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Before You Start — Removing Plants From Their Pots

Most aquarium plants arrive growing in small plastic pots filled with rock wool. How you unpack and plant them makes all the difference to whether they thrive or melt.

Remove the plant wool carefully

Never just drop the pot into the tank. Gently squeeze the pot to loosen the plant, then tease the rock wool apart with your fingers under a bowl of lukewarm water. Work slowly from the roots outward — the roots are fragile and snapping them sets the plant back. Remove all of the wool; leftover fibres around the crown cause rot.

Rhizome plants must NOT be buried in the substrate

Anubias and ferns (Microsorum / Windelöv) grow from a thick creeping stem called a rhizome. If you bury that rhizome in gravel or sand it will rot and the plant will die. Instead, tie or glue the rhizome to wood or rock so it sits above the substrate, roots dangling down into the water. Only the roots may touch the substrate. Use cotton thread, fishing line, or a dab of superglue (cyanoacrylate — aquarium safe once cured) to attach it.

Planting in 4 steps

Unpot & clean

Squeeze the pot, slide the plant out, and rinse away the rock wool in a bowl of lukewarm water. Trim any dead or melting leaves with clean scissors.

Divide if needed

Large clumps can be split into smaller portions. Each stem or rosette should keep a healthy root mass. Don't plant one giant lump — space plants so each gets light and flow.

Plant or attach by type

Root-feeding rosettes (Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus) go root-first into the substrate. Stem plants (Bacopa, Hygrophila, Elodea, Vallisneria) are pushed gently into the gravel. Rhizome plants (Anubias, ferns) are tied to hardscape, never buried.

Settle & wait

A little melting in the first week is normal as plants adjust to your water. Don't panic — remove dying leaves and let new growth come through. Avoid major rescaping for 2–3 weeks.

The engine of growth

Lighting Guide

Light drives photosynthesis, so matching light intensity to each plant's needs is the single biggest factor in a lush tank. Too little and plants stretch and fade; too much without CO₂ and nutrients and you grow algae instead.

The golden rule: balance light, CO₂ and nutrients

Light is the accelerator. The more light you give, the more CO₂ and fertiliser your plants will demand. A low-light tank needs little dosing; a high-light tank needs liquid carbon, root tabs and regular fertiliser or it turns green with algae. Aim for a 8–10 hour photoperiod daily, on a timer, and keep it consistent.

Level	PAR / guide	Best for	Needs
Low	~15–30 µmol	Anubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne, Mosses, Moss balls, Vallisneria	Little to no dosing; no added CO₂
Medium	~30–60 µmol	Bacopa, Hygrophila, Echinodorus, Elodea, Ophiopogon	Root tabs + weekly liquid ferts; liquid CO₂ helps
High	60+ µmol	Dense stem plant carpets, red plants, fast growers	Injected or liquid CO₂ + regular macro/micro dosing

Use a timer. Consistency matters more than raw power. 8–10 hours every day at the same time beats 14 hours one day and 4 the next.

Start lower, then increase. A new tank with fresh plants can't use full light. Ramp up over 2–3 weeks to avoid an algae bloom.

Watch the plants, not the watts. Pale, leggy growth = too little light. Green water or hair algae = too much (or an imbalance with CO₂/nutrients).

Species profiles

The Plants

Ten dependable species, each tagged for difficulty and light needs. Beginner-friendly choices are marked green; experienced picks are marked orange.

Anubias barteri & varieties

Anubias

Beginner Low light

Placement: Midground / attached to wood or rock
Growth: Slow
CO₂: Not required

Tough, almost indestructible broad-leaf plant that tolerates low light and even shade. Perfect for beginners and low-tech tanks.

Key tip: Never bury the rhizome. Tie or glue it to driftwood or stone. Slow growth means algae can grow on its leaves — keep it out of direct, harsh light and let algae-eaters help.

Bacopa caroliniana / monnieri

Bacopa

Beginner Medium light

Placement: Background (stems)
Growth: Moderate
CO₂: Optional, helps density

Classic stem plant with neat pairs of rounded leaves. Easy to grow and propagate — just snip a top and replant it.

Key tip: Plant stems individually a few cm apart so lower leaves still get light. Trim regularly and replant the tops for a bushier look.

Cryptocoryne wendtii & others

Cryptocoryne

Beginner Low–Medium light

Placement: Foreground / midground
Growth: Slow
CO₂: Not required

Root-feeding rosette plant with dozens of leaf shapes and colours. Establishes slowly but lives for years once settled.

Key tip: "Crypt melt" is normal after planting or a water change — leaves may die back while roots adjust. Leave it alone; new growth follows. Feed with root tabs.

Echinodorus species

Echinodorus (Amazon Sword)

Beginner Medium light

Placement: Background (large specimen)
Growth: Moderate–fast
CO₂: Optional

Big, bold root-feeder that can become a striking centrepiece. Heavy root systems make it a hungry plant.

Key tip: Push root tabs deep under its roots — it feeds through the roots, not the water column. In soft water it may need added iron or new leaves go pale.

Hygrophila polysperma / corymbosa

Hygrophila

Beginner Medium–High light

Placement: Background (stems)
Growth: Fast
CO₂: Optional, boosts growth

Vigorous, fast-growing stem plant that sucks up excess nutrients — great for new tanks and for outcompeting algae.

Key tip: Fast growth means frequent trimming. Don't let it shade everything beneath it. Replant trimmings to fill out the back of the tank.

Microsorum pteropus "Windelöv"

Windelöv Java Fern

Beginner Low light

Placement: Midground / on wood or rock
Growth: Slow
CO₂: Not required

A lacey, finely divided cultivar of Java fern with delicate branched leaf tips. Adds texture and movement to hardscape.

Key tip: Like all ferns, never bury the rhizome. Attach to wood or rock. It reproduces by tiny plantlets on the leaf tips — let them grow, then snap off and reattach elsewhere.

Ophiopogon japonicus "Nana"

Ophiopogon (Dwarf Mondo Grass)

Experienced Medium light

Placement: Foreground / midground
Growth: Very slow
CO₂: Helps, not essential

Grass-like plant often sold as a foreground "lawn". It is actually a marginal/terrestrial plant and will slowly decline fully submerged over time.

Key tip: Best used in paludariums, emersed setups, or as a temporary grassy accent. For a true underwater carpet choose a genuinely aquatic alternative.

Vallisneria gigantea

Vallisneria Gigantea

Beginner Low–Medium light

Placement: Background (tall background wall)
Growth: Fast
CO₂: Not required

Tall, ribbon-like grass that forms a flowing background curtain and sways in the current. Spreads by runners to fill a back wall.

Key tip: Don't bury the crown — only the roots. It grows tall (50cm+) so suits deeper tanks. Snip blade tips if they reach the surface to keep it tidy.

Cladophora aegagropila (Aegagropila linnaei)

Moss Ball (Marimo)

Beginner Low light

Placement: Foreground / loose on substrate
Growth: Very slow
CO₂: Not required

A velvety green ball of filamentous algae, not a true moss. Almost zero care — tolerates low light and cool water.

Key tip: Roll it in your hands during a water change to keep it round and let all sides get light. Keep out of strong direct light or it may turn brown. Cool water suits it best.

Elodea densa

Elodea Densa

Beginner Medium–High light

Placement: Background / floating stems
Growth: Fast
CO₂: Optional

Bubbling, fast-growing stem plant famous for releasing visible oxygen pearls under good light. A nutrient sponge — ideal for new tanks.

Key tip: Excellent for cycling a new tank and soaking up excess nutrients. Trim often and remove lower sections that shed leaves. Check local rules — restricted or invasive in some regions.

Texture & cover

Mosses

Mosses attach to wood and rock to create natural texture, shrimp cover and spawning sites. All three are beginner-friendly and need only low–medium light.

How to attach moss

Moss has no true roots. Spread a thin layer over damp wood or rock, then tie it down with cotton thread or fishing line, or wedge it into cracks. It will grip the surface within a couple of weeks and the thread can be left to rot away. Never bury moss in the substrate — it will brown and die.

Christmas Moss

Vesicularia montagnei "Christmas"

Grows in a dense, branching, Christmas-tree-like pattern. Forms a fuller, more compact cushion than Java moss, making it the favourite for moss walls and "trees" on driftwood.

Difficulty: Beginner · Low–Medium light · Cooler water keeps it compact.

Java Moss

Taxiphyllum barbieri

The hardiest and most forgiving moss. Tolerates almost any light and water, grows quickly, and is the go-to for shrimp tanks, breeding cover and first-time moss walls.

Difficulty: Beginner · Low–Medium light · Trim regularly to stop it trapping debris.

Flame Moss

Taxiphyllum sp. "Flame"

Distinctive upright, twisting growth that spirals upward like green flames rather than spreading flat. Adds vertical texture and movement on hardscape.

Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate · Medium light · Give it vertical wood to climb for the best flame shape.

Nutrition & carbon

Plant Food & Additives

Plants need three things to grow: light, carbon (CO₂), and nutrients. Two trusted ranges — Aquadip and Seachem — cover every need from low-tech to high-tech tanks.

Feed to match your light

In a low-light tank your plants grow slowly and need very little. In a medium/high-light tank they grow fast and run out of food — that's when algae takes over. Add root tabs for root-feeders (Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus, Vallisneria) and liquid ferts for stem plants and mosses. Liquid carbon helps medium-light tanks and suppresses some algae.

Aquadip

Liquid CO₂ (Carbon Booster)

A liquid carbon source (glutaraldehyde-based) that gives plants accessible carbon without the cost of a gas system. Great for low and medium-light tanks and helps keep some algae at bay.

Dose: Daily, per the bottle, typically 1 ml per 10 L. Turn filter spray bar to disperse. Don't overdose — sensitive plants and shrimp can react to high doses.

Aquadip

Plant Food (All-in-One Fertiliser)

A complete liquid fertiliser with the micronutrients and trace elements stem plants and mosses need — iron, potassium, manganese and more. Prevents pale, holey or stunted growth.

Dose: Weekly or daily, per the label. Shake before use. Best in tanks without injected CO₂; pair with root tabs for root-feeders.

Aquadip

Root Tabs

Slow-release nutrient capsules pushed into the substrate to feed heavy root-feeders directly where they forage — Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus and Vallisneria love these.

Dose: Push one tab deep under each root-feeding plant every 6–8 weeks. Replace when growth slows.

Seachem

Flourish (Comprehensive Supplement)

Seachem's flagship all-in-one liquid fert, rich in trace elements and iron. A light weekly dose keeps stem plants and mosses green and growing in low–medium light tanks.

Dose: 1 cap (5 ml) per 60 L once or twice a week. For demanding tanks, follow up with the Seachem single-element range (Iron, Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus).

Seachem

Flourish Excel (Liquid Carbon)

Seachem's liquid carbon source — a bioavailable organic carbon compound that supplements or replaces CO₂ injection. Also has an algicidal effect on some algae.

Dose: Daily or every other day per the label. Spot-dose directly onto Black Beard Algae with the filter off for 5 minutes to kill it. Don't overdose with sensitive livestock.

Seachem

Flourish Tabs (Root Tabs)

Gravel-bed fertiliser tablets delivering nutrients through the substrate for root-feeding plants. Long-lasting and ideal for Echinodorus and Cryptocoryne in planted gravel.

Dose: 1 tab per 15–30 cm² of substrate every 3–4 months. Push fully into the gravel near the plant's roots.

✓

Root-feeders vs water-column feeders. Cryptocoryne, Echinodorus and Vallisneria feed through their roots — use root tabs. Bacopa, Hygrophila, Elodea, mosses and ferns feed through the water — use liquid ferts.

✓

Don't mix brands' full doses. If you use Aquadip Plant Food, don't also dose full Seachem Flourish — you may double up on iron or trace metals. Pick one all-in-one as your base and add only what's missing.

✓

20%-25% weekly water changes. In a dosed tank, weekly water changes reset excess nutrients and keep algae in check. Dose after the change.

Hard-won wisdom

Hints & Tips

The small habits that separate a struggling tank from a thriving one.

Patience beats panic. New plants often "melt" in week one as they adjust to your water. Remove dying leaves, keep conditions stable, and wait. Most recover.

Stable CO₂ > high CO₂. If you add carbon (liquid or gas), keep the dose consistent day to day. Fluctuating CO₂ is a leading cause of Crypt melt and algae.

Trim to grow. Cutting stem plants (Bacopa, Hygrophila, Elodea) encourages bushier, denser growth. Replant the healthy tops and discard bare lower stems.

Don't bury crowns & rhizomes. Vallisneria crowns, Anubias and fern rhizomes rot if buried. Only roots go in the substrate.

Match fish to plants. Goldfish, cichlids and large plecos uproot and eat plants. Keep them with tough plants (Anubias, Java fern, Vallisneria) attached to hardscape.

Algae is information, not failure. Green water = too much light/nutrients. Hair algae = unstable CO₂ or low plants outcompeted. Diatoms = new tank, will pass. Adjust light and dosing, add fast growers, and let the plants win.

Quarantine new plants. A quick dip or separate bowl for a few days helps avoid introducing snails, algae or parasites. Never use copper-based treatments in a tank with shrimp.

Keep a simple log. Note your light hours, dosing and water-change days. When something changes, the log tells you why.