Aquatic Plants care guides

Aquatic Plants guides

Aquarium plant care guides for live freshwater plants, floating plants, fry cover, shrimp cover, and shipping recovery.

Complete guides

Aquatic Plants complete guides

Detailed care guides in this plant group.

Alternanthera Reineckii live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Alternanthera Reineckii Complete Guide

Alternanthera Reineckii is a red-purple stem plant for bold color contrast in planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for pink, red, or purple-toned leaves on upright stems; care is built around moderate to high light, CO2: helpful for compact growth, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Amazon Sword live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Amazon Sword Complete Guide

Amazon Sword is a large rooted rosette plant for classic planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for broad green sword-shaped leaves from a central crown; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Ambulia live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Ambulia Complete Guide

Ambulia is a fine-textured background stem plant with soft feathery growth. In the aquarium, it is grown for delicate whorled leaves that look airy and bright green; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Anubias Barteri Round Leaf live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Anubias Barteri Round Leaf Complete Guide

Anubias Barteri Round Leaf is a tough, slow-growing rhizome plant for low-tech aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for thick rounded leaves with a sturdy creeping rhizome; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Christmas Moss live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Christmas Moss Complete Guide

Christmas Moss is a branching aquarium moss for textured hardscape and shrimp cover. In the aquarium, it is grown for layered fronds that can resemble tiny fir branches when grown well; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Duckweed live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Duckweed Complete Guide

Duckweed is a tiny floating plant for shade, nutrient uptake, and live food culture systems. In the aquarium, it is grown for small green floating fronds that multiply into a surface mat; care is built around low to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Live guppy grass aquarium plant from Bishop Aquatics

Aquatic Plants

Guppy Grass Complete Guide

Guppy grass is a fast-growing freshwater aquarium plant that can float, grow as a loose mass, or be lightly anchored. It is especially useful for fry cover, shrimp grazing, beginner planted tanks, and low-tech aquariums.

Hornwort live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Hornwort Complete Guide

Hornwort is a rootless floating or loose stem plant for cover and nutrient uptake. In the aquarium, it is grown for branching green stems with fine bristly leaves; care is built around low to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Java Fern live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Java Fern Complete Guide

Java Fern is a durable rhizome fern for low-tech aquariums and hardscape planting. In the aquarium, it is grown for tough green leaves growing from a creeping rhizome; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Java Moss live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Java Moss Complete Guide

Java Moss is a forgiving aquarium moss for fry cover, shrimp grazing, and natural hardscape texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for fine green branching moss that forms mats or loose tufts; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Jungle Val live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Jungle Val Complete Guide

Jungle Val is a tall ribbon-leaf background plant for easy planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for long grassy leaves that wave in the current; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Ludwigia Repens live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Ludwigia Repens Complete Guide

Ludwigia Repens is a classic red-green stem plant for color contrast in planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for oval leaves that can show green, bronze, orange, or red tones; care is built around moderate to high for red color light, CO2: optional, helpful, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Pearl Weed Hemianthus micranthemoides live aquarium plant from Bishop Aquatics

Aquatic Plants

Pearl Weed Complete Guide

Pearl Weed is a bright green aquarium stem plant that can be grown as a trimmed carpet, soft midground bush, or loose background mass. It grows best with moderate to high light, steady nutrients, regular trimming, and optional CO2 for denser growth.

Red Cabomba live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Red Cabomba Complete Guide

Red Cabomba is a delicate red fan-leaf stem plant for brighter planted aquariums. In the aquarium, it is grown for finely divided red to copper fan-shaped submerged leaves; care is built around high light, CO2: strongly helpful, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Red Root Floaters live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Red Root Floaters Complete Guide

Red Root Floaters is a red-tinted floating plant that adds shade, nutrient uptake, and surface texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for small floating leaves with reddish roots and stronger red color under bright light; care is built around moderate to high light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Rotala Rotundifolia Red live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Rotala Rotundifolia Red Complete Guide

Rotala Rotundifolia Red is a colorful stem plant used for red-orange contrast and fast background growth. In the aquarium, it is grown for fine stems with rounder emersed leaves and narrower submerged leaves; care is built around moderate to high for red color light, CO2: optional, helpful for dense growth, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Vesuvius Sword live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Vesuvius Sword Complete Guide

Vesuvius Sword is a curly narrow-leaf sword plant used for movement and sculptural texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for twisted narrow leaves rising from a rosette; care is built around moderate light, CO2: optional, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Water Sprite live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Water Sprite Complete Guide

Water Sprite is a versatile fern-like aquarium plant that can float or root in the substrate. In the aquarium, it is grown for soft ferny leaves that create open green cover; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Water Wisteria live aquarium plant listing photo

Aquatic Plants

Water Wisteria Complete Guide

Water Wisteria is a fast, forgiving stem plant for nutrient uptake and soft green texture. In the aquarium, it is grown for lace-like divided submerged leaves that differ from emersed nursery leaves; care is built around low to moderate light, CO2: not needed, steady nutrients, and routine trimming or thinning.

Aquatic plant arrival basics

  • Open live plant packages promptly.
  • Rinse in dechlorinated water.
  • Quarantine if you want to inspect plants before adding them to your main aquarium.

Placement choices

  • Floating is fastest for fry and shrimp cover.
  • Light anchoring can work for some stem plants.
  • Avoid burying delicate stems too deeply.

Common aquatic plant questions

  • Should guppy grass float or be anchored?
  • Which plants work well for fry cover and shrimp grazing?
  • What should you expect from live aquarium plants after shipping?