Easy live plants for beginners

Plants guide · About 7 minutes to read

Live plants soak up fish waste, compete with algae, and give fish places to hide. These eight are close to unkillable. They grow under the basic light that comes with most tanks, with no special gear.

Light and fertilizer, kept simple

Light: the light that came with your tank is fine for every plant on this list. Run it 6–8 hours a day on a timer.
Root feeders (swords and crypts) grow best with a fertilizer tablet pushed into the gravel near their roots every few months.
Everything else feeds from the water. Fish waste covers most of it, and a weekly liquid fertilizer helps.

The eight easiest plants

1. Java fern

Tough, slow-growing and fish rarely eat it. Don't bury the thick stem (the rhizome) it grows from, or it rots. Tie it to a rock or piece of wood with cotton thread or fishing line, or wedge it between stones.

2. Anubias

Thick, dark leaves that almost nothing eats. The same rule applies: attach it to rock or wood, and keep the rhizome above the gravel. It grows slowly, so put it somewhere shady where algae won't settle on the leaves.

3. Java moss

A soft green carpet that grows on wood and rocks. Shrimp love grazing on it, and baby fish hide in it. Tie a clump on and trim it when it gets shaggy.

4. Cryptocoryne wendtii

A compact plant with green or bronze leaves, great for the front and middle of the tank. Plant the roots in the gravel. It often "melts" after planting, dropping most of its leaves. Leave the roots alone and it grows back within a few weeks.

5. Amazon sword

A big, bright green background plant. It's a heavy root feeder, so give it root tabs. It can grow large, so it's best in 20 gallons or more.

6. Vallisneria

Tall, ribbon-like leaves that make a grassy background. It spreads by sending out runners. Plant the roots, but keep the base where the leaves start above the gravel.

7. Hornwort

A fast grower you can float or plant. It soaks up nutrients quickly, which makes it a great algae fighter. It can shed needles when it's first moved, then settles down.

8. Floating plants

Amazon frogbit, red root floaters and salvinia float on the surface and use up nutrients that would otherwise feed algae. Bettas and gouramis love resting under them. Scoop out the extras every week or two so they don't cover the whole surface. Think twice before adding duckweed, which is very hard to get rid of.

Planting tips

Take off the pot and the wool. Many plants come in a plastic pot with rock wool around the roots. Remove both, gently.
Rinse and check for hitchhikers. Look for tiny snails and clear jelly blobs (snail eggs). Plants sold as "tissue culture", in sealed cups, are pest-free.
Expect some melting. Many plants are grown out of water at the farm and lose leaves as they adjust. Trim off dead leaves and give them a few weeks.
Glue works too. Many fishkeepers attach java fern, anubias and moss with gel superglue, which is safe once set.
Watch out for land plants sold as aquarium plants, such as mondo grass, purple waffle and dragon flame. They slowly rot underwater.

Plants and fish

Goldfish and some larger fish eat or dig up most plants. Anubias and java fern usually survive because they're too tough to eat. Most small community fish, bettas, shrimp and snails get along fine with all of these plants.

Easy plant care

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