easy-to-grow plants for beginners

[jaguar]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some easy-to-grow plants for my aquarium, being a beginner and all. I was thinking pennywort and ambulia might be a good starting point. Maybe I'll also try to find a floating plant locally if I can.

[Lexat]

I've had good luck with several low-maintenance options - hornwort and elodea densa are both pretty straightforward. I've also grown willow moss, though it does seem to prefer cooler water, and I've mostly seen it in pond setups. Vallis is another easy one, and for a floating plant, I've found amazon frogbit to be a good choice - just keep in mind it does have some specific needs. Crinum thakento4um is also a good option, though I'm not sure how easy it is to find locally.

[bettaMagenta]

I've had good luck with Java fern, it's pretty forgiving when it comes to water conditions. Just be aware, unless you're buying tissue cultures, you might end up with some unwanted pond snails as a bonus.

[TankWarrior]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some easy-to-grow plants for my aquarium, being a beginner and all. I was thinking pennywort and ambulia might be a good starting point. Maybe I'll also try to find a floating plant locally if I can.

Hello Big, I've got a few suggestions for you. There are several plants that don't require special care. You might want to consider Dwarf Water Lettuce, it's quite hardy. Hornwort is another option, it's easy to grow and maintain. Pennywort is also a good choice, I think you mentioned it earlier. Anubias is a great option too, it's relatively low maintenance. I've also heard good things about Java Fern, it's pretty adaptable. Water Sprite is another one, it's easy to care for. Anacharis, or Elodea, is a good choice as well. If you're looking for something a bit more substantial, Chinese Evergreen is a good option, just be aware that it can be toxic to household pets like cats and dogs, so it's best to keep it contained within the tank.

[jaguar]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll check out the options and see what I can find locally.

[TankWarrior]

I've attached a pic of my Chinese Evergreen for reference. This plant's root system can get pretty massive, almost as big as the plant itself. The roots act like a natural water filter. Since it's a land plant, it'll remove way more nitrogen than aquatic plants. I keep it small by regularly trimming the leaves.

[jaguar]

I'm curious about the root system of the Chinese Evergreen - does it just float at the surface or do the roots actually grow down into the substrate?

[jaguar]

Also is normal gravel alright, or do I need a special type for a planted tank?

[coltin]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some easy-to-grow plants for my aquarium, being a beginner and all. I was thinking pennywort and ambulia might be a good starting point. Maybe I'll also try to find a floating plant locally if I can.

Gravel works perfectly fine for planted tanks, I've used it with no issues.