Pothos in Aquarium: Ways and benefits for keeping Pothos in Aquarium

Want pothos plants to heal where the cut is made? I have a plan to plant pothos in the Aquarium. Yes, plant lover, it is possible to grow pothos in aquariums.

I will say it’s high time to grow pothos plants in an aquarium! However, pothos won’t mechanically filter tank water, and while the plants are great at reducing nitrate levels absorb toxic nitrogen compounds that are produced by fish waste in the water, I know it creates confusion. So let’s not waste time and learn about step-by-step methods and benefits of keeping pothos in an aquarium.

Scientific Name	Epipremnum aureum
Family	Araceae
Order	Alismatales
Genus	Epipremnum
Care Level	easy
Growth Rate	medium
Maximum Size:	6.5 feet (2 meters)
Water Conditions	pH range of 5.0-8.0, temperature 63°-86°F (17°-30°C)
Lighting	low to medium
Propagation	cutting
Tank Placement	emersed
Common Names	devil’s ivy, silver vine, devil’s vine, taro vine, hunter’s robe, golden pothos

About pothos plants:

• The pothos plants are considered the tropical, trailing, leafy, vining plants. 
• They can grow up to 40 feet in length if you grow in a forest or wild location. 
• They Come under the evergreen plant which has thick, waxy, green leaves having a heart shape on which there are splashes of yellow color. 

Some species of the plant have different color variations and are used to grow long flowy vines. The photos of plant leaves are used to grow up to 12 inches if you prove them in optimum condition. They do have attractive foliage and you are required to look after them for minimal maintenance. The pothos plants are used to grow as hanging plants, if grown on trees they will climb up. Fish and Plants both will benefit if you grow them in the aquarium. Different varieties of pothos plants are used to grow with different colors 

How to place pothos in an aquarium

The process of adding pothos in an aquarium is not a difficult process but you need to follow certain steps that will help you to increase the chances of the successful growth of the plant underwater. The following are some steps that should be followed for placing the pothos plant in the aquarium such as:

Take cuttings:

• First, you need to cut the piece of stem from the plant which is a few inches long and contains several leaves in it.
• Make sure to remove the bottom leaves from the stem and after that, you can place the cutting into the water.
• Need to make sure to always take the cutting which is healthy and is from a disease-free plant.
• For a backup, you can choose a strong stem.

Root cuttings:

• You need to set the cutting in a place where it will not get disturbed and will get indirect sunlight.
• The cutting will take several weeks to grow.
• For success, you need to change the water once a week or during cloudy days.

Transfer cuttings:

• Now after stem cutting starts growing roots and reaches 4 or more inches long, they are ready to transfer into the aquarium.
• The cutting will take weeks to over a month until they reach 4 inches long.
• You need to wait until the root grows long and long which will help you in transferring the plant into the aquarium.

Anchor cuttings:

• Now you need to anchor newly rooted plants in an aquarium and make sure only the roots and stem part of the plant is underwater.
• You need to avoid submerging leaves which will make the plant not grow properly.

Benefits of Pothos in Aquariums:

There are many benefits of keeping pothos plants in aquariums and if you are unaware of, read them below:

Remove Nitrates:

• The nitrates are considered the end product that you get from the nitrogen cycle and are in every healthy aquarium ecosystem. 
• The removal of nitrates can be done with partial water changes. 
• Planting plants in an aquarium helps remove the nitrates as they are used to absorb nitrates and other nutrients from the water with the help of leaves and roots.
• The pothos plants are capable of removing the water from the water column. 
• There is a difference between aquatic plants and pothos plants which is the rate of absorbing the nitrates. 
• As they pothos plants leaves are used to grow above water and roots of the are only in water which makes them grow much faster phase and Doing this will help them to remove more neutrons from the aquarium water.

So I suggest you plant a pothos plant in the aquarium if you want lower nitrates in the aquarium.

Combat Algae:

• The forming of algae in your aquarium is a sign of nutrient deficiency, proving that too much amount of light or there are high nitrate levels in the aquarium.
• The growing of foliage will make your aquatic plant suffer so you need to reduce algae growth which can be done by using the CO2 system, setting the lights on a timer, reducing the feeding of fishes, using RO water, and growing pothos plants in aquarium.
• The pothos plants are very efficient in removing the nitrates and other nutrients from water which results in reducing the growth of algae in water.
• With some time the plants will be able to eliminate all the algae from the aquarium.

Provides Cover:

• The pothos plant does have a fast growing rate which will grow roots after they are fully established having a large amount of leaves growing on it.
• They are used to grow a very strong and thick root system that will create a good cover for fish. 
• The growing of roots is great for breaking the line of sight in the tank and fish are used to take cover between the roots of the plants. 

Looks Awesome:

• Growing pothos plants does look stunning not only in the pot but also in the aquarium which gives them a more natural look to the aquarium.
• In case the light conditions are good in your place you can even run the pothos plant on the wall in that you can attach a transparent fishing line to the ceiling which will help in plant to have them support.

Omnivore Fish Proof:

• Putting omnivore fishes will make them eat anything in your aquarium such as African cichlids used to eat most of the aquatic plants.
• The African cichlid fishes are used to produce a lot of waste which results in raising the nitrate level more quickly.
• In a fish like them, growing pothos plant is the best choice for them.
• Growing pothos plants in an aquarium helps remove the nitrates and make the fish tank look beautiful.

You cannot grow pothos in an aquarium without having the basic knowledge of how to take care of them.

Care for pothos in an aquarium:

The pothos plant is not a hard plant to care for but still, you need to take extra care of it. The following are a few points that will help you to care for pothos in an aquarium.

1. Provide the right light:

To grow pothos you need to provide them with bright, indirect sunlight, and low light conditions are not ideal for the plant. So make sure to place the aquarium in a place where they can get bright light but keep them away from direct sunlight.  You can also use artificial lighting to maintain the light conditions.  

2. Trim roots:

You need to check the growth rate of the plant which will help prevent nutrient deficiency in the aquarium so you need to prune the plants. You can use a pair of sharp pruning shears for timing the roots of the plant not just snipping off the roots. You need to inspect the roots and see if there are any dead roots or damaged roots in the aquarium and if you find any you need to trim them which will help maintain the health of the plants.

3. Feed the pothos:

You need to provide the plants with occasional fertilizer that will help the plant to encourage the health of plant growth and the forming of strong roots. You need to add fertilization once a month with liquid fertilizer which is safe for the aquariums

4. Change the water regularly:

 The changing of the water in the aquarium varies depending on a wide array of factors for example the size of the tank. There will appear murky in the aquariums which means it’s time to change the water.

5. Maintain the temperature:

You need to maintain a consistent air temperature for growing pothos between  70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining the temperature is an easy process if you keep them in an aquarium. In case the temperature changes drastically it will cause pothos stress and will affect the plant health.

6. Keep the pothos out of salt water:

You need to make sure not to grow them in salt water as it will kill plants and never add any sort of salt in the water tank.  In case you can have a saltwater tank you need to decide which plant to choose as an aquatic plant that is good to be grown in salty water such as Halimeda. 

Conclusion:

Now it is clear keeping pothos in an aquarium gives you many benefits that I have explained above. You need to maintain the growth by fulfilling all the pothos plant requirements and giving them a fresh and more natural look to the plant.