You may choose to keep the guppies without live plants. However, you should know that guppies prefer these plants as they provide ample hiding space for them.
There are other excellent benefits of keeping live plants in a guppies tank. These plants clean the water as they suck the nitrates and balance the water parameters.
Article Contents
5 Best Live Plants For Guppies
Guppy Grass
Guppy grass is one of the best live plants for guppies. These plants will provide a lot of protection to the guppy fry because of their dense leaves (this is why they are called guppy grass). You can root these plants in the substrate or let them float in the fish tank.
As these plants can multiply, some liquid fertilizers are required to grow. There will be no harm to the plant with medium lighting and a lack of carbon dioxide.
However, this may reduce the speed of their development. They are very good at removing toxins, nitrates, ammonia, nitrites, and heavy metals from the water, which significantly increases oxygen levels.
There are fewer chances of algae growth in the tank where guppy grass is introduced. Usually, these plants do not require fertilizers or carbon dioxide for change, and they grow horizontally and vertically. Sometimes, you may need to clip off their stems to prevent their outgrowth.
A minimum tank size of 10 gallons is required to put these plants. The ideal water temperature required for the growth of guppy grass is 68 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and a pH value of 6 to 8 is best for their development.
Java Moss
Java Moss is hardy and relatively easy to grow, and it has low maintenance requirements; it is one of the most common plants you see in aquariums. These plants usually allow a lot of space in the tank for baby guppies to hide behind. If your guppies keep breeding regularly, there can be no better plant than Java Moss.
These oxygen-rich plants can proliferate under any lighting circumstances. However, I would recommend you place them in low to medium light as too much light can cause algae growth. These plants can be suitable for all tank sizes.
These types of plants can be placed at the bottom of the aquarium. These plants can also grow without carbon dioxide and fertilizers. The ideal water temperature for their growth ranges between 58 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. And they require a pH range of 5.4 to 8.0 for their proper development.
Newborn guppies can also feed on these plants for their nutrition. These plants usually grow faster in cold water temperatures.
Though they can grow without fertilizers, liquid fertilization would be better as these plants can absorb all the nutrients from their leaves. Compared to other alternatives, Java Moss has fewer maintenance needs. Plus, you can be left it alone after attaching them to the bottom of the tank.
Java Fern
If keeping up with fast-growing plants is a bit challenging for you, you will love to place Java Ferns in the guppy tank.
These plants usually grow in low to moderate lighting conditions as too much light can change their color to brown, which may not look beautiful.
If you decide to have Java ferns for your guppies, you need to have multiple plants to provide sufficient space for the guppies to hide.
These plants can grow well in 67 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit water temperatures. A pH of 6 to 7.5 and hardness of 60 to 160 ppm are ideal for their growth.
These plants are also straightforward to maintain. A tank size of at least 5 gallons is ideal for their growth.
These plants usually grow like weeds and can spread all over the tank, and they can generally grow up to 13 inches in length and up to 6 inches in width.
Java ferns do not need any special lighting conditions for growth. However, too much light is not suitable for them.
These plants do not require any specialized substrate, and they can also grow without adding carbon dioxide. These plants can be hooked to any part of the aquarium.
Hornwort
Hornwort is another excellent option for guppies and is relatively easy to grow. These plants are also known as guppy grass as they can be the best option for breeding guppies. ( They provide a lot of space for guppies to hide).
Their small, dense leaves are ideal for the baby guppies to hide from predators. They also overgrow and can reach a height of up to 10 feet.
As these plants are very hardy, they can endure any water parameters. Moderate lighting is ideal for their growth as too much light can cause the deposition of algae.
These plants usually do not need any substrate to grow, and you can leave it as a background plant or allow it to float in your tank.
The ideal water temperature for their growth is 58 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit with a pH of 6 to 7.5 and hardness tolerance of 4 to 16 dGH.
These plants do not need any fertilizer for their growth. However, as they multiply, regular trimming needs to be done, and they also need to be anchored.
Hornwort is also good at filtering the water and is relatively easy to take care of.
Water Sprite
Water sprite is one of the best plants for your guppies. These plants can grow up to 13 inches and are very hardy. They are also straightforward to take care of, making them ideal for beginners. Water sprite provides a lot of space for the guppy fry to hide.
Low to medium lighting conditions ( at least 2-3 watts per gallon) are ideal for the growth of these plants.
You can either allow it to float in the tank or place it in the substrate, and it is best to put these plants in the middle of the aquarium.
As they are very hardy plants, they can grow without any substrate. However, sand or gravel can be used as a substrate for a water sprite. (Also, keep in mind that the substrate should be 2 to 3 inches thick).
Though water sprite can thrive without fertilizers, you can speed up their growth with liquid fertilizers. The ideal water temperature for their development is 67 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit with a pH of 6 to 7.5 and a hardness tolerance of up to 8 KH. A medium-sized tank of at least 10 gallons is ideal for their growth.
Do Guppies Need Live Plants?
It is not mandatory to place live plants in the aquarium for guppies. However, there are numerous benefits of introducing live plants in the fish tank.
These plants provide a lot of space for the guppies and the fry to hide and protect themselves from predators.
Live plants also help in improving the water quality of the fish tank. Heavily planted aquariums are best for breeding guppies as the guppy fry needs ample space to hide.
These plants also consume a lot of nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, and other heavy metals from the tank, which helps maintain the tank’s cleanliness.
5 Best Artificial Aquarium Plants For Guppies
Live plants can be a great addition to the tank. However, not everyone has the time to regularly take care of the plants and the water levels.
In such cases, artificial plants can be a great alternative. Here are the five best artificial aquarium plants for guppies:
Bamboo 3 Feet, Décor for Aquariums
This is one of the best artificial plants for your fish tank. It is pretty low on budget and has an excellent base. It also looks more realistic and colorful than many other artificial aquarium plants present in the market.
These plants can be used in aquascaping to create a very dense foliage area. Though their stems appear a bit droopy, you can use hot water to straighten them.They can be a great addon for your aquarium.
My Life UNIT Artificial Seaweed Plant
These artificial plants are also a great addition to most aquariums as they are very soft and attractive.
Though the green color looks relatively bright, you can also choose other color variants of these plants.
Guppies can easily swim through their leaves and would not have trouble roaming around the tank.
However, if you notice any deformation caused by warm weather conditions, you can dip them in hot water for a quick fix.
QUMY Large Aquarium Plants
This artificial aquarium plant is bushy in appearance and can be an excellent addition to the backside of your fish tank. They look solid, but their leaves can become semi-translucent and spread into fans when dipped in water.
This artificial plant can give ample cover to the guppies and provides a lot of hiding spots for the baby guppies.
These plants usually come in a combo of three, and they are pretty cost-effective and a great deal for your colorful guppies.
However, note that these plants are pretty delicate and can be destroyed easily by large, aggressive fish. Hence it is ideal for peaceful fishes like guppies.
Fluval Anubias Artificial Plant
These artificial plants are famous for their aquarium equipment. They look very realistic and beautiful and are a great addition to your fish tank.
It almost resembles the Anubias species. These plants look practically close to perfection and have natural-looking colors.
They are also quite affordable and can be bought by many fish owners. If you want to give your aquarium the feel of a natural plant with something artificial, this would be the best artificial plant for you.
Otterly Pets Artificial Aquarium Plants
This would be one of the best artificial aquarium plants for your guppies. They are vibrant and usually have purple, green, and blue shades, and they also seem very realistic and colorful. These plants come in a combination of eight, and they are up to 12 inches tall.
The best part about them is that they are made with eco-friendly non-metallic and non-toxic plastic materials. This means they are less likely to rot and would hardly cause any adjustments to the pH levels of the tank.
- Read More
- 10 Best Automatic Fish Feeders for Guppies
- Best Starter Fish for Kids
- What is Best Guppy Male to Female Ratio?
Summary
Though you may choose to keep your guppies in a tank that does not contain any live plants, the addition of these plants can indeed be beneficial.
These plants are ideal for breeding guppies as they provide a lot of space for the guppy fry to hide and protect themselves from predators.
They also maintain the cleanliness of the water by consuming nitrates, ammonia, nitrites, and heavy metals. These live plants also keep the water parameters balanced.
You can get a lot of live plants that can be the best addition to your guppies (such as guppy grass and hornwort).
It would be best to introduce as many plants as possible to provide ample space for the guppies to hide.
If maintaining live plants is not your choice, you may also opt for some vibrant-looking and close to reality artificial aquarium plants (such as Otterly Pets and Fluval Aluvia) that also deserve to be a part of your fish tank.
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