All plants need light. Faster-growing plants need lots of light to continue to stay healthy and grow at a normal rate. Slow-growing plants have lower light demands because they don’t need to support fast growth. Some low-light plants can be more expensive because they take longer to grow out. Some good slow-growing plants for low-light tanks include swords, anubias, Java ferns, mosses, and cryptocorynes.

If the light you use does not have a timer, consider using one to ensure your plants receive consistent light each day.

All plants need nutrients to grow. When you are starting out with plants, fish waste works as an excellent fertilizer. But if you are looking for a tank with enough plants to be an underwater jungle, you will likely need to add additional fertilizers.

A good way to tell if you need to add more fertilizer is to test your nitrate level. You can use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API) Nitrate NO3 Test Kit to measure your nitrate levels. Nitrate should test between 5 and 10 ppm. If your nitrate level is below this level, it is a sign that you need to add more fertilizer. We recommend Seachem Flourish as a good all-in-one fertilizer for beginners. Flourish is a comprehensive fertilizer that adds nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.

All plants need CO2 to grow. If you start with just a few plants, you should not need to add any kind of CO2. But as your plants grow, you may need to increase CO2 levels. There are many excellent Complete CO2 Systems from Ista. For those intimidated by CO2, Seachem Flourish Excel is a liquid supplement that can replace CO2.