Plant · Bulb

Aponogeton crispus

Aponogeton crispus · Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh · also Crinkled aponogeton, ruffled sword plant

Photo: Drhyperlaur at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Often sold as a dry bulb; it sprouts fast in a tank with a rich substrate. It sometimes drops its big leaves and rests for a while, so don't throw the bulb away. Cut off yellow leaves at the base.

At a glance

Light

Medium light

CO₂

No CO₂

Growth

Fast growth

Where it goes

Back

Temperature

24–30°C

6–7.5

Height in a tank

30–60 cm 12–24 in

Difficulty

Easy

What it does for your tank

Long wavy leaves fill the back of a big tank and often flower in the aquarium.

Fish that eat or uproot it

Goldfish, silver dollars and some cichlids eat the soft leaves; plecos may rasp them.

Growing more

Split the bulb or grow it from seed after it flowers.

Aponogeton crispus

Plant · BulbEasy

Medium light
No CO₂
Fast growth
Back
24–30°C

Long wavy leaves fill the back of a big tank and often flower in the aquarium.

Aponogeton crispus

Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh

Temperature: 24–30°C
pH: 6–7.5
Height: 12–24 in · 30–60 cm
Light: Medium
CO₂: Not needed
Growth: Fast
Goes: Back
Difficulty: Easy

More plants. Split the bulb or grow it from seed after it flowers.

Goldfish, silver dollars and some cichlids eat the soft leaves; plecos may rasp them.

Full care guide

Photo: Drhyperlaur at English Wikipedia, Public domain

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

← All plants