Will Pothos Kill Aquarium Plants? {What Happened?}

Do you want to add pothos to your aquarium? Are you wondering if pothos will kill other aquarium plants or even your fish too? In this article, we’ll dive into the tank and see what pothos can do to hurt, harm or help your aquarium.

Will Pothos Kill Aquarium Plants? Pothos grows rapidly and absorbs nitrates ferociously. Its leaves are poisonous and the roots can get out of control, leaving little room for other plants to thrive. Nutrient deficiencies in tanks with pothos are common, but can be controlled with frequent trimming. .

Is Pothos An Aquarium Plant?

Pothos is not an aquarium plant. It’s a type of Ivy with poisonous leaves. It grows remarkably fast and it’s considered one of the hardiest plants we can introduce to our tanks. There are a few considerations before using pothos plants in your aquarium.

  • Do not fully submerge the entire plant. 
  • Keep most of the stems and all the leaves above the water. 
  • Trim frequently.
  • Prevent the roots from wrapping themselves into other aquarium plant roots.

As long as you follow these general rules, you can use pothos in an aquarium. Some fish keepers will say that they can submerge the entire plant in the water and their fish will not want to eat its leaves due to its terrible taste and toxic nature.

Which Types Of Pothos Are Best For Aquariums?

The three options below are very popular because they grow fast and can handle various lighting conditions.

  • Neon Pothos
  • Jade Pothos
  • Golden Pothos 

Due to its hardy nature, you are not confined to these three options. If your local shop doesn’t have these varieties, you can try another type as long as you keep the leaves above the water and trim them frequently.

Why Should I Keep A Pothos Plant In My Aquarium?

  • Remove nitrates
  • Prevent algae overgrowth
  • Provides cover
  • Additional hiding spaces or shelter
  • Enhances the look of your aquarium 

All aquariums produce nitrates from fish waste and food leftovers. We test the water and perform water changes that are tedious, but necessary. Adding aquarium plants help us do our job less frequently because they help to keep nitrate levels low.

Pothos plants are the queens of nitrate absorbing plants. They are stronger, hardier and hungrier. You will not have a nitrate problem if you grow pothos plants out of your aquarium. They combat the growth of algae as well.

The roots also provide cover for eggs and shelter for the fry. The additional hiding spaces keep marine life comfortable. If you trim the pothos plant and keep it tidy, it could make the overall look of your aquarium much more appealing.

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Why Will Pothos Kill My Aquarium Plants?

Pothos is sometimes too effective at soaking up nitrates and much of the nutrients that creates a balanced aquarium ecosystem. You have to keep trimming the pothos plant to prevent it from taking over your aquarium.

It’s a race between you and the plant to prevent it from destroying the balance you’ve created in your tank with healthy water parameters. You added pothos to help you, but they could help too much.

If your other submerged plants are in competition for nutrients with pothos, they will lose. Some fish keepers say this is blown out of proportion and can be maintained with frequent trimmings. They say that the healthy bacteria in your tank would die off before the plants do.

Either way, the pothos plant is overcompensating and could take over your tank without some interference and maintenance.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Keeping Pothos in An Aquarium?

  • Nutrient overconsumption
  • Root infestation
  • Frequent trimmings
  • Toxic stems and leaves

Nutrient Overconsumption

Your aquarium shouldn’t become a competitive battlefield. We work hard enough to make sure the ecosystem is thriving with peaceful tankmates and healthy water conditions. We add plants for:

  • aeration
  • oxygenation
  • nitrate absorption
  • aesthetics
  • hiding places for fish
  • decoration

Pothos may throw all of this out of balance. They are greedy and hardy. Pothos will overconsume nutrients without sharing them with other plants. They don’t care because they’re an ivy plant that was not meant for aquariums.

We put them in there because they perform a basic function of absorbing nitrates extremely well. If we have other plants in the tank with it, they may not be able to compete for the nutrients or space available.

Root Infestation

The roots of the pothos plants grow deep into the substrate and continue to tangle themselves in there. They could grab hold of other roots from surrounding plants as well. This could suffocate the roots of their neighbors or not allow for them to pull in nutrients as well as the pothos plant can.

A larger tank with carefully places plants far enough from each other will help to prevent this. You can also trim the roots to prevent its overgrowth in the substrate.

Frequent Trimmings

This is a labor intensive task, but your aquarium plants will be grateful. The more often you trim the pothos plant, the more space and ability you give aquarium plants to grow and absorb their fair share of nutrients.

The drawback is that it takes a lot of time away from fish keeping, relaxing, observing and enjoying your marine life.

Toxic Stems and Leaves

You should wash your hands after handling pothos. The toxins in the leaves and stem should stay far from your mouth and the mouths of your fish. They will avoid it naturally in most cases due to its distasteful nature, but it’s always recommended to keep the leaves above the water level for added safety.

Conclusion

The leaves look great sticking out of your tank and with careful trimming, you will enjoy your pothos without it taking over and starving your aquarium plants. Pothos is great for absorbing nitrates. Nevertheless, space out all the plants if possible, continue to test water levels and perform regular water changes.

Brian Arial

Brian Arial has kept fish for leisure and worked with fish stores for most of his life. He enjoys writing and caring for aquariums and ponds.

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