Live plants for aquariums

[JackGulley]

I wouldn’t bother with fertilizers for a beginner. Simple plants like Amazon sword, Java fern, Java moss, cryptocoryne, and duckweed (floating) are basically zero maintenance. Just plop them in the substrate and preferably have a light over the tank and they’ll grow. A note about crypts— they might appear to “melt” when you first put them in, but don’t throw them away! They will grow new plants from the roots and, once settled, will send out lots of runners to make free plants for you. I constantly find little baby ones around my tank, which I can stick in the substrate and have a whole new plant in a few days.

 

[FishyD]

Most cryptos are a very good suggestion. My Amazon swords have to be fed or they are too ugly to be worth planting. One thing you will learn is your water composition can matter for a lot of plants. Fairly short list of plants that are extremely EZ for everyone, and those have mostly been mentioned earlier. And I apologize if I already suggested this, but only buy one of each type plant you decide to try. If you don't find a deal it's pretty easy to pay at least $6 for a plant. No point in killing $20 worth of something before you find out if it's going to work out with your setup. It's not like fish where it's important you keep them in a group from the beginning.

 

[Tyler777]

I wouldn’t bother with fertilizers for a beginner. Simple plants like Amazon sword, Java fern, Java moss, cryptocoryne, and duckweed (floating) are basically zero maintenance. Just plop them in the substrate and preferably have a light over the tank and they’ll grow. A note about crypts— they might appear to “melt” when you first put them in, but don’t throw them away! They will grow new plants from the roots and, once settled, will send out lots of runners to make free plants for you. I constantly find little baby ones around my tank, which I can stick in the substrate and have a whole new plant in a few days.

Thank you

Most cryptos are a very good suggestion. My Amazon swords have to be fed or they are too ugly to be worth planting. One thing you will learn is your water composition can matter for a lot of plants. Fairly short list of plants that are extremely EZ for everyone, and those have mostly been mentioned earlier. And I apologize if I already suggested this, but only buy one of each type plant you decide to try. If you don't find a deal it's pretty easy to pay at least $6 for a plant. No point in killing $20 worth of something before you find out if it's going to work out with your setup. It's not like fish where it's important you keep them in a group from the beginning.

Thank you

 

[sharkweek178]

The easiest plants to have that have the most positive affect on water quality are fast growing floating plants. Couldn't be easier. Just throw them in and let them do their thing. All you have to do is add some liquid fertilizer and, every once in a while, remove some so they don't overrun the surface.
Salvinia minima, Amazon frogbit, hornwort, anacharis, water lettuce, water sprite, red root floaters, water wisteria, guppy grass, etc. They grow fast so they draw a lot of nutrients out of the water which makes them great for water quality. They also provide shade and shelter for the fish. And because they draw out so many nutrients and block some light, they're a good counter measure against algae. Some of them, like water wisteria, you can even plant in the substrate if you want.
Only thing is that most floating plants don't like a lot of surface movement on the water. And some, if they get water on top, that can cause them to go bad. But otherwise, they're easy and great for an aquarium.

 

[Magnum Man]

... & most people look at Lemna Minor ( common Duckweed ) like pest snails, once introduced it's very hard to get rid of... I actually feed Duckweed to Tilapia, that I grow for food, & I chose to use Spirodela polyrhiza ( Giant Duckweed ) it still grows as good, reproduces almost as fast, but is larger, & easier to pick out...

 

[sharkweek178]

... & most people look at Lemna Minor ( common Duckweed ) like pest snails, once introduced it's very hard to get rid of... I actually feed Duckweed to Tilapia, that I grow for food, & I chose to use Spirodela polyrhiza ( Giant Duckweed ) it still grows as good, reproduces almost as fast, but is larger, & easier to pick out...

It's love or hate with duckweed. It's not that duckweed is actively bad for a tank. Just the opposite. It's very good for water quality. But it's annoying the way it gets into everything and takes a lot of work to manage it. It sticks to your arm if you have to reach into the tank. And if so much as one leaf of it is in your aquarium, it'll all grow back.
I had some introduced to my tank that hitchhiked on some snails I bought. I had to painstakingly go through my salvinia minima and anacharis multiple times to get rid of it. And even then I would see some every week when I did water changes. I used a tea infuser to pick it out of the water. Eventually I got rid of it. But it took some doing.

 

[Magnum Man]

just like pest snails, are good for your tank, so is Duckweed... I just prefer the larger plant, as it's easier to maintain... & just like a disease, or a pest snail, they can be transferred from tank to tank easily

 

[FishyD]

just like pest snails, are good for your tank, so is Duckweed... I just prefer the larger plant, as it's easier to maintain... & just like a disease, or a pest snail, they can be transferred from tank to tank easily

Not sure I have seen it but it does sound more manageable. I bought a lot of floating plants at a swap a few weeks ago. Decided to soak them in a tub QT for a week or two since my tank was newish and going well. And the baby ducks are here now.

 

[Tyler777]

I wouldn’t bother with fertilizers for a beginner. Simple plants like Amazon sword, Java fern, Java moss, cryptocoryne, and duckweed (floating) are basically zero maintenance. Just plop them in the substrate and preferably have a light over the tank and they’ll grow. A note about crypts— they might appear to “melt” when you first put them in, but don’t throw them away! They will grow new plants from the roots and, once settled, will send out lots of runners to make free plants for you. I constantly find little baby ones around my tank, which I can stick in the substrate and have a whole new plant in a few days.

I wouldn’t bother with fertilizers for a beginner. Simple plants like Amazon sword, Java fern, Java moss, cryptocoryne, and duckweed (floating) are basically zero maintenance. Just plop them in the substrate and preferably have a light over the tank and they’ll grow. A note about crypts— they might appear to “melt” when you first put them in, but don’t throw them away! They will grow new plants from the roots and, once settled, will send out lots of runners to make free plants for you. I constantly find little baby ones around my tank, which I can stick in the substrate and have a whole new plant in a few days.

I got these plants today. Are these the plants you said it can just leave alone nbthey will live n grow ? Also they came into a little container with some pebbles like salt. I planted em into the gravel. Can they be plnt3d in the gravel or they need to stay in the container they came with ? Bcause I planted em.
I know ZERO bout aquarium plants that's why I ask so many questions

 

[JackGulley]

I got these plants today. Are these the plants you said it can just leave alone nbthey will live n grow ? Also they came into a little container with some pebbles like salt. I planted em into the gravel. Can they be plnt3d in the gravel or they need to stay in the container they came with ? Bcause I planted em.
I know ZERO bout aquarium plants that's why I ask so many questions

Those plants are pretty much the same ones I started with. You should wash the gel off the roots (it’s there to keep them alive in the store) and plant them. The gel won’t do anything bad in the tank, but in my experience it never goes away until you fish it out.
The Amazon Sword should have its roots in the gravel (but not too deep, don’t bury the green plant part); but the Anubias is a rhizome plant and needs its roots to be NOT buried in substrate but stuck to hardscape like a rock. If you take it out of the tank you can superglue it down; normal superglue will become sealed-in when you sprinkle water on it, so it won’t hurt the fishies.

 

[sharkweek178]

Those plants are pretty much the same ones I started with. You should wash the gel off the roots (it’s there to keep them alive in the store) and plant them. The gel won’t do anything bad in the tank, but in my experience it never goes away until you fish it out.
The Amazon Sword should have its roots in the gravel (but not too deep, don’t bury the green plant part); but the Anubias is a rhizome plant and needs its roots to be NOT buried in substrate but stuck to hardscape like a rock. If you take it out of the tank you can superglue it down; normal superglue will become sealed-in when you sprinkle water on it, so it won’t hurt the fishies.

Any superglue that has cyanoacrylate as the active ingredient has a stable bond with water. So it's aquarium safe. Gel is easier to manage than liquid.

 

[Naughts]

Java fern is also a rhizome plant. The rhizome should not be buried in the gravel substrate.