easy to grow aquarium plants for beginners

[TankWarrior]

Hey TFF, back with more help for the newbies. Plants can really bring a tank to life, but not all of them are created equal - especially when it comes to low-light conditions and minimal maintenance. I've found some great options that thrive in typical tank conditions, using only the nutrients provided by the fish. If you're looking for some color and ease of growth, here are my top picks. I've listed them roughly from easiest to still pretty easy to care for: Anacharis or Pondweed, Anubias, Water Sprite or Indian Water Fern, Hornwort, Pennywort, Dwarf Water Lettuce, Java Fern, and Banana Lily. These plants are perfect for getting started and can easily fill a large tank.

[barnicle]

A crucial point to consider when adding plants like Anubias and Java Fern to your tank - they're epiphytes, which means they grow on a rhizome that shouldn't be buried beneath the substrate. Instead, you can tie or glue them to wood or pebbles/stone, allowing them to absorb the necessary nutrients from the water column.

[TankWarrior]

A crucial point to consider when adding plants like Anubias and Java Fern to your tank - they're epiphytes, which means they grow on a rhizome that shouldn't be buried beneath the substrate. Instead, you can tie or glue them to wood or pebbles/stone, allowing them to absorb the necessary nutrients from the water column.

I've found Anubias plants to be quite easy to work with. Simply place them on top of your substrate and weigh them down with a suitable rock. The same method applies to Java Fern. Alternatively, if you're feeling a bit artistic, you can use black cotton thread to tie the plant to a piece of driftwood. The cotton will eventually break down in the water, and by that time, the roots should have taken hold.

[WildFins]

Hey TFF, back with more help for the newbies. Plants can really bring a tank to life, but not all of them are created equal - especially when it comes to low-light conditions and minimal maintenance. I've found some great options that thrive in typical tank conditions, using only the nutrients provided by the fish. If you're looking for some color and ease of growth, here are my top picks. I've listed them roughly from easiest to still pretty easy to care for: Anacharis or Pondweed, Anubias, Water Sprite or Indian Water Fern, Hornwort, Pennywort, Dwarf Water Lettuce, Java Fern, and Banana Lily. These plants are perfect for getting started and can easily fill a large tank.

If you're not exactly the most skilled with thread or rocks, you can also use cyanoacrylate superglue to secure the rhizome to a piece of hardscape. Just remember, a little goes a long way – too much glue and you'll be left with unsightly white marks.

[graye]

I recall getting roasted by our Aussie friends for suggesting Anubias as a low-maintenance plant. They claimed the entire Genus was marginal and only partially submerged, but I've got a story to share. During my time in Gabon, I stumbled upon Anubias thriving in dry season streams - fully submerged, I might add. It was the most common aquatic plant I saw, and I can confidently say they're easy to care for.

Your water quality makes all the difference. I used to have a breeze growing hornwort when my water was harder, but now that it's soft, it's a struggle. Same goes for guppy grass - it just can't seem to thrive in my current setup.

[WildFins]

I recall getting roasted by our Aussie friends for suggesting Anubias as a low-maintenance plant. They claimed the entire Genus was marginal and only partially submerged, but I've got a story to share. During my time in Gabon, I stumbled upon Anubias thriving in dry season streams - fully submerged, I might add. It was the most common aquatic plant I saw, and I can confidently say they're easy to care for.

Your water quality makes all the difference. I used to have a breeze growing hornwort when my water was harder, but now that it's soft, it's a struggle. Same goes for guppy grass - it just can't seem to thrive in my current setup.

I'm in the same boat - soft water here too, and I just got my hands on some hornwort. Not exactly the best combo, I'm guessing.

[Lexat]

Hey TFF, back with more help for the newbies. Plants can really bring a tank to life, but not all of them are created equal - especially when it comes to low-light conditions and minimal maintenance. I've found some great options that thrive in typical tank conditions, using only the nutrients provided by the fish. If you're looking for some color and ease of growth, here are my top picks. I've listed them roughly from easiest to still pretty easy to care for: Anacharis or Pondweed, Anubias, Water Sprite or Indian Water Fern, Hornwort, Pennywort, Dwarf Water Lettuce, Java Fern, and Banana Lily. These plants are perfect for getting started and can easily fill a large tank.

If you're not exactly the most skilled with thread or rocks, you can also use cyanoacrylate superglue to secure the rhizome to a piece of hardscape. Just remember, a little goes a long way – too much glue and you'll be left with unsightly white marks.

I'm having no issues with hornwort at a GH of 7, maybe that's the key. graye seems to be a jack-of-all-trades, but I suppose even the best of us have our Achilles' heel – in his case, it appears to be keeping hornwort alive.

[graye]

Those carefree days of effortlessly growing hornwort are a thing of the past for me. My current water conditions, with a GH in the 4 range from a blackwater lake, seem to be a far cry from the ideal environment I once had. I recall the good old days when my hornwort thrived at GH 8, and I thought I had the magic touch.

I've observed that local aquarium stores no longer carry hornwort, "anacharis", Cabomba, or guppy grass. During my kayaking adventures 900 km west of here, I used to see an abundance of Elodea/anacharis and hornwort in lakes, but in my coastal area, it's all about ludwigia this year.

My passion for diversity often leads me to disagree with some posters who don't research the specific needs of their fish. I believe we often generalize about both fish and plants, overlooking the fact that many living organisms struggle to adapt to different conditions. As I continue to develop my green thumb, I notice that some houseplants flourish in my dry home, while others prefer the humid environment of my fishroom. Similarly, aquatic plants have unique preferences, which we often disregard in our advice or mask with excessive fertilizer use.

[WildFins]

I recall getting roasted by our Aussie friends for suggesting Anubias as a low-maintenance plant. They claimed the entire Genus was marginal and only partially submerged, but I've got a story to share. During my time in Gabon, I stumbled upon Anubias thriving in dry season streams - fully submerged, I might add. It was the most common aquatic plant I saw, and I can confidently say they're easy to care for.

Your water quality makes all the difference. I used to have a breeze growing hornwort when my water was harder, but now that it's soft, it's a struggle. Same goes for guppy grass - it just can't seem to thrive in my current setup.

I've always found the trial and error process with plants to be quite enjoyable. Recently, I decided to give cabomba a shot in one of my tanks, and I must say, I really loved the way it looked. However, it seemed that the cabomba wasn't too fond of me, as it ended up shedding all over the place. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to make it in this particular tank. So, I'm going to try my hand at hornwort instead. If that doesn't work out, I'll just have to keep trying until I find something that can give me that bushy, needle-like look I'm going for. The process of starting with a clear idea in your head, and then adjusting it based on the conditions you're working with, is what makes this so interesting to me.

[thenoob]

I've got a GH of 6, and hornwort grows like a weed - it's almost too efficient. Vals, on the other hand, are a breeze for me, and many crypts thrive as well. I've even got some more exotic ones like nurii rosen and pa'hang that add a nice pop of color. They don't grow as fast as some of the others, like wenditti, but after two years, I can confidently say nurii rosen does well in my low-tech tank.

Water hardness is crucial when choosing plants - some will struggle in soft water, while others can't handle hard water. I've noticed that various sword plants can be a bit finicky in my water, but they do just fine in my high-tech aquariums. It's interesting, since soft water is their natural habitat, but I've found that they can be a bit more challenging to grow.

Vals are a different story altogether - they grow like crazy, and many aponogetons do well without any extra care. I've got a low-tech aquarium that's five years old, and it's doing great.

One thing I've learned is the importance of choosing the right substrate. I've found that anaerobic pockets can be a real killer for plant roots, so it's essential to pick a substrate that won't cause any issues.