Aquatic Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular aquatic plants with care guides, traits, and aquascaping tips.
Showing 36 of 67 species(1–24)
Amazon Frogbit
Limnobium laevigatum
Charming floating plant with round leaves. Simply float on surface for easy care. Long trailing roots provide shelter for fry and shrimp. Excellent water purification.
Amazon Sword
A representative aquatic plant with large sword-shaped leaves. Gives strong presence as background centerpiece.
© kajuko / CC BY-SA 3.0Ambulia
Limnophila sessiliflora
A beautiful stem plant with delicate needle-like leaves. Grows without CO2, beginner-friendly background plant.
© Carlosar / CC BY-SA 3.0Anubias Nana
Anubias barteri var. nana
Hardy shade plant from Africa. Typically attached to driftwood or rocks. Thrives without CO2 in low light — ideal for beginners. Very slow growth keeps layouts stable.
Anubias Nana Petite
Anubias barteri var. nana
An even smaller variety of Anubias Nana. Tiny densely packed leaves, ideal for nano tanks.
Banana Plant
Nymphoides aquatica
A unique plant with banana-bunch-like tubers. Charming when producing floating leaves.
© Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE / CC BY-SA 2.0Cabomba
Cabomba caroliniana
A stem plant with beautiful delicate fan-shaped leaves. A longtime staple of goldfish tanks.
Christmas Moss
Vesicularia montagnei
A moss branching in triangle like Christmas tree. Creates more three-dimensional scape than regular moss.
Cryptocoryne
Root-dwelling plant from Southeast Asia. Many varieties with subtle beauty. May melt with environmental changes but recovers.
© Haplochromis / CC BY 2.5Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Cryptocoryne wendtii
A hardy Cryptocoryne from Sri Lanka. Calm brown to green tones ideal for midground placement.
Dwarf Sagittaria
Sagittaria subulata
A foreground-midground plant growing densely like lawn. Very hardy, spreads quickly by runners.
Echinodorus (Amazon Sword)
Representative large aquatic plant also called Amazon Sword. Ideal for mid to background. Propagates by runners, easy for beginners.
Floating Fern
Salvinia natans
Small oval floating leaves cover the surface. Fine hairs on leaves repel water. Fast multiplier with strong water purification. Popular for medaka and betta tanks.
Green Rotala
Rotala rotundifolia 'Green'
A green variety of Rotala rotundifolia. Dense bright green leaves create lush background bushes. Easier than red varieties. Replant trimmings to increase density.
Hornwort
Ceratophyllum demersum
A rootless floating plant. Extremely hardy with high water purification, ideal for beginners.
© S.E. Thorpe / Public domainHydrocotyle Tripartita
Hydrocotyle tripartita
A cute aquatic plant with clover-like trifoliate leaves. Grows horizontally, ideal for midground.
© Vinayaraj / CC BY-SA 4.0Hygrophila
Hygrophila
Representative fast-growing hardy stem plant. Polysperma is most common. Easily propagated by trimming.
Hygrophila Polysperma
Hygrophila polysperma
An extremely hardy and fast-growing stem plant. Perfect as a first plant for beginners. Grows in any condition.
© Tsunamicarlos at English Wikipedia / Public domainJava Fern
Leptochilus pteropus
A fern aquatic plant from Southeast Asia. Attaches to driftwood and rocks, popular for its unique leaf shape.
Java Moss
Taxiphyllum barbieri
The most widely used moss in aquascaping. Simply attach to driftwood or rocks for a natural look. Ideal hiding spot for shrimp fry. Perfect for absolute beginners.
© Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0Ludwigia Palustris
Ludwigia palustris
A hardy stem plant that turns red. Easy for beginners and perfect for adding color to aquariums.
Ludwigia Repens
Ludwigia repens
A popular stem plant that turns red-orange with adequate light and CO2.
Marimo Moss Ball
Aegagropila linnaei
Spherical algae famous as a natural monument of Lake Akan, Hokkaido. Simply sink in tank. Rolling maintains shape. Extremely slow growing but can live for decades.
© Monarchatto / CC BY-SA 4.0Marsilea Hirsuta
Marsilea hirsuta
A foreground plant with four-leaf clover shaped leaves. Mysteriously becomes single leaf underwater.
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Aquatic Plant FAQ
- How much do aquatic plants cost?
- Common Rotala and Anubias cost 300-1,000 yen, Bucephalandra 1,000-5,000 yen, and rare wild-collected specimens 5,000-20,000+ yen depending on species.
- Can beginners grow aquatic plants?
- Anubias Nana and Java Moss require no CO2 injection and grow in low light, making them ideal for beginners. Start with hardy shade-loving plants.
- What equipment is needed for aquatic plants?
- A tank, LED light, filter, and aqua soil are the basics. For advanced layouts, CO2 injection and high-performance lighting significantly improve growth and coloration.
- What should I check when buying aquatic plants?
- Ensure leaves are green and healthy, not melting or dying, and free of snails or pests. Tissue-cultured cups are pest-free and reliable.
- Why do aquatic plants die?
- Insufficient light, CO2, or nutrients are the main causes. Each species has different requirements, so matching the environment to your specific plants is essential.