Live Plants

Live plants bring many positive effects to any home—from air purifying to mood-boosting to aesthetics. Live plants in aquariums are no different. Some benefits of live plants for fish aquariums include:

• Aeration and filtration Live aquarium plants release oxygen, which helps your bubbler or air stone to stay at healthy levels beyond the water surface. They also add natural filtration that can boost the water quality maintained by your tank’s filter.
• Natural habitat The wild environment of many water animals includes aquatic plants. Introduce similar plants into your aquarium to help inhabitants feel at home. To help create your underwater oasis with live aquarium plants, Petco has many options.
• Algae reduction Live freshwater aquarium plants help keep algae at bay by consuming the nutrients that algae thrive on. Fast-growing plants are especially good at starving out unwanted algae.
• Aesthetics Adding real plants to your aquarium helps to create a scene right out of nature. The soft movements of underwater plants are serene, making your aquarium a calming and beautiful addition to any room.

Live aquatic plants require different care levels. The best live aquarium plants for beginners are hardy and require little CO2 injection and light. Start with plants like Amazon Sword for large tanks and easy-to-grow Java Fern for all tank sizes. Introduce other plants like Anubias as you grow more comfortable with live aquatic plant care. Use the proper aquarium lights, fertilizers and supplements to help keep your plants healthy.

Your neighborhood Petco Pet Care Center has many live plants for fish tank ecosystems, and you can also purchase them online at petco.com.

Live freshwater aquarium plants vary in size, color and level of care. Choose plants that suit your expertise, the type of fish you have and your aquarium size. Also, consider plants that need similar light levels and nutrients so you can provide the right lighting system and base layer.

Gently clean your live aquarium plants by brushing off debris while keeping it in the aquarium by carefully scrubbing it with an algae pad. To keep your live plants algae-free, make sure to clean the aquarium and maintain high water quality regularly.

Use aquarium gravel and substrate as a foundation in your tank and add some water. Place roots in a gap you create with your finger or tool and cover with gravel. Fill the tank with water. You can also attach certain plants to hardscape elements like driftwood.