Aquarium plants
Anubias, vallisneria, echinodorus and more — light, CO₂, growth rate and real pros and cons for each species. Hardscape (grottoes, driftwood) below.
Dwarf Anubias
BeginnerAnubias barteri var. nana
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 10 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
Extremely hardy — tolerates a wide range of conditions
Tough leaves are ignored by snails and most herbivorous fish
Very slow growth: one new leaf every 1–2 months
Java Fern
BeginnerMicrosorum pteropus
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 35 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
One of the toughest aquarium plants — survives sudden parameter swings
Needs neither CO₂ nor strong lighting
Very slow growth: a bush won't cover the tank quickly
Straight Vallisneria
BeginnerVallisneria spiralis
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Builds a dense background curtain within 1–2 months
Doesn't require CO₂
Sensitive to copper in the water (algicides can kill it)
Amazon Sword
IntermediateEchinodorus grisebachii
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Striking midground centerpiece — draws the eye
One mature bush covers the back wall
Heavy root feeder — needs iron tablets
Cryptocoryne wendtii
BeginnerCryptocoryne wendtii
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 25 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
Dozens of cultivars in colors from green to deep burgundy
Needs no CO₂ or bright light
May shed all leaves after replanting ('crypt melt')
Lemon Bacopa
BeginnerBacopa caroliniana
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 30 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Easy stem plant for beginners
Tops blush pink under bright light
Without CO₂, growth is slower
Ambulia
BeginnerLimnophila sessiliflora
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Grows very fast — soaks up nitrates
Airy feathery leaves look ornamental
Needs regular pruning
Dwarf Hygrophila
BeginnerHygrophila polysperma
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Grows in nearly any water
Soaks up nitrates very fast
Banned for sale in the US as an invasive species
Water Wisteria
BeginnerHygrophila difformis
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Striking dissected leaf shape
Adapts quickly to a new tank
Needs medium or bright light to keep its decorative shape
Roundleaf Toothcup
IntermediateRotala rotundifolia
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 40 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Red palette breaks up an all-green tank
Slender stems form a 'forest' effect
Red color needs CO₂ and bright light
Creeping Primrose-willow
IntermediateLudwigia repens
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 35 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Beautiful red-green contrast
Adapts quickly to a new tank
Without CO₂, color fades to green
Glosso
ExpertGlossostigma elatinoides
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Required
- Height:
- up to 3 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
The classic foreground for nature-style aquascapes
Forms a dense 1–2 cm carpet
Requires CO₂, bright light, and nutrient substrate
Hairgrass
IntermediateEleocharis acicularis
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 15 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Creates a 'meadow' floor effect
Reproduces without intervention — runners across the substrate
Needs a nutrient substrate (root feeder)
Dwarf Hairgrass
IntermediateEleocharis parvula
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 6 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Striking 'meadow' carpet in the foreground
Propagates via runners along the substrate
Dense carpeting needs CO₂ and bright light
Brazilian Waterweed
BeginnerEgeria densa
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 80 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Grows without CO₂ and in cold water
Suitable for goldfish tanks
Invasive weed in several countries
Carolina Fanwort
IntermediateCabomba caroliniana
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 80 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Very decorative feathered leaves
Propagates from cuttings
Demanding about water parameters
African Water Fern
IntermediateBolbitis heudelotii
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 40 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
Striking pinnate dark-green fronds — a centerpiece accent
Epiphytic — rhizome must not be buried
Very slow growth — a full bush takes a year
Downoi
IntermediatePogostemon helferi
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 10 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Unique star-shaped rosette
Made for nature-style aquascaping
Needs bright light and CO₂
Hornwort
BeginnerCeratophyllum demersum
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 100 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Grows almost anywhere — even in cold water
Soaks up huge amounts of nitrate
Can 'shed' — small fragments drop to the bottom
Floating Crystalwort
IntermediateRiccia fluitans
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 5 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Creates a unique 'pearling' green carpet
Excellent juvenile-shrimp shelter
Without CO₂ and bright light, it floats up
Java Moss
BeginnerTaxiphyllum barbieri
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 10 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
Grows almost anywhere — tolerates any parameters
Perfect for breeding tanks and shrimp setups
Very slow growth — a bush takes months to form
Water Lettuce
BeginnerPistia stratiotes
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 15 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Creates shade — saves you from algae blooms
Long roots — paradise for fry and shrimp
Sensitive to lid condensation — leaves rot
Floating Watermoss
BeginnerSalvinia natans
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 3 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Creates shade without fully covering the surface
Great for nano tanks
Sensitive to condensation — leaves sink
Brazilian Micro Sword
IntermediateLilaeopsis brasiliensis
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 8 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Elegant 'grass' foreground
Can be trimmed like a lawn
Without CO₂, the carpet fills in slower
Temple Plant
BeginnerHygrophila corymbosa
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Large striking leaves form a dense back wall
Doesn't require CO₂
Quickly grows above the water line
Carolina Fanwort
IntermediateCabomba caroliniana
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Fast growth — absorbs nitrates
Lush voluminous greenery
Fragile — sheds leaves during transplant
Wendt's Cryptocoryne
BeginnerCryptocoryne wendtii
- Light:
- Low
- CO₂:
- Not required
- Height:
- up to 25 cm
- Growth rate:
- Slow
Grows in any tank — even for beginners
No CO₂ needed
'Crypt melt' on relocation — loses leaves
Creeping Ludwigia
BeginnerLudwigia repens
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 40 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
Red colour for accent
Tolerates wide parameters
Stays green without CO₂
Round-Leaf Rotala
IntermediateRotala rotundifolia
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 50 cm
- Growth rate:
- Fast
Goes pink/red with CO₂
Very fast — accelerates scape
Stays green without CO₂
Dwarf Baby Tears
ExpertHemianthus callitrichoides
- Light:
- High
- CO₂:
- Required
- Height:
- up to 3 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
The densest carpet in aquaria
Premium aquascape aesthetic
Maximum care — CO₂, strong light, active substrate
Monte Carlo
IntermediateMicranthemum tweediei
- Light:
- Medium
- CO₂:
- Helpful
- Height:
- up to 5 cm
- Growth rate:
- Moderate
HC aesthetic with intermediate care instead of expert
No CO₂ required (speeds growth though)
Less dense carpet without CO₂
Decorations and shelters
Grottos, driftwood, and other hardscape elements. Not plants — but just as critical for fish wellbeing and behavior in the aquarium.
Ceramic grotto
GrottoDoesn't alter water parameters (neutral ceramic, unlike limestone/marble)
Non-toxic — fired clay is inert
Cheap models often use surface paints that bleed — pick unpainted ones
Aquarium driftwood
DriftwoodNatural shelter and substrate for biofilm
Releases tannins — soft 'blackwater' for Amazon/Southeast Asian species
Fresh driftwood floats — needs 2–4 weeks of soaking or weighting down