Live Aquarium Plants for Fish Tanks and Ponds

Online Aquarium Plants Made Easy

We specialise in growing water plants for your aquariums and ponds!

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Using Live Plants in Your Freshwater Aquarium

Whether you’re an aquarium beginner or an expert aquascaper, you’ll find the best aquatic plants to suit your needs out of our extensive range of species.

You can find all the specific requirements you need to best grow each species on their pages, ranging from best substrate to nutrient/fertilisation requirements. Try to match these to the environment you have in your aquarium, or if creating a new aquascape, choose a selection of plants with similar requirements.

For an easy solution to perfectly suit your needs, our tailored FloraBox range offers a hassle-free and convenient selection of plants relevant to you - whether you are a beginner aquarist or looking for plants for your pond. What's more, enjoy the added benefit of free shipping on all FloraBox orders.

Why you should include live aquatic plants instead of fake plants.

The benefits of live aquarium plants are extensive and can improve the appearance and health of your freshwater aquarium in a range of different ways:


Want to make your fish tank stand out?

The addition of live aquarium plants to a fish tank can create a vibrant and aesthetically pleasing work of art, with a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes to choose from, there’s an aquarium plant species out there for every tank.

Want healthy fish, shrimp or snails?

A bit of live greenery in your fish tank will create an oxygen rich environment for your tanks inhabitants. Not to mention, plants allow you to more closely mimic the natural habitat of your aquarium friends so you’ll end up with healthier and happier fish.

Want to reduce algae in your aquarium?

A few plants in the aquarium will take up the excess nutrients that may build up and outcompete the algae, slowing its growth and significantly reducing algae in the aquarium.

Want to do water changes less often?

A few fast-growing aquarium plants will take up waste products like nitrates from the water and create a healthy system that doesn’t require constant water changes.

For beginners, we recommend plants that can tolerate:

Low Light Conditions

Every aquarium plant has different lighting requirements, ranging from extremely intense lighting needs, to almost as low as just ambient light. Low light tolerant plants will give you the best results for uncomplicated setups.

Low substrate nutrients

If your aquarium just has a gravel or sand substrate, choose plants that aren't heavy root feeders. If you really like the look of one though, try using root tabs to keep it happy.

No CO2 Supplementation

While CO2 is one of the main building blocks for plant growth, many aquatic plants are able to grow just fine without CO2 injection: they just grow a bit slower!



These aquarium plants will almost always be the easiest to grow with minimal additional requirements. To keep them thriving in your aquarium, simply feed your fish or shrimp on a regular basis. So if you'd like to give adding aquatic plants to your aquarium a go, simply check the species requirements on our plant page and find an easy to grow species that will suit your aquarium!

Or, take a look at our selection of FloraBoxes rated for beginners, and discover a hassle-free way to choose the perfect plants for your needs. With this tailored range, finding suitable plants for your aquarium or pond has never been easier.

How To Care For Your Aquarium Plants

Let's get into it more in-depth! Every aquatic plant or 'macrophyte' is different, but they all require the same basic needs to be met to thrive.


Nutrients/Fertilisation

Keeping track of water nutrient levels is especially important when keeping aquatic plants in your aquarium. Plants use a range of nutrients and minerals including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium to grow. Depending on the species, these can be taken up via the roots, the leaves or a combination of both.

For the most part, aquarium plants in a tank inhabited by fish will find enough nutrients in the fish food and waste the fish produce, however, trace elements are harder to find in the closed aquarium system. The addition of liquid fertiliser once a week can easily ensure your plants have all the nutrients they require.

CO2

Using CO2 is not at all as daunting as it seems. The addition of CO2, while not usually essential, will drastically increase the growth, colour and vibrancy of every aquatic plant in your aquarium. It can even reduce algae in fish tanks by allowing plants to grow faster and outcompete it. It also opens the door up to a range of beautiful, high-tech aquarium plants which are otherwise difficult to maintain.

All you need to get started with pressurised CO2 injection is a CO2 bottle, a regulator, some tubing and a CO2 diffuser. There are extra elements you can add such as bubble counters, but these aren’t essential to run CO2 in your system.

Substrate

With the exception of floating plants, using a suitable substrate is important for plants in the aquarium to ensure root development and proper anchoring. Fertilised substrates are the best option for planted aquariums to ensure your plants receive the nutrients they need. Aquasoil, which is soil baked into hard granules that break down slowly over time, usually provides plants with sufficient nutrients and minerals in the root zone.

Another option is to have a low organic content soil base layer to provide nourishment with a top layer of coarse sand to prevent soil stirring into the water column.There are a range of suitable options for this top layer, but for most plants a medium grade gravel or coarse sand works well, allowing oxygen to penetrate and providing a good foundation for roots to anchor. Always ensure the substrate is washed and clean before adding it to your aquarium

Lighting

Aquarium lights are essential in any tank, but for a planted aquarium you’ll want to make sure your plants have enough light to grow optimally. Light requirements vary greatly among aquatic plants and these differences can be used to your advantage when planting your aquarium by placing high light plants closer to the surface in an aquascape and low light plants near the bottom of the aquarium or in areas shaded by other plants. Higher lighting should ideally be run with a CO2 system, so the plants don’t deplete the CO2 in the water by growing too fast.

For those that want to create an aquascape with contrasting aquatic plant colouration, a high light system is essential. Red aquatic plants will develop brighter and more vibrant colours in higher light and with a strong red/blue spectrum. That’s not to say there aren’t any easy red aquarium plants, like red root floaters which are easy to grow and won’t need as powerful a lighting system to turn red as plants below the water.

Aquatic plants for Ponds

A planted pond makes a beautiful garden addition, but getting it right can be tricky. Take particular care to note the temperature requirements of the plant species you choose. Generally, warm water species thrive above the Tropic of Capricorn, while coldwater species should be used below this line. Most of the native species we offer are of course especially adapted to cope with these cold conditions over the Australian winters. Using mainly native plants for your pond also has the added benefit of attracting a larger variety of native animals and insects to your garden.

If your pond isn't already heavily planted, the excess nutrients and intense sunlight can trigger algae issues. Luckily, pond algae control is as often as simple as adding floating plants. These work in two ways, blocking out excess light and sucking up excess nutrients through their roots. Water lilies are also effective in reducing the light intensity with their large lily pads, with the added benefit of beautiful flowers produced throughout the year. When searching out plants for your pond, it's a good idea to select a few representatives from each of the three following categories:


Floating Pond Plants

Floating water plants make a great addition to any pond, and can be free floating or floating-leaved. Free floating pond plants are water plants that float on the surface with their roots trailing in the water and are not attached to anything. This type drifts freely across the surface of your aquatic garden and includes plants such as Duckweed, Azolla and Red Root Floaters. Floating-leaved aquatic plants have their root system attached to the substrate and send up leaves that float on the surface of the water. These include plants like Water Lilies, Water Snowflakes and Lotuses.

Emergent Pond Plants

Emergent water plants are those that are rooted in the substrate but pierce the surface and stand erect above the water. These types of plants are a great addition to any pond area providing another level to your aquatic garden. Always choose emergent plants that are suitable for the size of your pond, as some grow only small while others grow quite large and can look out of place in a small pond. Common emergent plants include Persicaria, Ludwigia, and Hygrophila species.

Submerged Pond Plants

Submerged plants grow entirely below the water with their roots anchored in the substrate. These kinds of plants are often referred to as oxygenating pond plants. They are an important addition to the pond as they oxygenate the water more than the other categories of water plants, and also reduce algae by taking up excess nutrients. This creates a balanced ecosystem and ensures your pond inhabitants are happy and healthy. Some common submersed pond plants include Potamogetons, Vallisneria, and Hydrilla.

For a selection of native and exotic plant packs tailored specifically for ponds, explore our range of FloraBoxes to find the perfect plants to meet your needs. Enjoy the added benefit of free shipping on all FloraBox orders, and create your dream pond today.

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From Alternanthera to Wolffia;
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