best plants for small tanks

[belleora]

Your plants are looking great, especially that tall one - I'm guessing it's either lobelia or Hydrocotyle, and it's really thriving. I'd hate to see that one go. The java fern on the right is a good choice, it's easy to grow and perfect for beginners - just make sure to lift it enough to expose the rhizome, that thick stem with all the little roots. Don't plant that part in the substrate or it'll start to rot and kill the plant. You can lift it so the rhizome's above the sand, or leave it unplanted, or attach it to some hardscape.

Most of the plants you're considering, though, I don't think are great for beginners or low-tech tanks. I've never had any luck with alternanthera - it needs CO2, ferts, and good light to do well. Every time I try it in my low-tech tanks, it looks more brown than red, struggles to grow, and eventually dies off.

Baby tears carpeting plants are another one that need CO2 and a high-tech tank to thrive. I don't want you to waste a fortune on plants that are hard to keep, only to get discouraged when they don't do well. Look for plants that are labelled easy and don't need CO2.

I've had great experiences with Pro-Shrimp - I've bought from them several times and no complaints. Their prices are often better than what you're looking at, especially in the potted plants and clearance sections.

But before you start buying plants, I think you should plan out your hardscape first. You want to place your plants on and around the hardscape, and right now you've only got that one ornament. Plants don't like being moved, so it's better to get your hardscape sorted first, then choose plants to fit around it. Your fish would love some more hidey holes, like some wood, stones, and plants tucked in among them.

Check out Tropica's inspirations page for some ideas - they've got some simple layouts with easy plants, and you can often see progress photos of how they built it. I'll try to post some pics from one of my own tanks to give you a rough idea - remind me if I forget.

[cichlidgirl22]

Ludwegia's another option - lots of varieties out there, some require high light to reach full potential. Bacopa's also a good choice. Dwarf Sag's a bit too tall for a 10g, I think, if you're looking for a carpeting plant. Pygmy chain swords are great for carpeting, though. Pearl Weed's another excellent carpet plant. Hornwort grows super fast and looks wonderful. Some crypts are good, too. Temple Plant's quite cool. Water Sprite's growth rate is insane, by the way.

For floating plants, you can't go wrong with Frogbit, Red Root Floater, or Salvinia - all great choices. These are low-tech plants, so they should do well in your tank.

[belleora]

I've always been drawn to wood, so I usually start by checking out the different pieces they have in stores. Same with stones - finding that one special piece can really help you build your scape around it.

Take this example from Tropica, for instance. They probably either found one amazing piece of wood or combined a few to get that unique shape. The wood and stones are like the skeleton of the scape, and they built their plant plan around it.

I notice they used a lot of easy-to-grow, low-maintenance rhizome plants that can be attached to the wood and stone, rather than planted. I see anubius, buces, and bolbitis - I've got bolbitis in my tank too, and I just love it. This tank must have taken some planning, but the plants don't grow quickly and need frequent trimming, which suits the ram or apisto species in the photo.

I did a scape once that I didn't love, but it's got the most progress photos, so I'll use it to explain. I started with this wood piece I'd found because I had plecos and cories that I knew would love the wooden cave to hide in and around. So, I built my scape around that piece, trying to create a space that would be perfect for my plecos and school of corydoras.

Since I had dark sand and a cave-like piece of bogwood, I used a Tropica layout as inspiration for my own. I wanted to create a "gloomy sunken underwater forest" vibe. The hardscape and planting provide plenty of hiding space, but also left some open room for my cories to explore and feed.

I tried so many different arrangements using various pieces. It's really helpful to take photos of each attempt, so you can look at them objectively and recreate a previous arrangement if you need to. Photos are great for remembering how you had it before and making changes.

I actually liked this look, but it's a lot of wood, and I'm a plant nut, so I knew I'd end up removing some pieces to make room for more plants. I could've easily kept this arrangement and stuck with slow-growing, rhizome-having plants like buce, anubius, and java ferns. But since I like a variety of plants and some fast-growing ones too, I didn't go with this one.

Once you have a hardscape arrangement you like, you can think about what plants would suit it and what you want. Do you want something easy that doesn't require weekly trimming, or a mix of both, or high-tech with CO2 and delicate plants?

I had some plants from my other tanks, but I bought a lot too. I arranged them without planting or attaching them yet, just to check if I liked the look. After I'd planted it up, plants like the amazon frogbit on the surface were growing in.

In the end, I didn't keep this scape for long because I decided to upgrade to a bigger tank. But my plecos and cories loved that main wooden cave piece, so it's going to be the centerpiece in my new tank too.

I'd recommend having a floating plant - all fish feel safer with some overhead cover like that, and they're great for water quality. Not duckweed, though - that stuff is evil. But any other floating plant is easy to maintain and great for water quality too.

You can also mix real and fake decor - some themed tanks with fake decor can be really fun and beautiful. Don't worry about what others think; there's no law against mixing in some fake decor for a pop of color or a fun theme. I love my real wood, stone, and live plants, but I plan to make some themed tanks with fake decor in the future.

This easy scape idea from Tropica might suit your current tank. Low-maintenance and low-tech plants that don't require huge maintenance - you could move your two current plants towards the back as background plants and use shorter plants in the foreground.

This other scape has more advanced plants that require CO2, but you can easily adapt the style to suit your needs. It wouldn't be too hard to create a lower-maintenance version with easier plants.

[Giggletons]

For a small tank like yours, I think certain plants might not be the best fit. Amazon swords, for instance, need a lot of room to grow and might end up looking a bit cramped. Vals and certain types of vals, like gkento4t vals, can also take over the tank quickly if not kept in check. But honestly, I think most other plants would look great in your tank, and with some careful planning and maintenance, you could create a really beautiful aquascape.

[cichlidgirl22]

Google lens is suggesting Hygrophila polysperma as a possible match.

[infold]

I think Banana Plants are pretty cool, they're low-tech and can thrive in a variety of conditions, plus they're great for adding some height and visual interest to the tank.

[cichlidgirl22]

@cichlidgirl22 I'm not a huge fan of Banana Plants, they don't really fit my aesthetic. I think they lack a natural look. Despite that, I do carry them in my shop, so I guess some people must like them.

[infold]

I came across some info that Banana Plants are related to water lilies and can even bloom a flower. My first aquarium plant, way back in '65, was a Banana Plant - still puts a smile on my face when I see 'em.

[cichlidgirl22]

I came across some info that Banana Plants are part of the water lily family - who knew? Apparently they can even bloom a flower every now and then. I've got a soft spot for them, my first aquarium plant was a Banana Plant way back in '65. Still puts a smile on my face when I see 'em.

[sSjey]

I've got a plant in my 30cm cube that I think you might be interested in, since you were browsing Aqua Essentials' site - it's the Schismatoglottis prietoi. This one's a new plant from the Philippines and it bears a resemblance to another plant on Aqua Essentials' site.

It's a slow grower, but mine's done really well even with just shrimps in the tank. You can see it in the front right of the tank in this photo I took last August - it's gotten a lot bigger since then.