A necessary component of any aquarium, except for fish, are various plants . Competently designed aquarium will be an ornament of any interior. One of the representatives of the aquatic flora is the aquatic plant Pistia, which is also called a water salad.
Main characteristics
Pistia is very often used in aquariums. Form it resembles a rosette with velvety leaves of a light green hue. The diameter of the flower can reach 25 centimeters, and the total height - up to 30 centimeters, including the root system, which develops under water. The flower itself floats on the surface thanks to the air that is contained in the intercellular space of the petals.
In addition to decorative use, the plant of pistil has a practical - with its help water is purified from nitrates and silt. In a lush root system, some species of fish can spawn, and the fry can hide during growth and development. Under favorable conditions, the aquarium plant of pistil grows very intensively, obscuring other plants, so its thickets need to be periodically thinned out.
Maintenance and care of the plant
In the content this plant is unpretentious and does not require special conditions. The main criterion is the creation of good lighting. The temperature of the water should be maintained within 24 - 30 ° C, while the water hardness and acidity parameters are not particularly important.
- Features of creating lighting. For the normal development of pistia, like any aquarium plant, requires a daylight duration of at least 12 hours. Good lighting allows the bush to open and fill with light, after which it closes. Lamps for artificial lighting should be placed at a distance of 5 - 15 cm from the surface of the flower. This will prevent the occurrence of burns on the plant.
- Food. The most qualitative nutrient medium is water with a large number of nitrates. A full development occurs also in the presence of fertile soil on the bottom of the aquarium. The root system of the aquatic plant pistia serves as an indicator of the correct content. Voluminous and widely developed roots indicate an inadequate amount of microelements and organic substances in water. With proper care, the roots do not grow so much.
- Reproduction of a plant. The process of reproduction is vegetative, with the help of lateral processes. Plant seeds are planted in two weeks. After the young shoots reach 5-6 cm in diameter, they can be separated from the parent plants. The period of active growth of pistil begins in spring and ends in autumn. The rest of the time, the growth rate slows down. It is desirable at this time to reduce the frequency of water replacement and the intensity of lighting - this will allow the plant to painlessly survive this period.