As with Tropical fish, there is a vast range of freshwater tropical plants available in the fish keeping hobby so we have put together some profiles of these plants so you can work out the best ones to use to achieve that special look you want in your fish tank.
We have broken these plants down in to groups so it easier to find the right plant for the correct area of your tank, these are listed below. Alternatively you can browse All Tropical Plant Profiles.
Background Plants
Planted aquaria are often seen as pieces of art and most aquarists will try and replicate a certain 3D biotype of aquarium. Background plants are often fast growing tall plants which will sit at the back of the aquarium as the last thing you will see when gazing in to a planted aquarium. By using a lot of background plants you can create the illusion that the fish tank doesn’t end where you see these background plants so a thick luscious background plants will give the viewer the impression that there is more beyond. Due to their nature too, these can create a good and safe hiding place for many fish in the home aquarium.
Carpet Plants
Often used to give the planted aquarium a grass or canvas feel are carpet plants. You will see form these carpet plants profiles that they are used frequently to fill in the gaps between taller plants and will normally be short but thick plants which cover much ground but do not grow too high. These are great for corydora types of tropical catfish which can burrow through them finding bits of food which may have made it to the bottom of the fish tank. Carpet plants are often used by the best aquascapers to mark out paths and trick the mind in to thinking a tank may be deeper and to create a much more 3 dimensional are within the planted aquarium.
Foreground Plants
Foreground plants for the tropical fish tank are those which sit at the front of the tank so tend not to be grow that high but will be slightly thicker and deeper so as not to restrict your view from the middle and back of the tank. We have put together these profiles so you can chose the right plants for the desired effect you are looking for and the biotype you want to have which suits your fish.
Mid Ground Plants
Mid Ground Plants in the home aquarium are those which sit around the middle of the tank and tend to grow relatively tall but not too tall to block out what is behind them and will generally grow outwards as much as upwards. These Mid Ground plant profiles are targeted at helping you work out which will work best for your fish and overall aquarium set up.
Mosses
Mosses are sometimes just balls of a certain type of algae which are generally beneficial to the overall health of the home aquarium so not only can they be aesthetically pleasing, they also serve a practical purpose too. These plant profiles of mosses will go in to further detail of the types of mosses which are most commonly used in the home aquarium and help to explain the best way of keeping them rich and healthy.
Plants on Wood
Many tropical plants in their natural habitat will grow with their roots in the substrate however some will be able to grow just as well, if not better if their roots are partially exposed and grow on wood. Lakes and streams will often have fallen trees in them and bogwood is a common type of wood which will sink and is of such a structure that the roots of some tropical plants are able to burrow their way in to the wood and set up camp there.
These profiles of plants on wood give a bit more information about the exact origin of the plants and what conditions are best to keep them in.
