Top 10 Aquatic Plants for Beginners

Here are 10 carefully selected hardy aquatic plants that grow even without CO2 injection.

1. Anubias nana Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 500-1,000 yen Simply attach to driftwood or rocks. The ultimate low-light aquatic plant.

2. Microsorum (Java Fern) Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 500-1,500 yen A fern that grows attached to surfaces. Distinctive leaf shapes add character to layouts.

3. Hornwort Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 100-300 yen Just float it. Extremely fast growth and contributes to water purification.

4. Egeria (Anacharis) Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 100-300 yen Plant or float — either works. Perfect companion for medaka.

5. Willow Moss Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 300-800 yen Wrap around driftwood to attach. Also serves as shelter for shrimp.

6. Vallisneria Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ / Price: 200-500 yen Long, flowing leaves create a beautiful swaying effect. Spreads naturally via runners.

7. Hygrophila polysperma Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ / Price: 200-400 yen A fast-growing, hardy stem plant for beginners. Easy to propagate by replanting cuttings.

8. Rotala rotundifolia Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ / Price: 300-600 yen A stem plant that turns red to pink. Colors improve with stronger lighting.

9. Bucephalandra Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ / Price: 800-3,000 yen An epiphytic plant with some species featuring sparkling leaves. Slow growth means less algae buildup.

10. Cryptocoryne Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ / Price: 300-1,000 yen A shade-tolerant plant for foreground to midground. May melt with environmental changes but regenerates from roots.