Getting Started with Aquarium Plants

Live plants add so many benefits to an aquarium, such as natural beauty, water purification, and enrichment for your fish. However, it can be a bit daunting to set up your first planted tank. Not to worry – follow our step-by-step guide to learn all about aquatic plants and how to care for them.

Step 1: Choose Your Aquarium Plants

We recommend that you start with easy, beginner-friendly plants that don't need a lot of light. These species are more forgiving of beginner mistakes and also require less maintenance in general.

Step 2: Choose a Light for Aquarium Plants

Once you have found your favorite plants, it's time to choose the light. Your plant selection will impact whether you need high lighting or low lighting, so research the needs of your plants and then watch the following video that explains how to pick the right planted aquarium light. We also have an LED Aquarium Lighting Guide that recommends specific products based on the size of your fish tank.

Step 3: Choose a Substrate for Aquarium Plants

Your plant selection also affects what type of substrate or ground covering you need for the bottom of your tank. Some plants like anubias and java fern don't require any substrate, whereas others like sword plants and cryptocoryne plants need nutrients in the substrate for their roots to consume.

Step 4: Set Up Your Planted Aquarium

Once you have finished the research phase and gathered the necessary materials for your planted tank, it's time to put all the pieces together. Before you get started, watch this video from beginning to end to make sure you have everything you need.

Step 5: Feed Your Aquarium Plants

Congrats on setting up your first planted aquarium. Now let's focus on what it takes to keep the plants alive. In general, plants need sufficient lighting and nutrients to grow, so learn how to create a happy and healthy environment for them to thrive.

Step 6: Minimize Algae in Your Planted Tank

Algae is a common issue that pops up in all planted aquariums, even those kept by the most veteran aquascapers. While algae is a natural part of the aquarium ecosystem, most people don't like the way it looks. Find out the best ways to get rid of algae and minimize its growth in the long term.

Step 7: Address Any Plant Nutrient Deficiencies

If you find that your plant growth is stunted, the leaves are discolored, or the stems keep melting away, your plants may be missing certain nutrients. Learn how to spot the symptoms and fix the deficiencies to grow healthy plants.

Always wonderful. The site is easy to use (a little too easy).

good

Great product perfect for my betta tank. doesn’t take ip much room, quiet and easy to assemble.

Had one plant not make the journey. Customer service was excellent and refunded immediately. Great company

I love shopping at aquarium co-op online! It was easy to navigate for someone coming into the hobby. Lots of great products with good descriptions to help me find what I need.

Aquarium Co-op is best in class with great selection, service and super fast delivery. Spend enough to get a free shirt as they’re great too!!!

I love Aquarium Co-op products!!! This is the best place for me in this hobby.

Aquarium Coop quality has been consistently good since they started, and still improving every purchase. Good for beginners and experienced hobbyists.

Aquarium Co-Op was my number one source for all things aquatic before I ever had a tank. The blog and YouTube channel were paramount to my research. When the time came to set up my kid's 30 gallon and then my own 75 gallon- Aquarium Co-Op was my first stop. I was able to get everything online that I needed (except the tank) and I've had phenomenal success with both tanks. I run their easy flow sponge filters and use several of their filter media options in my canister. I also use their magic feed food and easy green fertilizer. I swear by the measuring jar (looks like a glass you'd take a swig of your favorite fermented drink)- and I also love the dual ended scoop. Everything is easy to find on the website and their customer service is top notch!

I recommend it

Plants were packaged so nicely and suffered no melt in my tank. I was worried because it’s a long trip to WA state but everything arrived in good condition.

Great company. Just change main shipping company. Amazon is not keeping up with their volume as they grow..

Everything came healthy and well wrapped

You guys are great!! Not a fan of you using Amazon Delivery Service only complaint..

Ordered an Anubsis Berberi. It was beautiful, packaged well and great condition.

alway good

Very quick.

Fast shipping great quality fair prices kinda rare thing to find nowdays

Store was clean, staff helpful and friendly. Fish and supplies always top notch

Aquarium Coop has helped take the hobby to the next level. Their web site is easy to navigate and prices are very competitive.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff

Always fair prices and selection. So far no disappointments. Customer service is above and beyond.

Easy to order and arrived in four days

I ordered some BUCE and other supplies on the recomendatons of a few different reddit threads, everyting arrived quickly and in perfect condition.

I don’t have a picture or video of the most recent optimizer that separated. The one you replaced for me at no charge I did send you a video. Most important to me right now is did you do anything to improve the strength of the area that attaches to the pump? This is where it splits right down the middle ( like there is a hidden seem on the area that connects to the pump. Thanks. Mark Rice

Great prices for great products

Everything came on time and as expected

Wonderful place to buy anything you need for your aquarium! They have a great selection of fish, fish water products and aquascaping supplies.

Great products

My orders ship quickly and arrive well packaged. I prefer ordering here versus Amazon so I know what is going in my tanks comes from a place that cares just as much. Their plant supplements are fantastic and have really supported growth in my tanks. I’ve ordered plants that had a rough go in travel but bounced back quickly once in the tank, so, don’t toss anything right away! Never been unhappy with an order.

Great company to do business with. Very helpful customer service, could not be happier.

Can't go wrong with the small fish food.

If you need aquarium supplies, aquarium co-op has great products. I will continue to purchase from them as long as I have aquariums.

Great company!

Loved that I received it pretty quickly!

I had a fantastic time at the CoOp Edmonds store. When you're in the store it's so chill. The staff are all there for you when needed. Otherwise you can relax and spend all the time you need checking out the wide variety of fish and merch. The store appearance is immaculate. Someone is always working at cleaning tanks or squaring away displays or whatever. They're always working at making the store best fish shop I know.
Thanks everyone for always making my store experience a special time.

Very knowledgeable, helpful, and kind staff + healthy, top-quality products and fish! I’m so glad I found this place as a beginner hobbyist.

Very good service and product availability. I drove from Renton to the retail store. And was worth it!

Website easy to use!

Customer service was great when I mistakenly purchased the wrong size of an item and everything arrived on time and in great condition.

Online ordering is an easy process. They tell you where the package is during delivery.

Always a positive experience, enjoy your products and Cory’s values.

Smooth ordering and quick delivery

Awesome place to order aquarium needs comes quickly everytime, packaged well with good pricing, battery back up pumps are Awesome I have 4 of them. Many plants and co-op items, easy green and magic small fish food with the convenient little scoop to help guide feeding amount. So many good products at good pricing.

quick shipping and everything is well packaged.

Always a positive experience dealing with the coop

Got helped as soon as I walked in the door. Had everything in stock that I needed.

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