plants in your aquarium
Aquatic plants are a great touch in your tank. They soothe fish by lending a natural feel and providing a hiding place. They look prettier than any artificial decoration could, and they play a role in stabilizing water quality by consuming nitrates to grow. Taking the nitrates out also helps suppress the growth of unsightly algae. Most aquatic plants do fine under normal aquarium conditions, so personal preferences play a significant role in the choice of plants. Preview some plants you might consider getting below, and be sure to read some specific pointers on what to keep in mind when buying aquarium plants. If you hover your mouse on a picture below, you should be able to see a larger view in most browsers.
| Plant | Picture | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Java Fern Microsorum pteropus |
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A very popular and hardy plant that can thrive in soft or hard water over a wide pH range. Does well in good or poor lighting. Do not bury the roots or it will die. Roots should be tied to rocks or driftwood (they need to attach themselves to a surface). Its children are formed on its leaves. They grow, detach, then float around until they attach to something. |
| Java Moss Taxiphyllum barbieri |
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An extremely tolerant plant (wide light conditions, temperature, water softness/hardness, and pH ranges). Starts growing slowly, and then rapidly expands to cover the floor. It is clumpy, and can be shaped into walls and hedges, but will have to be trimmed regularly. It can clog your filter intake and interfere with water current, so keep trimming it back from that area. Great if you are breeding fish, as the tangle thickets serve to shelter the fry from cannibalist parents. |
| Wisteria Hygrophila difformis |
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Water Wisteria is a more accurate name for this plant. Hardy, popular plant. Can grow to a height of 1.5 to 2 feet, so requires trimming when it begins to reach the water's surface. Benefits from, but does not require CO2 additions. Leaves vary shape and color depending on conditions. Tolerant of various lighting conditions, but prefers at least some mild lighting. |
| Anubias Anubias barteri |
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A long-standing aquarium favorite. Prefers low lighting, doesn't demand nutrient supplements or CO2, grows slowly, and is usually left alone by fish. Do not bury its horizontal stem-roots or it will die. |
| Amazon Sword Echinodorus bleheri |
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The Broadleaved Amazon Sword is one example of a wide variety of sword plants. Comfortable in a wide pH range (5.5-9.0), it is an extremely hardy plant, and handles a wide range of lighting and water conditions. Grows very large (each leaf can grow to be a foot long), and should be planted in a 15 gallon tank or bigger, as it can quickly fill out smaller tanks. Not demanding of nutrients, but if leaves turn yellowish, add iron fertilizer. |
| Cryptocoryne Wendtii Cryptocoryne wendtii |
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Comes in two leaf-color varieties - brown and green. It can look very different based on aquarium conditions. One of the "crypts," it is also subject to the "crypt melt" (all the leaves fall off if there is any change in conditions, or when it is freshly planted), but if that happens, leave the plant alone and it will usually sprout new ones. Very hardy - handles any lighting condition, and pH tolerance ranges 5.5-9.0. Grows slowly. The brown variety can benefit from some fertilization. This plant is recommended for beginners. |
| African Fern Bolbitis heudelotii |
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Also known as Congo Fern or African Water Fern. It needs acidic water (pH 5.5-7.0), strong current, and is fussy about water purity (fish wastes in the water sicken the plant). Quite tough and time-consuming to grow, except in very large aquariums. |