Aquarium plants: what to grow and how to keep it growing
Start with plants that suit your light and whether you inject CO2, then plant each type the way it grows: epiphytes on hardscape, root feeders in the substrate, carpets in the foreground, and floaters at the surface.
Easy plants and plants without CO2
Hardy plants grow without injected CO2 and forgive beginner mistakes. Pick from these before anything demanding.
Aquarium Plants That Don't Need CO2: Easy, Low-Light Picks Guide
Easy, low-light plants that don't need CO2, with placement notes.
How to Grow Aquarium Plants in Sand Guide
Making sand work with root tabs and the right plants.
Plant problem checklist Tool
If a plant is struggling, start here.
Species care
How a plant grows decides how you plant it and what it needs afterward.
How to Attach Anubias and Java Fern Guide
Attach Anubias, Java fern, and other epiphytes to rock and wood.
Best Plant Glue, Thread, and Planting Tweezers for Aquariums (2026) Buying guide
Plant glue, tying line, and planting tweezers.
Red Aquarium Plants: What Makes Them Red Guide
Which red plants are easier, and why reds fade to green.
How to Trim Stem Plants Guide
Keep stem plants bushy by topping and replanting.
Carpeting plants
Carpets need light reaching the substrate, and most do best with CO2. Some options work in low-tech tanks.
Carpeting Plants for Planted Tanks Guide
Which carpets are realistic with and without CO2.
The Dry Start Method for Carpeting Plants Guide
Grow a carpet in before flooding the tank.
Substrate calculator Tool
Estimate how much substrate your foreground needs.
Floating plants
Floaters grow fast at the surface and are among the easiest plants, as long as they don't shade everything else.
Floating Plants for Aquariums Guide
Choosing floaters and keeping them under control.