Simple Care Guide

Planted Aquarium Care

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Discover simple, step-by-step guides created by API® experts to help you keep your water healthy and your fish thriving. Search for specific topics or explore our categories below — from freshwater to planted tanks and ponds — to care routines, water tips, and product recommendations tailored to your setup.

Regular Care

It’s smart to be proactive! Many fish keepers and aquarium hobbyists seek to treat problems once they’ve already occurred, and in some cases, even once they’ve escalated to the point of unmanageability. This is why it’s prudent to maintain a healthy planted aquarium once you’ve established it. The result will be healthy and happy fish and plants, and an aesthetically pleasing, tranquil aquarium.

Taking just a few minutes on a regular basis to maintain your aquarium conditions is key to a healthy underwater world.

Choose from the categories below to learn more about routine planted aquarium maintenance.

Cleaning Your Aquarium

When organic sludge builds up in the aquarium, it can smother the nitrifying bacteria that maintain the nitrogen cycle, creating an unhealthy environment for fish. Weekly addition of API® STRESS ZYME™ bacterial cleaner ensures a healthy population of sludge-destroying bacteria to break down any organic matter that might threaten your aquarium’s cycle. This all-natural formula contains a unique blend of five beneficial bacterial strains selected to reduce sludge build-up in a planted aquarium without disturbing the roots of the plants.

STRESS ZYME™

Controling Algae

Algae growth is a common problem in most planted aquariums, but can be minimized and controlled with API® ALGAEFIX™ algae control. This liquid aquarium treatment reduces algae growth and effectively controls “green water" algal blooms, and String or Hair algae. ALGAEFIX algae control will not alter pH or discolor water, and is a safe algaecide for aquariums containing live plants and fish when used as directed. ALGAEFIX algae control may be used weekly to reduce aquarium maintenance, and is an effective remedy for reducing unsightly algae. It’s also helpful to keep your tank out of direct sunlight and monitor your aquarium lighting to discourage algae from forming in the future. Remember, healthy plants are easily able to outcompete nuisance algae, so it is important to make sure that water readings are monitored and that the plants are being properly fertilized so that they have everything that they need to grow and thrive, so that the algae cannot.

For Clean, Clear Water

Organic waste is released into an aquarium by fish, invertebrates, plants, algae, and uneaten fish food, all of which degrade water quality. API® BIO-CHEM ZORB™ filtration media contains a high grade resin/carbon blend for the superior removal of aquarium pollutants, including colors and odors, and it removes light-blocking impurities for improved plant growth in planted aquariums. This breakthrough water filtration technology is more effective than carbon alone, and is available in ready-to-use pouches or cartridges that fit most filters. Cartridges should be replaced monthly and larger pouches should be changed every two months or sooner if colors or odors are detected. Be sure to dose nitrifying bacteria whenever filter media is rinsed or exchanged so that the nitrogen cycle in the aquarium in maintained for the health of your fish.

BIO-CHEM ZORB™

Measuring Water Parameters

Water testing is an important part of boosting and maintaining aquarium health to ensure optimal aquarium conditions. API® 5-IN-1 TEST STRIPS measure important water parameters in your planted tank, including pH, nitrate, nitrite, carbonate hardness, and general hardness. For essential testing of toxic ammonia, use API AMMONIA TEST STRIPS to ensure that these levels are kept to a minimum. Test strips are fast, accurate, and easy to use, and include information on how to correct unsafe water conditions.

The API FRESHWATER MASTER TEST KIT is also applicable for planted tank use. Pair it with the API KH & GH TEST KIT and the API PHOSPHATE TEST KIT liquid test kits to monitor all values that will be of importance to your planted aquarium. Testing is fast, easy, and accurate, yielding precise results, and the Master Kit comes with four glass test tubes with snap-tight caps and a convenient holding tub for easy storage. All kits includes safe, step-by-step instructions with color charts that provide information on how to correct any unsafe water conditions.

Normally, nitrate levels are used as guide to determine water exchange frequency and amounts, by simply adjusting the water change schedule so that the nitrate does not exceed 40ppm between water changes. With a planted aquarium, it is also important to recognize that the Nitrate is, in part, consumed by the plants and so if there is a 0ppm reading of Nitrate the plants will be unable to do well unless fertilization is provided such as with API ROOT TABS™ plant treatment.