What are the pros and cons of adding plants to my aquarium?

What are the pros and cons of adding plants to my aquarium?

Marc Grover (Professional Aquarist) gives expert video advice on: What plants are best for my freshwater aquarium?; How do I choose a healthy plant for my aquarium?; What kind of lighting will my aquarium plants need? and more...

When you do a planted aquarium, the pros are the look that you get, the lushness, the natural vibe that you get from the aquarium, and also that during the day part of photosynthesis cycle, it super oxygenates your water. The cons are that at night, it does the exact opposite. It takes in Oxygen and kicks out CO₂. You may have to augment your system with an air pump that's run on a timer that kicks on at night time to get Oxygen to your fish. Also, when you're dealing with live plants, they're another living organism in your aquarium. It provides a different type of food source for your fish, and it also has specific lighting requirements. They live almost exclusively off photosynthesis, so you have to have bright lights and proper color temperature to help them thrive.