Flora & Fauna

Bacopa caroliniana is a robust, easy-going stem plant with rounded, fleshy leaves arranged in whorls along upright stems. Under high light the leaves develop a golden to pale-pink tinge; under low light they remain mid-green. It has a distinctive lemon scent when leaves are crushed. A reliable background or mid-background plant for community tanks and an excellent beginner stem plant that tolerates a wide range of conditions.

Compact rosette plant with spoon-shaped leaves — green on top, vivid purple underneath. One of the most striking two-tone aquascaping plants. Very adaptable and slow-growing. Excellent as a midground accent.

Ludwigia Palustris is one of the most accessible red stem plants, displaying green upper leaf surfaces and deep reddish-pink undersides that are visible as the stems wave in current. It is far less demanding than L. arcuata or Super Red Mini, making it an excellent entry-level red plant for tanks with moderate light. Fast growth means it requires regular pruning to maintain shape.

The most popular carpeting Marsilea in the hobby, producing tiny two- or four-leaf clovers on short petioles that hug the substrate to form a dense, bright green carpet. Significantly smaller than M. hirsuta, making it better suited to nano tanks and foreground work in larger scapes. Grows reliably with good light and CO₂ but is surprisingly tolerant of lower-tech conditions compared to HC Cuba. The clover-shaped leaves are charming and create an instantly recognisable, naturalistic foreground.

The smallest Marsilea species commonly available, producing miniscule two-leaf forms when submerged that create an incredibly fine, lawn-like carpet. Its wide geographic distribution makes it very adaptable to different water conditions. Under high light it carpets tightly to the substrate; in lower light, petioles elongate as the plant reaches for the surface. One of the most low-maintenance carpeting options available — more forgiving than HC Cuba or E. Belem.

Fast-growing stem plant with distinctive oak-leaf-shaped leaves. Extremely easy and undemanding — grows well without CO2. The unusual leaf shape adds variety to planted tank backgrounds.

Small water lily that propagates prolifically from plantlets on its floating leaves. Produces striking red-spotted green pads. Remove surface leaves regularly to keep the plant growing compact submersed growth.

The trident java fern is a cultivar with deeply lobed, multi-pronged fronds that create an elegant, fern-like silhouette. Like all java ferns it attaches to hardscape and requires no substrate. Very low-maintenance and suitable for low-tech tanks.

A smaller, more delicate version of Christmas Moss with finer fronds arranged in the same classic triangular pattern. The smaller frond size allows for more detailed, intricate-looking moss walls and carpets compared to standard Christmas Moss. Like other Vesicularia species, it attaches readily to hardscape and can be tied, glued, or pressed onto mesh panels. Works especially well in nano tanks and detailed scapes where a finer texture is desired.

A classic beginner stem plant with thick, succulent-looking round leaves arranged in opposite pairs along stiff stems. Growth is slow to moderate, making it easy to maintain shape. It adapts to a wide range of conditions and does not need CO2 to thrive, making it one of the most versatile aquatic plants available.

Narrow, willowy leaves give this variant a graceful, feathery appearance unlike its broad-leafed relatives. Great for creating visual contrast alongside wider-leaved plants. Just as hardy as the parent species.

Needle Leaf Java Fern produces extremely narrow, grass-like fronds that are distinctly different from standard Java Fern. The slender leaves create a delicate, airy texture that contrasts beautifully with broad-leaved plants. It shares the same hardy, low-light, epiphytic growth habit of regular Java Fern — easy to grow attached to rock or wood.

Taiwan Nymphoides produces attractive round-to-heart-shaped leaves with reddish-brown mottling on the underside. It spreads by runners and can be kept compact with regular trimming. Unlike surface-growing Nymphoides, it stays submerged in good lighting. A distinctive mid-ground to background plant with a bold, pond-like aesthetic.

Unique plant with long, thin tentacle-like leaves arranged in whorls. Fast-growing, forgiving, and adaptable. Excellent hiding place for fry and shrimp.

A lesser-known species with elegant, slightly wavy narrow leaves. Grows quickly in good conditions and provides dense cover for fish and invertebrates. The emersed form produces small fragrant flowers, giving the species its name.

Echinodorus Ozelot is a hybrid cultivar renowned for its striking green leaves adorned with irregular dark-brown to red spots, resembling the coat of an ocelot. It is a vigorous, moderately sized sword plant reaching 25–40 cm that makes an eye-catching focal specimen in the midground or background. New leaves often emerge with a reddish tint before maturing to spotted green.

Parrot's Feather is a fast-growing, feathery stem plant with blue-green whorled leaves. It grows both submerged and emersed. Excellent for ponds and unheated tanks. Grows vigorously without CO2, absorbing nutrients rapidly and helping suppress algae. In warm tanks it may require pruning weekly to keep it manageable.

Peacock Moss derives its name from the fan-like, layered fronds that resemble peacock feathers. It grows as dense, overlapping layers of triangular, feathery growth. One of the most attractive aquatic mosses for detail work on rock and wood in aquascaping. Hardy and adaptable, doing well in a wide range of conditions.

A flat, ribbon-like liverwort with a deep green, glossy surface that forms dense, spreading sheets on hardscape or the substrate. It is not a true moss but is widely sold and used as one. Particularly popular in shrimp and nano tanks — the flat, broad fronds create excellent grazing and hiding surfaces for dwarf shrimp. Grows slowly and does not need attachment, but its dense structure means it can smother smaller plants if left unchecked.

A floating liverwort made famous by Takashi Amano, who pioneered the technique of tying Riccia to rocks and driftwood using hairnets to create lush, bright green carpet-like surfaces. Left floating, it forms a thick mat at the water surface that provides excellent cover for fry and shrimp. When submerged and attached, it releases oxygen bubbles in a process called pearling, creating a spectacular visual effect. It is not a true moss but behaves similarly and is essential in the competition aquascaping world.

A stunning variegated cultivar of H. polysperma with white to pink venation against a light green or pinkish leaf. The coloration intensifies under bright light. Despite its exotic appearance it is just as easy as the parent species and grows quickly. Invasive in outdoor ponds in some US states.

Rotala Indica is an easy-going stem plant with small, oval leaves that display a pleasing pink to light-red coloration on their undersides even under moderate light — making it one of the few rotala species that beginners can achieve colour from without high-intensity lighting. It grows upright with a delicate, feathery texture and is often used as a softer alternative to R. rotundifolia in low-tech setups.

A delicate stem plant with small, narrow leaves that form feathery, bright green whorls. Under high light and CO2 it develops a slight pinkish tint at the growing tips. It grows vigorously and is a great mid-to-background filler, tolerating a wide range of conditions better than most Rotala species.

Rotala sp. 'Green' is a popular, fast-growing, bright green stem plant with small, oval leaves. Unlike the pinkish tones of R. rotundifolia, it stays consistently lime-green even under high light, providing excellent contrast with red-leaved plants. Undemanding and fast, it is a reliable background filler for any planted tank.

Compact stem plant with small, rounded bright-green leaves. Forms a bushy, dense growth habit that holds shape well without constant trimming. Excellent for filling midground gaps in planted aquascapes.

Salvinia is a fast-growing floating fern that creates dense surface cover. Its tiny textured leaves repel water, forming a green carpet on the surface. Excellent for nutrient export and providing shade for light-sensitive plants and fish below.

A compact, narrow-leafed variant of H. corymbosa popular in Dutch-style planted tanks. The smaller leaf size makes it easier to fit into midground positions. Very tolerant and undemanding.

Singapore Moss is a fine-leaved aquatic moss with a slightly more organised, fan-like branching structure than Java Moss. It grows into dense mounds on hardscape and creates effective moss walls on mesh. Fast-growing and undemanding, it is a popular beginner moss for aquascaping and a favourite refuge for shrimp and fry.

Soft Hornwort is the more delicate relative of the common Hornwort (C. demersum) with even finer, softer leaves. It floats freely in the water column, requiring no substrate or roots. Grows rapidly and absorbs ammonia and nutrients aggressively. Excellent for cycling tanks, fry tanks, and shrimp tanks where it provides cover and nutrient absorption.

Spiky Moss forms distinctively pointed, spiky tufts that radiate outward from attachment points, giving it a starburst appearance. It grows readily on rock, wood, or mesh and is easier to shape than Java Moss due to its tidier, more structured growth habit. Popular in Nature Aquarium styling.

A stringy, long-stranded moss with thin, delicate shoots that grow in loose, flowing tangles — giving it a wild, natural look unlike the denser Christmas or Java moss. Often used to create shaggy, overgrown effects on driftwood or as a hiding place for fry and shrimp. Also used in Wabi-kusa style arrangements. Grows faster than many mosses and can be difficult to manage if left untrimmed but is very undemanding.

A robust, fast-growing species native to the Americas with broad, oval leaves and prominent veins. It adapts well to a wide range of water conditions and is commonly found in paludariums and low-tech setups. Produces beautiful purple flowers when grown emersed.

Often mistaken for a moss, Süsswassertang (German for 'freshwater seaweed') is actually a fern prothallus — the juvenile phase of a fern. It produces small, bright green, tear-drop-shaped cells that cluster into irregular clumps or sheets. Grows slowly and does not need to be attached — it can float freely or be loosely placed on hardscape. Very popular in shrimp tanks and nano setups due to its low-maintenance nature and the intricate hiding spaces it creates for juvenile shrimp.

Taiwan Moss is characterised by densely packed, small, round-tipped fronds that grow in a drooping or cascading habit, making it ideal for creating natural-looking hanging mosses on hardscape overhangs. Its fine texture creates a gentler, softer effect than Christmas Moss.

One of the most popular and forgiving stem plants. Large, bright-green leaves grow in opposite pairs up a thick stem. Thrives in a wide range of conditions and grows fast, making it ideal for beginners and as a background filler.

The Tiger Lotus is a bulb plant with striking, broadly ovate leaves that are green or red, patterned with dark maroon spots. Without pruning it quickly sends large lily pads to the surface; regular removal of floating leaves keeps the submerged growth dense and compact. A dramatic, high-impact focal plant for mid-tanks.