Top 15 beginner aquarium plants you can grow without CO₂
15 plants that thrive at moderate light, without CO₂ injection and without a nutrient substrate. Size, growth rate and planting zone for each. The ideal starter set for a 38–100 L tank.
Half of beginners kill their first plants with two mistakes: buying demanding species (Eleocharis, Glossostigma, Hemianthus callitrichoides) that dissolve within a week without CO₂, and burying epiphytes (anubias, mosses, ferns) into the substrate, which rots their rhizomes. The list below — 15 plants that work without CO₂ in almost any tank, plus how to plant them correctly.
Foreground (5–10 cm)
• Anubias barteri nana — slow growth, tied to driftwood or rocks, virtually indestructible.
• Cryptocoryne parva — the smallest crypt, up to 6 cm, slow growth.
• Marsilea hirsuta — four-leaf 'clover', creeps along the substrate, makes a carpet.
Mid-ground (10–25 cm)
• Cryptocoryne wendtii — the beginner's crypt — green, brown and red variants available.
• Bacopa caroliniana — stem plant, light green, lemon scent when pruned.
• Hygrophila polysperma — grows like a weed, perfect cover for fry and shrimp.
• Ludwigia palustris — green tops, burgundy underside, slow without CO₂.
• Pogostemon helferi — low-growing 'star', makes a green bush 8–15 cm.
Background (25–60 cm)
• Vallisneria nana — long narrow leaves, fast growth, covers the back wall.
• Echinodorus bleheri — large solitary specimen for tanks of 80 L and up.
• Hygrophila difformis (water wisteria) — lace-like leaves, an active water cleaner.
Epiphytes (mounted on driftwood and rocks)
• Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) — tied to driftwood, moderate light, hates being buried.
• Anubias barteri — bigger than the nana variant, up to 30 cm, same care.
• Bolbitis heudelotii — African fern, dark cut-leaf, slow.
• Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) — drapes over driftwood and rocks, asks for nothing.
Conditions that make it all work
Light: 0.3–0.5 W/L LED 6500K, 6–8 hour photoperiod. Liquid plant fertiliser (Tropica Specialised, Seachem Flourish) 5 ml per 100 L weekly. Root tabs (JBL Florapol) under Echinodorus and Vallisneria. 25% water change weekly. No CO₂ needed — but if you want twice the growth rate, an entry-level kit (Aquario Neo, ISTA) is $80.
The best 'fertiliser' for a no-CO₂ planted tank is fish and time. After 3 months a mature scape thrives without intervention.
Plants to avoid as a beginner
• Glossostigma, Cuba (HC), Monte Carlo — dissolve without CO₂.
• Ceratopteris — grows fast, but clogs the tank.
• Any 'red' plants (Alternanthera, Ludwigia ruby) — turn dull green-grey without CO₂.
Lighting and starting a planted tank — in our [planted tank basics guide].
FAQ
- Can I plant all 15 in a single 100 L tank?
- Technically yes, but you'll end up with a 'zoo'. Pick 4–6 species and plant them in groups — better visual composition and easier maintenance.
- How long does it take for plants to settle in?
- 3–4 weeks of adaptation (old leaves often melt first, new ones grow after). By 2 months — steady growth, by 6 months — a mature planted layout.
- Do I need fertiliser if I have fish?
- Recommended. Fish provide nitrogen and phosphorus but barely any potassium or micros. 5 ml of liquid fertiliser per 100 L weekly is enough for the entire list.
Goldie editorial team
Practising aquarists with a combined 30+ years of experience · Biologists and editors, fact-checking against FishBase and Seriously Fish · Every piece is reviewed by a qualified ichthyologist before publication
PhD in ichthyology, researcher of African Great Lakes cichlids
PhD in ichthyology, University of Edinburgh · Field research in Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria (2013–2018) · 12+ peer-reviewed publications on cichlid behaviour
Sources
- Tropica — Plant care · Tropica · 2026-08-07
- 2hr Aquarist — Low-tech planted tanks · 2hr Aquarist · 2026-08-07
- Practical Fishkeeping — Beginner plants · Practical Fishkeeping · 2026-08-07