Live plants look great in the tank and give your fish places to hide and explore.
There are different types of plant you can include: stem plants, rooted plants, floating plants, and specialty plants. Tank plants will generally do well if you have a nutrient-rich substrate at the bottom of your tank and a layer of gravel to keep debris away. And don’t forget a light source! Plants need sunlight in order to survive.
Place large, heavy objects like rock and driftwood before you plant your plants — if you try to add heavy objects last, you may damage your plants. Placing large elements first allows you to landscape around them.
- Stem plants — also known as bunch plants because they look good in bunches — are often seen in the background areas of the tank. These tall plants are generally inexpensive (you can get several in a bunch) and are easy to grow: simply place the bottom of the stem into your substrate, taking care to not put the plants too close together.
- Rooted plants are often seen in the middle or foreground of the tank — they are often shorter plants, so placing them in the back would make them hard to see. These plants are often sold alone, or in small pots of two or three plants. Dig a hole into the substrate and place the plant there, then fill in the hole with substrate — just like planting a rooted plant in your garden.
- Floating plants (like lilies) can grow very quickly and block light to your tank — so don’t go overboard. These plants are a dramatic addition to your aquarium.
- Specialty plants grow not in the ground but attached to rocks or wood. You can attach these plants to surfaces with string to encourage them to grow where you want them. Java Moss and Java Fern are two popular specialty plants that grow on rocks or driftwood.
- Carpet plants stay low to the ground and spread via runners — they often require a lot of light and are best in shallow tanks.