Easy Aquarium Plants for Beginners

"Easy" here means a plant that tolerates moderate light, no added CO2, imperfect fertilizing, and the small mistakes every new keeper makes. All of the plants below are widely sold and commonly grown in low-tech tanks. If you are still deciding on your overall approach, read low-tech vs. high-tech planted tanks first.

How do you plant each type of aquarium plant?

Before choosing species, it helps to know how each one is planted.

• Epiphytes, such as Anubias, Java fern, and mosses, grow attached to surfaces. Their roots grip wood and rock, and they draw nutrients mostly from the water. They do not need substrate at all.
• Rooted plants, such as cryptocorynes, Vallisneria, and Amazon swords, grow in the substrate and take a large share of their nutrients through their roots.
• Stem plants are planted as cuttings pushed into the substrate and grow upward.
• Floating plants drift at the surface and feed from the water.

Getting this right matters more than any other single decision.

Plant overview

Anubias and Java fern

These two are the backbone of many beginner tanks. Both grow from a horizontal stem called a rhizome, and both are slow, tough, and tolerant of low light. Tropica describes Anubias barteri var. nana as an easy plant that "thrives in all conditions" and does well in shady spots where other plants struggle.

Tropica's guidance for both is the same: attach the plant to a stone or root with fishing line until it takes hold, and if you plant it in the substrate, do not cover the rhizome, because it tends to rot. Cotton thread, which breaks down over time, or an aquarium-safe cyanoacrylate gel glue also work.

Because they grow slowly, their leaves can collect algae if light is strong. Placing them in partial shade, under taller plants or wood, often keeps them cleaner.

Cryptocoryne wendtii

Crypts are rooted rosette plants that fill the foreground and midground with textured, often bronze or green leaves. Tropica rates Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Mi Oya' as easy, with low light and low CO2 needs.

Crypts have one well-known quirk: crypt melt. After planting or a change in conditions, a crypt may lose most or all of its leaves. This usually reflects the plant adjusting to new conditions, including the switch from nursery-grown emersed leaves to submerged ones. If the roots are healthy and you leave the plant where it is, new leaves usually appear within a few weeks. Remove melted leaves so they do not decay in the tank.

Crypts are root feeders. In plain gravel or sand, push a root tab into the substrate near them every so often, following the product's directions.

Java moss

Java moss attaches to wood and rock and can be draped over hardscape to soften edges. Tie thin layers rather than thick clumps so light and water reach the inside. Trim regularly, and rinse out trapped debris during water changes. Shrimp keepers often value moss as grazing surface and cover.

Vallisneria

Vallisneria produces long, ribbon-like leaves and spreads by runners along the substrate. It makes a simple, grassy background in a low-tech tank. Plant it with the crown, where leaves meet roots, just above the substrate. Leaves that reach the surface can shade plants below, so trim older leaves at the base as needed.

Are Amazon swords good beginner plants?

Amazon swords are often sold as beginner plants, and they are hardy, but many grow large enough to dominate a small or medium tank, with broad leaves that can shade everything beneath. They are also heavy root feeders. Choose one only if your tank has room for a large centerpiece, plant it in deeper substrate, and plan on regular root tabs.

Floating plants

Frogbit, Salvinia, and similar floaters are among the easiest plants to grow. They take nutrients directly from the water and grow quickly, which helps limit algae in a new tank. They also provide shade and cover for shy fish.

Two cautions: they can cover the whole surface and block light from plants below, and very dense mats can reduce surface movement. Remove a portion every week or two, and keep an open area around the filter outflow. Some floating species, including certain Salvinia species, are regulated as invasive in some regions, so check local rules and never release aquarium plants or water into the wild.

Which stem plants are easy for beginners?

Hardy stems such as common Hygrophila species grow quickly in moderate light. In a new tank, a few bunches of fast stems absorb nutrients that would otherwise feed algae. Remove the rubber band or lead weight from each bunch, separate the stems, and plant them individually a little apart so the lower leaves still receive light. When they reach the surface, cut the tops and replant them.

Will fish eat or uproot your plants?

Plants and animals have to coexist. A few general points:

• Large, digging, or plant-eating fish may uproot or eat plants. Goldfish and many cichlids are well known for this. If you keep them, tough epiphytes such as Anubias and Java fern attached firmly to hardscape are usually the most likely to survive.
• Shrimp and small community fish are usually plant-friendly and often benefit from dense planting and moss.
• Herbivorous species vary. Research the specific fish you plan to keep before buying delicate plants.

Common mistakes

• Burying rhizomes. The most common way to lose Anubias and Java fern.
• Panicking over crypt melt. Pulling a melting crypt out usually sets it back further. Leave it and wait.
• Root feeders without root tabs. Crypts and swords in inert gravel or sand often fade without substrate fertilizer. See how to choose aquarium substrate.
• Planting stems in bunches. Lower leaves rot when stems are packed together.
• Leaving rock wool on roots. It traps debris and can cause rot.
• Letting floaters take over. A fully covered surface shades out everything below.
• Choosing plants that outgrow the tank. Check mature size, especially for swords and Vallisneria.

Next steps

• Plan the whole build with the beginner planted aquarium guide.
• Choose a base for rooted plants with how to choose aquarium substrate, the substrates hub, and our substrates by type.
• Learn when and how to feed plants in planted tank fertilizer basics, browse the fertilizers hub, or compare all-in-one liquids and root tabs.
• Pick up tweezers and scissors suited to your tank with essential aquascaping tools.