Top 10 Aquarium Plants for Guppies

Live aquarium plants provides many benefits for your Guppies and other fishes. They produce oxygen and absorb the carbon dioxide and ammonia that your fish creates. It creates a more natural looking habitat for your aquarium tank. The live aquarium plants can serve as a hiding spots for your Guppies and they also provide shelter for newborn fry after they are born from their parents and other tank mates. It can also help make your aquarium tank as a standout decor piece in your home or office.

When selecting live plants, it’s important to select the ones are fully submerses into the water. Guppies and most Livebearers have a tendency to jump from time to time, so it’s important that you can still put your aquarium tank cover on.

Here are Top 10 Freshwater Live Aquarium Plants for Guppies:

We’ve selected a list of top 10 freshwater live aquarium plants that are suitable for Guppies. This list of live aquarium plants is based on several factors: requires similar water parameter as Guppies, easy to take care of plants and must be dense enough to provide shelter for Guppy fry to hide in.

1. Hornwort — One of the most popular live aquarium plants and easily found in most fish pet stores. You can either pot these in substrate or let them float around in the aquarium tank. They grow really fast so they can quickly start providing shelters for your fry if your Guppy is showing signs of being in labor. They have a spike needle like foliage that makes it difficult for the adult fish to get to the fry.
2. Java Moss — Once Java Moss is able to attach itself to any gravel, stone or driftwood or anything it can grip onto they will grow non-stop.
3. Moneywort — Moneywort (or also known as Creeping Jenny or Brahmi) can grow partially or fully submersed.
4. Indian Fern / Water Sprite — An easy starter plant. Their decorative looking leaves are perfect for Guppy fry to hide in. You can propagate Water Sprite by cutting the tips of the leaves.
5. Amazon Sword Plant — With it’s thick green leaves, the Amazon Sword Plant can help hide aquarium equipment like filter tubes and heater. It can look great on it’s own as the leaves can grow up to 20 inches if planted right on the center of your aquarium tank. If you plant several of them together, it can create a forest effect.
6. The Chain Sword / Pygmy Chain — With bright enough lights, it can form a carpet and create a nice lawn like effect on your aquarium. Most suitable as a foreground plant.
7. Pygmy Chain — Has a spidery look and sends out runners easily and quickly. A fairly small plant that is suitable in the foreground.
8. Corkscrew Vallisneria — A very interesting plant that has a twisting leaves, leaving a corkscrew appearance.
9. Needle Sagittaria / Dwarf Arrowhead — It is easy to care for and undemanding. If it grows large enough, it can grow small white flowers outside of the aquarium tank.
10. Najas Indica — You can either plant it or let it float to provide cover for fry. Be careful when cleaning your aquarium tank, its stems are extremely delicate.
11. Cryptocoryne Wendtii — They are slow growing so doesn’t require much pruning and maintenance. Can reach up to 18″.