Aquarium Plants: Simple Guide to What I Actually Use

This is my simple, practical aquarium plant guide — based on what I actually enjoy keeping and what feels realistic to maintain long-term.

I group plants by the role they play in a tank: easy starters, background fillers, water-quality helpers, and slower “patient plants” that reward steady care. If you’re building a calm low-tech setup, you can start with just a few from the easy and background sections, then add the slower foreground choices when your routine feels stable.

Lately, I’ve been leaning into soft, steady plants for quieter layouts — gentle groundcovers and slow growers like Crypt parva and Marsilea, plus calm texture plants like Fissidens. I still keep a few fast growers like hornwort as a practical safety net when a tank needs quick cover or extra nutrient support.

Use this list as a friendly map, not a checklist. A simple mix you can maintain consistently will always look better than a complicated plan you end up chasing.

How to Use This Page

• Start with 1–3 plants that match your tank size and style.
• Click the plant name to read the full care guide.
• Add more plants slowly as your tank stabilises.

Core Easy Plants (Low-Tech & Shrimp-Safe)

Anubias – Slow, tough, grows on wood/rocks
Great for low-tech tanks and shrimp. Likes shade, doesn’t need CO₂, and doesn’t need frequent trimming.
→ Full guide: How to Grow Anubias in a Shrimp-Friendly Low-Tech Tank

Java Fern – Shade-loving, attaches to hardscape
Similar to Anubias: you tie it to wood or rocks, not into the substrate. Good for calm, natural layouts.
→ Full guide: Java Fern: How I Grow This Easy, Slow Plant in a Shrimp-Friendly Tank

Moss (Java / Christmas) – Baby shrimp hiding place
Fine leaves collect biofilm and tiny food. Ideal for shrimp tanks and breeding setups.
→ Full guide: Aquarium Moss: The Soft Background Player My Shrimp Always Love

Fissidens fontanus – Soft, feather-like moss for calm details
A slower, neater moss option when you want gentle texture on wood or rock without the “wild” look of faster mosses.
→ Full guide: Fissidens fontanus (US Fissidens): A Soft, Feather-Like Moss for Quiet Tanks

Background & “Fill the Tank” Plants

Vallisneria – Easy background grass
Sends runners and creates a green wall at the back of the tank. Good for simple low-tech setups.
→ Full guide: The Ultimate Guide to Vallisneria: The One-Plant Wonder for Any Aquarium

Amazon Sword – Big focal plant
One plant can dominate the middle or back of a medium/large tank. Likes a nutrient-rich substrate and root tabs.
→ Full guide: How to Grow Amazon Sword Successfully (Beginner Tips That Work)

Bacopa caroliniana – Sturdy green stem for mid–background
A simple, lemon-scented stem plant that grows steadily in low to medium light. Good for filling the middle or back of the tank without being too wild. The thick stems and small leaves give shrimp plenty of places to explore.
→ Full guide: Bacopa caroliniana: The Sturdy “Lemon” Stem Plant I Trust in Low-Tech Tanks

Ludwigia repens – Gentle red stem for background colour
A forgiving stem plant that adds warm red tones without needing a high-tech setup. Works well in the back corners or along the sides of the tank, and gives shrimp plenty of stems and leaves to explore.
→ Full guide: Ludwigia repens: How I Keep This Red Stem Plant Happy in a Shrimp Tank

Rotala rotundifolia – Soft, bushy background stem
A flexible stem plant that can stay soft green or blush orange-red depending on light and nutrients. I use it to hide equipment and create a “forest” feeling where shrimp and small fish can weave in and out.
→ Full guide: Rotala rotundifolia: How I Keep This Stem Plant Bushy and Healthy

Plants That Help With Water Quality

Pothos – Houseplant roots that act like a filter
Leaves stay above water, roots grow into the tank and help with nitrates. Fits well with simple, low-tech systems.
→ Full guide: Pothos for Aquariums: The Houseplant That Works Like a Filter

Hornwort – Fast, messy “safety net” plant
A hardy, floating stem plant that grows quickly, helps absorb excess nutrients, and gives shrimp/fry instant cover when a tank feels unstable or too empty.
→ Full guide: Hornwort: The Fast, Messy Plant I Use as a Safety Net

Phyllanthus fluitans – Shade + gentle nutrient uptake
Good when your light is strong or fish/shrimp prefer dimmer conditions. Needs occasional scooping so it doesn’t cover everything.
→ Full guide: Phyllanthus fluitans: How I Care for This Red Floating Plant

For Later (When You Want to Explore More)

Bucephalandra – Small, textured plant on wood/rock
A slow-growing epiphyte (rhizome plant) that you attach to wood or rock. Great when you want a calm, detailed look and don’t mind letting it take its time.
→ Full guide: Bucephalandra (Kedagang, Wavy Green, and Friends): Slow, Textured Plants for Calm Aquariums

Cryptocoryne wendtii (Green, Brown, Tropica) – Rooted plant that rewards patience
A classic midground rosette plant that likes a nutrient-rich substrate and steady conditions. It may melt at first, but once it settles it becomes a very stable, grounding part of the scape.
→ Full guide: Cryptocoryne wendtii (Green, Brown, Tropica): A Reliable Heart of the Aquascape

Hydrocotyle tripartita “Japan” – Fast little runner for carpets and islands
A tiny, clover-like plant that sends runners in all directions. Best once you’re comfortable with trimming and light balance, because it responds strongly to medium–high light and nutrients and can quickly turn into a dense carpet.
→ Full guide: Hydrocotyle Tripartita “Japan”: My Experience with This Fast Little Runner

Cryptocoryne parva – Tiny, slow, and steady foreground crypt
A compact, patient plant for neat borders and calm layouts. Great if you like slow change and minimal trimming.
→ Full guide: Cryptocoryne parva: A Tiny, Slow, and Steady Foreground Crypt

Marsilea crenata (Semanggi Air) – Gentle clover-like groundcover
A local-feeling, forgiving foreground plant that spreads by runners and softens hardscape without demanding extreme light or CO₂.
→ Full guide: Marsilea crenata (Semanggi Air): A Gentle Clover-Like Groundcover

Micranthemum ‘Monte Carlo’ – Soft green carpet with a low-tech-friendly mindset
Often easier than HC Cuba and great for a “finished” look. Can grow without CO₂, but rewards steady light and patience.
→ Full guide: Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo': How I Grow This Soft Green Carpet

Final Note

You don’t need many species to have a beautiful, healthy tank. Even something simple like:

• Anubias or Java fern on wood
• Vallisneria or an Amazon sword in the background
• Optional helpers like Pothos or floaters

…is already enough for a calm, planted layout that works with normal tap water and shrimp.