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Marseille aquarium plant
Marsilia is considered a popular low-maintenance aquarium plant. Its other name is “water fern”. It is amazingly beautiful, but in order for it to become a decoration of the aquarium, it is necessary to properly care for it.
External characteristics of the Marsilia plant
This plant has a creeping root system. It spreads over the soil or is located at the top. Separate shoots depart from the root, which have dark green leaves on the crown. They resemble clover in appearance. The size of the leaves is influenced by the level of light – the weaker it is, the smaller the leaves will be, and vice versa.
Marsilia has beautiful leaves covered with villi
There are hairs on young shoots of leaves. The stalk grows up to 15 cm. Marsilia grows year-round, but slowly. It is the most popular plant to be placed in the foreground of the aquarium.
How to keep an aquarium plant Marsilia
The fact that the water fern grows slowly has a significant advantage: excess stems do not have to be cut off, and in saturated light it will not grow much in height. It does not require any special care, so it is not difficult to grow and maintain it. If the lighting in the tank is strong, the fern will spread quickly. Make lighting at least 0,75 W per 1 liter of water. In dim light, the plant will stretch up strongly.
The tighter you plant it, the smaller the leaves will be. Leaves can be trimmed to maintain the integrity of the coating on the surface of the water.
Conditions of detention:
- pour sand 3 mm thick so that the plant takes root well;
- change the water more often, it must be clean and soft, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction, temperature – 18-29 ° C, acidity – 5-7 ° C;
- set 12-hour daylight hours, use a fluorescent lamp or an incandescent lamp;
- additionally add natural diffused light;
- if the aquarium is tall, install side lighting;
- do not fertilize the plant, natural silting is enough for it.
After rooting, the fern will let its rhizome in all directions, completely filling the surface of the aquarium.
The flow in the container must be weak. At the bottom, the plant serves as a shelter for small fish, on the surface of the water it protects them from possible jumping out.
As you can see, the aquatic fern is used in aqua design. To make the plant look beautiful, thin it out from time to time, remove rotten leaves. If you take proper care of your fern, you will end up with a flawless green carpet. If you are not afraid of its slow growth, feel free to grow it in your aquarium.