# best oxygenating aquarium plant?



## dzega (Apr 22, 2013)

keep water surface clean from film forming and you'll be fine.
plants consume oxygen during night insted of producing it btw


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

Also, floating plants have a tendency to remove oxygen from the water column since their roots are suspended in it. It's easier for them to obtain oxygen this way.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

HDBenson said:


> Also, floating plants have a tendency to remove oxygen from the water column since their roots are suspended in it. It's easier for them to obtain oxygen this way.


Ahhh, didn't even cross my mind until now. I know floaters are regarded as great nitrogen sponges (pretty sure that's what people say about them, sucking up excess nutrients to out compete algae and lower toxic nitrogen levels), but does that also mean they are super oxygen sponges during the night as well? I assume if so, that other so called oxygenators or heavy feeders (maybe fast growers as well?) that absorb more nitrogen and ferts than most other plants would also take up more oxygen when the lights are off?

Maybe the plants don't intake as much oxygen at night compared to how much co2, ferts and nitrogen they intake during photosynthesis. I don't really know, which is why I am asking.

Although my better judgement is telling me that the plants don't take in nearly as much o2 as they do with co2 and ferts, so nitrogen sponges don't = oxygen sponges.

Doesn't hurt to ask and learn though 

To the OP though, plants I have heard called oxygenator plants are Anacharis (Elodea...is the Egeria Densa the same as this plant?), and I think Water Wisteria (Hygrophila Difformis). Most floaters as well I think. The second plant you mentioned water hyacinth, I am pretty sure that is water lettuce, but the large pond sized variety. You might want to get the dwarf water lettuce version, scientific name Pistia Stratioes. It gets nice long, bushy roots, just make sure you put a prefilter on your filter so the roots don't get sucked into it. Water lettuce is said to be one of the better floaters and can stand higher current compared to the other floaters that need to stay afloat/don't like getting dunked under the water.
I am sure there is quite a bit of different species and quick google search would show.


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## Smells Fishy (May 7, 2015)

Floating plants are the way forward.


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## foxrain4 (May 22, 2015)

WaterLife said:


> Ahhh, didn't even cross my mind until now. I know floaters are regarded as great nitrogen sponges (pretty sure that's what people say about them, sucking up excess nutrients to out compete algae and lower toxic nitrogen levels), but does that also mean they are super oxygen sponges during the night as well? I assume if so, that other so called oxygenators or heavy feeders (maybe fast growers as well?) that absorb more nitrogen and ferts than most other plants would also take up more oxygen when the lights are off?
> 
> Maybe the plants don't intake as much oxygen at night compared to how much co2, ferts and nitrogen they intake during photosynthesis. I don't really know, which is why I am asking.
> 
> ...


I guessing Anacharis is the common name
and Egeria Densa is the exact scientific name.

water hyacinth have big purple flowers,
i dun see any big flowers from water lettuce in google.

im trying not to use filter/air pump.


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## Doppelgaenger (Jul 20, 2015)

if you get a pump or power head that creates current just below the surface but doesn't make the surface roil the way a bubble filter or air stone does, just so that you see current... this is supposed to vastly improve your gas exchange rates and still not strip the CO2 from the water as an airstone will. So your plants get more CO2 and the fish get more oxygen.


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## jonsnow (May 1, 2015)

This is just a guess, but I bet that the fastest growing plants consume/produce the most gas. A lot of floaters, like dwarf water lettuce, grow very fast, but because their leaves are outside of the water any gas that they produce will not absorb into the water.


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## Virc003 (Dec 3, 2011)

if you want oxygenated water without water current fill your tank with hornwort. I've used it both indoors and out with filters and without from 10 gallon tanks to 1000 gallon ponds. It works all year around.


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## foxrain4 (May 22, 2015)

Virc003 said:


> if you want oxygenated water without water current fill your tank with hornwort. I've used it both indoors and out with filters and without from 10 gallon tanks to 1000 gallon ponds. It works all year around.


i gonna try that out now :icon_smil

EDIT: roughly how many fishes you keep per 10 gallon tank?


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