5 Easy Aquarium Plants for Beginners

What are the easy aquarium plants for beginners?

1. Amazon Sword
2. Anubias Nana
3. Hornwort
4. Duckweed
5. Bacopa Caroliniana

If you are just starting out in aquascaping, then you might be daunted at how some plants can be especially demanding to look after. Not all aqua plants thrive in the same conditions. But don’t let that put you off. There are easy aquarium plants for beginners.

Aquarium plants not only improve a tank’s aesthetic appeal, but they offer numerous benefits. They act as natural filtration, combat algae growth, produce oxygen, and provide shelter for your fishes.

With so many choices for aqua plants in the Philippines, it can be challenging to tell which ones are easy to care for. Not all plants thrive in the same conditions. To make things easier for you, we’ve rounded up 5 easy aquarium plants for beginners. Read on!

Amazon Sword

The Amazon Sword is native to the Western Hemisphere from the central United States to Argentina. As an attractive rosette plant with dark-green lance-shaped leaves, it has short rhizomes and fairly short stems. It is a staple among most aquascapists because it is incredibly easy to maintain.

For one, it grows optimally under medium-light conditions, without CO2, and without nutrients. It thrives in water with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Furthermore, you have the choice to plant it partially or fully-submerged since it is amphibious.

The Amazon Sword can be planted alone and look striking in your tank. But, when it is grouped with other plants, it can create an attractive backdrop. It propagates from the shoots and grows at a moderate pace. Hence, regular trimming will ensure it looks stunning. The same goes for when you want to start expanding in the tank, or when its leaves become larger than you want them to.

Anubias Nana

Anubias Nana is a beginner aquarium plant with its origins tracing back to Africa. It is one of the most appealing midground plants in aquascaping with its lush semi-round leaves and curved stems.

The Anubias Nana can reach 5 to 10 cm in height and its rhizomes stretch from 10 to 15 cm. It tolerates nearly every tank condition. Without needing CO2, it will grow slowly with low to medium lighting.

If you want to achieve the utmost results, plant the Anubias Nana anchored to rocks or driftwood instead of being rooted.

Hornwort

Hornwort, also known as Coontail, is a fast-growing plant that is easy to cultivate. It can grow as high as six feet and can be planted under medium lighting. Even without CO2, it is set to withstand even harsh water conditions.

In terms of appearance, the plant falls nothing short of charming with its small needle-like leaves and vivid green color. Its leaves grow on its tall stems, thereby giving the plant the appearance of a furry tail.

Many aquascapists know the Hornwort is an ideal plant for providing shelter to livestock. It can either be rooted in a substrate or left to float. Plus, it will easily propagate through the side shoots.

Duckweed

If you’re particular about the aesthetics of your tank and don’t want to have a hard time maintaining your plant, the Duckweed is the perfect choice for you.

The distinct feature of Duckweed is its shoe-sole shaped leaves that almost resemble small four-leaf clovers. It also has small hair-like roots that hang below. This plant grows fast and will cultivate under moderate lighting.

Either on soft water to hard water pH, the Duckweed is a floating plant that grows fast. Place its roots in the water and see its leaves divide and bloom beautifully.

Bacopa Caroliniana

The Bacopa Caroliniana traces its origin from North America and has been widely used by those who are new to aquascaping. This plant can tolerate varying water pH levels from 5 to 7.

If you’re interested in trying stem plants, the Bacopa Caroliniana has beautiful straight stems and round-like leaves that can grow in either emersed and submersed. For aquascapists who want to make its bright copper-red coloration come out, intense lighting must be utilized. Although it will equally thrive in low light conditions without CO2.

Despite having a slow growth rate, its stems can grow 10 to 30 cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide. Like most stem plants, the Bacopa Caroliniana is used as a decorative plant with small groups. To propagate this plant, take its side shoot and plant it in the bottom.

Key Takeaway

This article rounded out some of the easy aquarium plants for beginners. Remember that you should never be daunted when taking care of these plants. They grow without much attention and offer a myriad of benefits for your tank.

If you are interested in easy to care for aqua plants, our product list indicates the hardiness level of each one. We also offer all kinds of aquascaping items such as substrates, filters, livestock, fish food, lights, tanks, and hardscaping materials.

For any concerns, please contact us here or via email inquire@aquascape.ph! We are ready to cater to your needs from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm.

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