Choosing the Right Aquarium Plant
Setting up a planted aquarium is a fun and rewarding activity that combines the beauty of live plants with a stable, balanced habitat for fish and other creatures. Important considerations when choosing the best plants for your aquarium are tank size, light intensity and where to place them. Use tall plants to create background and hide equipment, cords and hoses, place medium height plants in the center of the aquarium, and low-growing plants in the foreground. We've created the following guide to help you plan your plant layout. Each size category can also be used in larger aquariums, meaning plants suitable for small aquariums will also thrive in medium and large aquariums, and so on.
LOW LIGHT PLANTS
20 – 30 PAR
Low light tolerant plants are slow growing, but they're also undemanding, making them perfect for beginners and aquarists with low-tech setups.
Small Aquariums: 3-16 gallons
| PLANT TYPE | ATTACHMENT | PLACEMENT | SUBSTRATE TYPE | AQUEON LIGHT | FERTILIZER |
| Marimo Moss Balls Aegagropila linnaei | Place directly on substrate; do not bury | Foreground to midground | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | Clip-on LED Light OptiBright LED Light | Aqueon Plant Food |
| Anubias "Petite" Anubias barteri var. nana 'petite' | Plant in substrate or secure to driftwood or rock | Foreground or attached to hardscape | Sand or fine gravel, driftwood or Porous Rock | Clip-on LED Light OptiBright LED Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root tablets in substrate |
| Java Moss Taxiphyllum Barbieri | Secure to driftwood or rock | Anywhere in tank, attached to hardscape | Driftwood or Porous Rock | Clip-on LED Light OptiBright LED Light | Aqueon Plant Food |
| Crypt Petchii Cryptocoryne beckettii "petchii" | Rooted in substrate | Foreground to midground | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | Clip-on LED Light OptiBright LED Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Dwarf Sag Sagittaria subulata | Rooted in substrate | Midground to background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | Clip-on LED Light OptiBright LED Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
Medium Aquariums: 20-50 gallons
| PLANT TYPE | ATTACHMENT | PLACEMENT | SUBSTRATE TYPE | AQUEON LIGHT | FERTILIZER |
| Anubias nana Anubias barteri var. nana | Rooted in substrate or secure to driftwood or rock | Foreground to midground | Sand or fine gravel, driftwood or porous rock | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood T8 Fluorescent Strip Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Crypt wendtii Cryptocoryne wendtii | Rooted in substrate | Foreground to midground | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood T8 Fluorescent Strip Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Java Fern Microsorum pteropus | Secure to driftwood or rock | Midground to background | Driftwood or porous rock | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood T8 Fluorescent Strip Light | Aqueon Plant Food |
| Teardrop Rotala Rotala indica | Rooted in substrate | Midground to background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood T8 Fluorescent Strip Light | Aqueon Plant Food |
| Italian Val Vallisneria spiralis | Rooted in substrate | Background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood T8 Fluorescent Strip Light | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
Large Aquariums: 55+ gallons
| PLANT TYPE | ATTACHMENT | PLACEMENT | SUBSTRATE TYPE | AQUEON LIGHT | FERTILIZER |
| Staurogyne Staurogyne repens | Rooted in substrate | Foreground | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Amazon Sword Echinodorus amazonicus Echinodurus bleheri | Rooted in substrate | Midground | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Crypt balansae Cryptocoryne balansae | Rooted in substrate | Midground to background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
| Giant Hygro Hygrophila corymbosa | Rooted in substrate | Midground to background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood | Aqueon Plant Food |
| Jungle Val Vallisneria americana | Rooted in substrate | Background | Fine Gravel or Coarse Sand | OptiBright LED Light Deluxe LED Full Hood | Aqueon Plant Food Root Tablets |
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