Plant · Stem

Anacharis

Elodea densa · Southeastern South America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay) · also Egeria densa, Brazilian waterweed, large-flowered waterweed

Photo: Ernst Schütte, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the easiest plants there is, and it likes cooler water better than most. In poor light it keeps growing but turns pale and stringy, so give it a bright spot and trim it often. Never release it or dump it in a drain or pond.

At a glance

Light

Medium light

CO₂

No CO₂

Growth

Fast growth

Where it goes

Back

Temperature

16–24°C

6–8

Height in a tank

40–100 cm 16–39 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

Fast growth soaks up nutrients and helps keep algae down in a new tank.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Goldfish, silver dollars, many cichlids and crayfish eat it readily.

Growing more

Cut a piece of stem and plant it or let it float; it roots anywhere.

Anacharis

Plant · StemEasy

Medium light
No CO₂
Fast growth
Back
16–24°C

Fast growth soaks up nutrients and helps keep algae down in a new tank.

Anacharis

Elodea densa

Southeastern South America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay)

Temperature: 16–24°C
pH: 6–8
Height: 16–39 in · 40–100 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Fast
Goes: Back
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut a piece of stem and plant it or let it float; it roots anywhere.

Goldfish, silver dollars, many cichlids and crayfish eat it readily.

Full care guide

Photo: Ernst Schütte, CC BY-SA 3.0

Sources

The care values on this page come from these sources.

Grows well with

Same light and temperature, but a different spot in the tank, so they fill it out together.

African water fern

Plant · RhizomeSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
22–26°C

Dark, see-through fronds give cover and suit river-style tanks.

African water fern

Bolbitis heudelotii

Tropical Africa

Temperature: 22–26°C
pH: 6–7
Height: 6–16 in · 15–40 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Split the creeping rhizome.

Almost nothing eats its tough fronds; plecos and cichlids usually leave it alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Tsunamicarlos, Public domain

Bacopa caroliniana

Plant · StemEasy

Medium light
No CO₂
Slow growth
Middle
20–26°C

A tidy, upright plant that rarely needs trimming and gives mid-water fish cover.

Bacopa caroliniana

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 5–7.5
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Slow
Goes: Middle
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Cut a side shoot or the top of a stem and plant it.

Goldfish and plant-eating cichlids may nibble it; most fish leave its thick leaves alone.

Full care guide

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Banana plant

Plant · LilyEasy

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
Front
20–26°C

An unusual, eye-catching plant that gives some shade under its round leaves.

Banana plant

Nymphoides aquatica

Southeastern United States

Temperature: 20–26°C
pH: 6.5–7.2
Height: 4–12 in · 10–30 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: Front
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Grows new plants from runners, or split the root cluster.

Goldfish, silver dollars and snails may eat the leaves and the bananas.

Full care guide

Photo: Show_ryu, Public domain

Christmas moss

Plant · MossSome care

Medium light
CO₂ helps
Slow growth
On wood, rock
20–28°C

A neat, tree-shaped moss that fry and shrimp hide and graze in.

Christmas moss

Vesicularia montagnei

Asia and Australia

Temperature: 20–28°C
pH: 5–7
Height: 0.4–1.2 in · 1–3 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Helps
Growth: Slow
Goes: On wood or rock
Difficulty: Some care

More plants. Cut off a piece and tie it onto wood or rock.

Rarely eaten, though goldfish and big fish may pick at it.

Full care guide

Photo: Storm from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0

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