Plants in Aquariums: Do you need them?

Do you need plants? Do they increase an aquariums stability? Is there more to it? Lets discuss the topic in a bit more of a cynical view point.

It is commonly thought that plants only respire at night but they actually constantly respire, photosynthesis is largely limited in different stages by light.
“Aquatic plants are generally thought of as adding oxygen to aquatic systems through photosynthesis, but the impact of vascular aquatic plants on oxygen varies greatly with plant morphology.” (Caraco, 2006).
Floating and emergent leaved plants for example substantially remove oxygen from the waters below.
A good flow and current is definitely a must here to optimise as much oxygen saturation as possible.

Nutrients
Nitrates
Different plant species uptake different levels of ammonia and nitrates.
Softer water plants take up more nitrate through the roots, acid tolerant plants ammonium through the leaves. These plants were kept at differing parameters, this could effect growth and reliability of the experiment.
Conditions of the experiment.
Air pumps used to circulate the water and a supply of oxygen vital for plant growth.

Regarding carbon the presence of floating or emergent vegetation can pump large amounts of carbon into the soils and water below.
Even just the presence of plants trapping waste can influence the whole balance of nutrients but also depeating oxygen as decomposition occurs.

Thank you for watching!

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Citations:
Aljawahiry, T., Hasoon, A., Imran, A. F., Abdulla, A. K., Al-Mualm, M., & Abbas, S. N. (2022). Effectiveness of aquatic plants in reducing water nitrates. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 20(5), 1031-1037.

Caraco, N., Cole, J., Findlay, S., & Wigand, C. (2006). Vascular plants as engineers of oxygen in aquatic systems. BioScience, 56(3), 219-225.

Ghamary, E., & Mohajeri, J. (2021). Efficiency of Cyperus alternifolius, Typha latifolia, and Juncus inflexus in the removal of nitrate from surface water. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 70(5), 654-664.

Schuurkes, J. A. A. R., Kok, C. J., & Den Hartog, C. (1986). Ammonium and nitrate uptake by aquatic plants from poorly buffered and acidified waters. Aquatic Botany, 24(2), 131-146.

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