, there are solutions to fixing this! Check out our article on how to get rid of snails in your aquarium!
Amazon Sword
The Amazon Sword is found deep within the Amazon Rainforest! This plant grows very fast and thrives in large gravel! I have seen some of them overtake tanks. Trimming them will be a must. These plants grow so fast you could start selling them on third-party platforms!
The Amazon Sword will require maintenance almost every week if you house the plant in a small aquarium. These plants are beautiful, with a rigorous routine to keep the plant moving forward. Form a close relationship with your local fish store so that you can sell the parts of the plants for store credit. You will be happy that you did!
Java Fern
The Java Fern is another beginner aquarium plant that grows a ton in the gravel! This was my first live plant for my 16-gallon aquarium. The Java Fern is one of the most popular freshwater live plants in the aquarium hobby. This live plant typically grows relatively slow, but this is great for smaller aquariums with gravel! The leaves will move towards the top of the aquarium and is a live plant for aquariums with the substrate.
Moss Ball
The Moss ball can be seen all over freshwater planted aquariums with gravel at the bottom! Technically the moss ball is not considered a plant it is classified as an alga! However, this aquarium plant does a great job growing with gravel. If you use black gravel, this plant has a glowing green appearance, which looks great on top of the substrate.
The moss ball is tremendous for shrimp and smaller inverts. When you place one in your aquarium, every fish and invert will be drawn to it. Like the picture above, shrimp are the first ones on the moss ball. However, be careful when aggressive fish are present. The aggressive fish tend to fight each other for the one moss ball. One method of reducing the stress is to add multiple moss balls to your aquarium. When adding moss balls, the more you add, the more the fish will love it!
Cryptocoryne
This freshwater aquarium plant is another great option for fish tanks with a gravel bottom! It is a good idea to keep one in your aquarium at all times due to how great it is with removing nitrates. This freshwater plant does best under low lights with not a ton of attention. Make sure that once you plant it, you leave it there. If you move this around a lot, many of the leaves will fall off, and the plant won’t survive.
Dwarf Sagittaria
This plant thrives in an aquarium that is planted on gravel! The Dwarf Sagittaria looks best in a cluster towards the front of the aquarium. Moderate lighting is perfect for this freshwater plant in an aquarium with gravel. Generally, this plant is very hardy and can handle a lot of changes and moving around. In general, this plant doesn’t grow that large compared to other freshwater plants. However, this aquarium plant grows VERY fast!!
In Conclusion
In conclusion, be selective when deciding on your next freshwater aquarium plant. As stated above, if you add the wrong plant to your aquarium, the whole aquarium may be destroyed. Many plants can be successful in a gravel setting and even thrive! With the correct substrate, the most crucial aspect is how you care for the plant! If you ever experience the freshwater plant dying, take a trip to your local fish store to identify the issue. However, there are only methods of identifying problems. Check out online forums like Reddit or exclusive Facebook groups. These settings have a ton of knowledgeable people that can help!
