Live Aquarium Plants
These are hardy, low-light plants that grow without injected CO2, from growers that publish their own product and care pages. Every pick lists the format you receive, the quantity, and the light and CO2 needs given by the seller and by Tropica.
What matters most
Tissue culture vs potted vs bare root
Tissue culture cups are grown in a lab and start small, but arrive free of snails and algae. Potted plants come in rockwool that you peel away before planting. Bare-root plants are ready to plant or tie on straight away, but may carry more hitchhikers.
Snails and pests
If you don't want pest snails, choose tissue culture, or rinse and inspect potted and bare-root plants before they go in the tank.
Match the plant to your light and CO2
Java fern, crypts and mosses are rated for low light and low CO2; larger or faster plants such as swords and vallisneria need more light. Check each plant's rating against your fixture.
Arrival and acclimation
Live plants can suffer in transit during extreme weather. Read each seller's arrival policy, since some require a claim within hours of delivery. Expect crypts and vals to melt back a little after planting before they regrow.
Check before you buy
- Is the plant attached to hardscape (anubias, Java fern, moss) or rooted in substrate (crypts, swords, vals)?
- What light level does the seller list, and does it match your light?
- Does it arrive as tissue culture, in a pot, bare root, or as a portion, and how many plants are included?
- Will its full size fit your tank's height and footprint?
- What is the seller's live-arrival policy and claim window?
You want a no-maintenance tank: even easy plants need occasional trimming, fertilizing, and removal of dead leaves.
Ready to choose?
We have checked 4 products in this category for identity, specifications, and fit. Compare them, with what each needs and who should skip it, here:
- Best Beginner Aquarium Plants to Buy Online (2026) (buying guide)
Guides on this topic
Anubias Care: Light, Placement, Growth, and Common Problems
How to grow Anubias nana, 'Petite', and larger barteri forms: light, CO2, temperature, placement, propagation, and fixes for algae, rot, and yellow leaves.
Java Fern Care: Light, Placement, Propagation, and Black Spots
How to grow Java fern and its Narrow, Trident, and Windeløv forms: light, water, placement, plantlets, and what black spots and black leaves mean.
Cryptocoryne Care: Wendtii, Parva, and Other Easy Crypts
How to grow Cryptocoryne wendtii, parva, and other easy crypts: light, water, root feeding, planting, runners, and what to do about crypt melt.
Aquarium Plants That Don't Need CO2: Easy, Low-Light Picks
Easy, low-light aquarium plants that grow without injected CO2, grouped by placement: epiphytes, crypts and swords, stems, mosses, floaters, and carpets.
How to Attach Anubias and Java Fern
Why rhizome plants should not be buried, how to tie, glue, or wedge them onto wood and rock, where to place them, and how to divide and propagate them.
Floating Plants for Aquariums
How floating plants help a planted tank, common species compared, how they shade plants below, how to contain them, and why they must never be released.