Pearl Weed (Micranthemum Micranthemoides):
Skill Level: Easy
Height: 2-6”
Lighting Requirements: Medium-High
Growth Rate: Medium
Tank Placement: Midground to Background
CO2: Not required, but recommended
Pearl weed is an extremely popular and versatile beginner plant in the aquarium hobby. It has bright, slightly elongated green leaves. While it can survive in lower lighting, it thrives under medium to high-light conditions. Many aquarists keep Pearl Weed in the midground area of their tanks if they are kept shorter, while the taller specimens are generally placed in the background of tanks.
They are very efficient for sucking up harmful nitrites and grow rather quickly upwards towards light sources. Like many plants, they help convert toxins & heavy metals in the water column into safe organics. From a practical standpoint, they also provide hiding places for smaller fish and invertebrates such as nano shrimp. While they do not require CO2, they will grow denser and quicker in high light and high CO2 concentrations. Consistent pruning will prevent this plant from taking over!
Banana Plant (Nymphoides aquatica)
Skill Level: Easy
Height: ~6”
Lighting Requirements: Moderate to high
Growth Rate: Medium
Tank Placement: Foreground to Midground
CO2: Not required
The Banana Plant is native to the southeastern United States and can be found in slower moving waters. Maxing out around 6”, this plant is usually utilized in the foreground and midground areas of the tank. “Planting” this plant is simple enough, one just needs to ensure that the banana-shaped roots are not buried too deeply into the substrate.
Most hobbyists will just rest the tubers on top of their substrate, you can also plant the tubers about ¼” into the substrate. While they can initially float away, once established their long roots will attach itself to the substrate. Once established, long shoots will grow towards the surface of the water, eventually growing into heart-shaped leaves that may flower. If one wishes to propagate this plant, just snip a leaf off and let it float around the tank. Over time, it will start to develop roots and small leaves, which means it’s ready to be “planted” once more!
Java Fern (Microsorium Pteropus)
Skill Level: Easy
Height: 4-8”
Lighting Requirements: Low-Medium
Growth Rate: Slow
Tank Placement: Foreground to Background
CO2: Not required
The Java Fern is undoubtedly one of the most popular aquarium plants in the hobby, and for good reason. It is very easy to grow and extremely hardy, tolerating a wide variety of water parameters. Many hobbyists will attach these plants to rocks and wood in their aquariums. However, they are also kept in pots or on mats. It is important to note that their rhizomes/roots are not to be buried in the substrate, or they will die.
Given that Java Fern is a slower-growing plant, one should monitor for crinkled, blackened leaves for trimming or removal so that the other leaves can flourish. If you observe small black dots on the underside of its leaves, this is not an indication of disease or illness and is completely normal. Propagation is a simple process, manual separation of the plantlets from the parent leaf is all that is required before attaching them to other surfaces within the aquarium.
Duckweed (Lemna Minor)
Skill Level: Easy
Height: ¼”
Lighting Requirements: Low-High
Growth Rate: Fast
Tank Placement: Surface (Floating plant)
CO2: Not required
Many hobbyists have a love-hate relationship with this beginner aquarium plant. Some can’t seem to get rid of it while others can’t seem to get enough of it. It is very fast-growing, adaptable, and is nearly impossible to kill.
These floating plants can provide an appealing visual to the surface of your tank. Duckweed readily absorbs ammonia & nitrates, reducing or even potentially eliminating the need to do regular water changes. They do not require high lighting, though it will allow them to grow at a more rapid pace compared to a low-light setup. Duckweed provides shade and cover for tank inhabitants. It will spread quicker if kept in a low-flow tank.
Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri)
Skill Level: Easy
Lighting Requirements: Low-medium
Growth Rate: Medium-Fast
Tank Placement: Attached to inanimate objects
CO2: Not required
Java Moss grows at a staggering rate of 1-1.5 inches per month, making it an excellent choice for fishkeepers who enjoy watching their plants flourish. Its fast-spreading durability and ease of care has led to it becoming one of the most popular plants to keep in the hobby. It is also very hardy, able to survive and grow in a wide range of water parameters and temperatures. Many forgotten clumps of Java Moss in a 5-gallon Home Depot bucket have not only survived, but grown in the absence of any care.
The moss grows by attaching itself to surfaces (much like ivy), using its rhizoids to cling to rocks, woods, and other porous surfaces in tanks. One can attach them to said surfaces in multiple ways, with fishing line, thread, and superglue (just make sure the glue is composed of cyanoacrylate). If one prefers a minimal-effort route, the plant also does well as a free-floating inhabitant. Like most plants, Java Moss also contributes to maintaining optimal water quality, transforming toxic compounds into safe organics. It provides a safe haven for fish eggs, shrimp, and other smaller tank inhabitants.
Vallisneria
Skill Level: Easy
Height: Up to 2’
Lighting Requirements: Medium-High
Growth Rate: Medium
Tank Placement: Background
CO2: Not required
There are several varieties of Vallisneria that are commonly kept in the aquarium hobby, these being: Jungle, Spiralis, and Nana. Care for all three is equally simple and stress-free. All you need is one plant to start, and it will quickly send out runner shoots beneath the substrate, leading to an underwater jungle in a matter of months in the right conditions.
Ensure when planting that the crown is above the substrate. As their potential height is only the taller side, they are a very popular background plant in many tanks. Its long, flowing leaves provide ample hiding opportunities for fish fry and small shrimp, which actually encourages them to be out in the open more frequently.
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Skill Level: Easy
Height: 6-8 inches
Lighting Requirements: Low-medium
Growth Rate: Slow
Tank Placement: Foreground-Midground
CO2: Not required
The plants from the Cryptocoryne family can be found in many aquariums, and for good reason. They are relatively easy to care for and are easy to cultivate. They do take some time to acclimate to new surroundings initially, but once established they are a reliable member of any tank. One of the reasons Cryptocoryne Wendtii is a great beginner plant is due to the fact that it does not require strong or special lighting.
It will grow slower, but will grow longer leaves as a result of being in lower light conditions. As it grows it sends out runners which will eventually form new plants. Another bonus is that it tends to grow well in hard water conditions, which depending on your local water chemistry may mean that no additional tweaks are necessary to provide it with optimal growing conditions.
Dwarf Sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata)
Skill Level: Easy
Height: 4-12”
Lighting Requirements: Medium
Growth Rate: Fast
Tank Placement: Foreground
CO2: Not required
One of the more popular foreground choices in many aquariums, this fast-growing and spreading beginner plant can quickly carpet the front of your tank providing a nice, subtle depth to any aquascape. Given enough time, your Dwarf Sagittaria can also grow tall enough to be placed in the mid or background areas of the aquarium.
If the opportunity presents itself, leaves that reach the top of the top of the water column can grow white flowers on the surface. To propagate, simply pinch off new growths and plant them into your substrate.
Anubias
Skill Level: Easy
Height: Variable
Lighting Requirements: Low-Medium
Growth Rate: Slow
Tank Placement: Any
CO2: Not required
The Anubias family has many popular members, examples being: Nana Petite, Cogensis, and Nana Golden. They are widely regarded as one of the most low-maintenance plants in the hobby, not requiring special lighting conditions or CO2. They can be attached to rocks, wood, or planted in pots or containers submerged in the tank. They are not to be buried in the substrate, as they are an epiphyte plant! A hardy plant, they do well in a wide variety of tank setups, even doing well in goldfish tanks given the durability of their leaves.
As they have broad, slow-growing leaves this provides ample time for microorganisms to grow and biofilm to develop, which provides a nice grazing surface for many of your tank's inhabitants. On the other hand, these broad slow-growing leaves can also give algae an inviting surface to grow on, this can be avoided by ensuring the lighting isn’t too strong or intense.
Pogostemon Stellatus
Skill Level: Easy
Height: >14”
Lighting Requirements: Medium
Growth Rate: Medium-Fast
Tank Placement: Background
CO2: Not required
A native of SE Asia, Pogostemon Stellatusis a low-maintenance plant that will add movement and volume to your tank. Its vivid green, star-shaped leaves are pleasing to observe waving about in the aquarium. High iron content in the water column will result in redder leaf coloration.
While it does not require CO2, it will grow more readily should there be CO2 injection incorporated. Given its fast growth rate, it requires trimming to ensure that it doesn’t grow too tall. It is easily propagated should one wish to grow more in the tank. Its long, wispy leaves provide ample hiding opportunities for small fry and baby shrimp.
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