Guppies are one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish. They're easy to keep, livebearers, undemanding, and very inexpensive! They can also be kept with most other aquarium fish, but... what are the best aquarium plants to keep in a guppy tank? Read more in this blog post.
For guppies, it's best to use wild-growing aquarium plants. They thrive on these, providing a hiding place and food source for both older and baby guppies. While any aquarium plant is suitable for guppies, we've selected the very best in this article!
1. Use strong Anubias for guppies!
Anubias is known for its strong growth and leaf structure. This is an ideal plant for tying to wood or placing in the aquarium to provide more hiding places for young aquarium guppies. Keeping Anubias with your guppies offers even more advantages. A biofilm accumulates on the thick leaves of Anubias, a layer of bacteria that the (baby) guppies can then eat to grow. The most natural food source for aquarium fish!
If you want to keep Anubias with your guppies to provide more hiding places, you'll need a larger Anubias. The plant grows slowly, but that doesn't mean it will die easily. We recommend our Anubias plant package >, which contains everything you need to get started with Anubias rhizome plants for your aquarium.
2. Java fern is ideal for breeding guppies.
Java fern (Microsorum Pteropus) is an ideal aquarium plant if you don't want to over-maintain your aquarium but still want it to fill up nicely. This plant should be planted on the substrate or on wood/rock. It's also ideal for guppies, as its wild leaves and roots offer unique hiding places for all guppy species. Even though guppies are surface swimmers, the long leaves of this plant provide shelter, so the fish will come forward more and be less shy.
3. Nomaphila and Hygrophila, an easy stem plant for guppies.
If you want to keep stem plants with your guppies, you should choose an easy-to-care-for variety. Guppies are usually kept in low-tech aquariums, meaning they don't receive CO2 and usually don't receive any additional plant food. These two types of stem plants are incredibly easy to keep and inexpensive. The long leaves and stems not only provide filtering action in the aquarium but also shelter for young guppies. You can also let the plant float, which is the best method since guppies are surface swimmers. If you're looking to start with this plant, I recommend Nomaphila Siamensis . It's easy, widely available, and incredibly beautiful!
4. Cabomba, floating and stem plant for baby guppies.
The Cabomba is a true aquatic plant! This means it grows loosely on a stem. You can let the Cabomba float, but you can also plant it in the aquarium. This plant's stems extend to the surface, where they spread outwards. This upper growth offers plenty of hiding places for guppies. As you've read before, guppies are surface swimmers, and a lush, surface-dwelling plant (with such a fine leaf structure as the Cabomba) is ideal for any guppy! You'll soon see the baby guppies hiding among the Cabomba, and before you know it, the guppies will outgrow your tank!
Many Cabomba plants are no longer allowed, and it can be a tricky plant to get going. But if you manage to grow Cabomba for your guppies, it will definitely be rewarding! We recommend the Cabomba Piauhyensis , which is easy to keep and still legal in Europe.
5. Vallisneria, world famous and super easy!
Finally, we have the Vallisneria! As you can see in the photo below, it lets its leaves float at the surface. This has the same effect as the Cabomba plant. Because Vallisneria lets its leaves float at the surface, it also provides hiding places for your (baby) guppies. Vallisneria is also one of the most popular aquarium plants and widely available! Vallisneria also filter your water parameters effectively. They absorb waste products directly from the aquarium through their leaves, which is ideal for guppies, as they can produce quite a lot of waste!
This plant will not disappoint your guppy aquarium and to start with Vallisneria we recommend the Vallisneria Spiralis > .
Conclusion
In principle, almost any aquarium plant can be kept with guppies. You'll need to figure out which plants grow well and proliferate to provide your guppies with sufficient hiding places. Guppies sometimes want to eat their babies. By adding these five plants to your aquarium, you minimize this risk. Many of these plants also have an additional filtering effect on the aquarium water, which is beneficial for guppies (since they poop a lot).
Thanks for reading this article, and let us know what you think! Want to order aquarium plants from us? Click here to buy aquarium plants >
