As an aquatic plant that originally comes from the tropics, the mussel flower is extremely sensitive to cold in this country. It will not survive the winter unprotected in the garden pond, but must be hibernated. A constantly warm place like the aquarium at home would be a better alternative.
Is the shell flower suitable for the aquarium?
The shell flower is a useful aquatic plant in the aquarium as it purifies water, reduces algae growth and provides hiding places for fish. It should be placed in bright, open aquariums with a temperature of 22-30°C and a pH of 6.5-7.3.
Demands on the location
The shell flower floats on the surface of the water and lets its thread roots hang casually down. If you decide to put it in your aquarium, you should not ignore the location requirements of this aquatic plant! These include these points:
- bright
- 22 to 30 °C warm
- Freshwater
- only open aquariums
- Water hardness from 5 to 20 KH
- pH value from 6.5 to 7.3
An extremely useful plant for the aquarium
The shell flower has numerous advantages and brings it into the aquarium. On the one hand, it has a cleansing effect. This is based on their ability to absorb nutrients from water and use them for growth. It basically filters the water.
On the other hand, the shell flower stops algae growth. In addition, it forms a natural hiding place for fish and adapts its growth size to its environment (the size of the aquarium).
The disadvantages of the shell flower
But such a shell flower also has disadvantages. Despite its simple appearance, it requires a lot of nutrients. She is considered a heavy eater. This means that you must regularly supply this plant in the aquarium with a suitable aquatic plant fertilizer (€8.00 on Amazon). Otherwise the water will increasingly demineralize.
Another rather negative aspect is that the mussel flower likes to spread uncontrollably. She loves to train offshoots. Over time, a whole carpet of shell flowers can be created. This robs other plants of light. Therefore: Thin out regularly.
Many aquarium owners are also quickly bothered by the long thread roots of the mussel flower. They hang from top to bottom. If this bothers you, you can simply shorten roots that are too long with sharp scissors.
Tip
Attention: Be careful not to place the mussel flower in the immediate vicinity of filter systems! She could get sucked in there.
