What is Absolutely Needed For A Planted Freshwater Aquarium (besides the livestock & plants) The 16 products you definitely need,and the 3 you might need

By Jaron Hudson | [email protected] | October 21, 2026

You want a freshwater planted aquarium. What do you need to put fish and plants in the aquarium and reasonably expect them to survive and thrive? Here are the 16 essential products you need for a planted freshwater aquarium ( plus three you might need).

Filtration

With a quality filter, you will need to do less work cleaning your tank. For tanks under 40 gallons, a simple hang-on power filter is perfect. For tanks over 40 gallons, you really need a canister filter.

Further Reading:
- Filtration Overview

Lighting

Plants need ample light. In planted aquariums, lighting is often the most expensive purchase. We recommend LED lights because, in the long run, they save you money since they are energy efficient (and you won’t have to change the bulbs). They also generate less heat than fluorescent lights. We recommend Kessil Tuna Sun Planted-Tank LED Lights for most situations. These lights are very bright and come in three sizes that can accommodate all sizes of aquariums (for tanks over 24" you will need multiple lights).

Consult the Freshwater Planted Tank Lighting Chart for recommendations for your aquarium size.

If the Kessil lights are too pricey, or you want a fixture instead of a pendant light, consider the Fluval Plant 4.0 LED Aquarium Light Fixtures.

You will want to run your aquarium lights for a consistent number of hours every day. Some lights come with controllers/timers for turning the light on and off. For lights without that capability, you will need a light timer.

Testing

Testing is needed to ensure that your water is safe for your fish and plants. When you first set up a tank, you will want to test for ammonia and nitrite. Before adding plants, you will also want to test for KH, GH, pH, and nitrate. We recommend the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit along with the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals GH & KH Test Kit. Combined, they have all the needed tests.

Once your tank is set up and running, testing for nitrate and GH will be the most important. Consult the Test Kit Overview for frequency of testing.

Further Reading:
- Test Kit Overview

Maintenance

You will need to clean your aquarium to keep it healthy and attractive. For maintenance, you will need a good gravel vac and algae magnet. The Python Gravel Vacs and the Flipper Magnet Cleaners are good choices. When choosing a gravel vac, consider your aquarium depth, and when choosing an algae magnet, consider your glass thickness.

Further Reading:
- Cleaning Basics 101: Five Pro Cleaning Tips
- Top 10 Aquarium Maintenance Hacks

Water

Having a healthy aquarium starts with good water. Because tap water contains many impurities, it is best to use reverse osmosis water with a remineralizer. To save money, many aquarists instead use tap water and add a dechlorinator to remove toxic chlorine. If you use reverse osmosis water, you can buy it from your local fish store or grocery store, or make your own with an RO unit. You can then use Brightwell Aquatics Remineraliz to raise the GH and KH to the desired level. If using tap water you can treat it with Seachem Prime.

Aquascape

You will need to add a substrate and hardscape to your aquarium to give your fish places to hide and plants places to grow. In planted aquariums,, a traditional gravel substrate isn't ideal because you will want to replicate the dirt that aquatic plants root in. It is better to use a soil such as Seachem Flourite Black Gravel. This substrate contains nutrients that act as a plant fertilizer and better replicate a natural soil environment. Hardscape includes rocks, wood,, and decorations.

You can add natural decorations such as rock and driftwood. Because these materials are expensive to ship, it's sometimes best to buy them locally or collect them from nature. These materials can also contain heavy metals, humic acid, or other undesirable compounds. Because of this, many aquarists will choose to use artificial decorations.

Additives

If you look on our website, you will notice that there are many additives on our site. In planted aquariums, all additives are essentially fertilizers. Plants need fertilizer to grow new tissue. While you can add different types of fertilizers independently, it is easiest for beginners to use a comprehensive fertilizer with all the essential elements in one product. Seachem Flourish contains all the major fertilizer components water plants need.

Water Flow

Water movement is important in fish-only tanks to oxygenate the water and stir up the waste so the filter can remove it. As a general rule, you will want enough water movement to turn over your aquarium’s total water volume at least 4 to 5 times per hour. Your canister filter or power filter should be large enough to turn over the water 4 to 5 times per hour. If your filter doesn't have enough flow, you can add a powerhead to the tank, but it's best to buy a filter with enough pumping capacity for your freshwater system.

Further Reading:
- Pump Overview

CO2

CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis and plant growth. When you put lots of plants in a small tank, they can absorb all the available CO2 and grow slowly. Because of this, planted aquariums need a CO2 source. The best option is a complete CO2 system. We carry many Complete Ista CO2 Systems. A simpler solution is Seachem Flourish Excel, a liquid alternative to CO2 that works in any tank.

Further Reading:
- CO2 System Overview

Temperature Control

Tropical planted freshwater aquariums should maintain a temperature of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (though some plants may better off with temps closer to 76 degrees). If your aquarium temperature drops below 76 degrees at any time, you will need a heater. All the heaters we carry have aquarium size ratings. Keep in mind the rating assumes you only need to raise the temperature by 10 degrees. We recommend OASE HeatUp Heaters. You will need a thermometer to know your tank temperature.

If your aquarium is in a very warm room, you may need a Chiller. If your aquarium is in a room that gets up to 80 degrees, the heat created by the aquarium and pump may push the temperature above 82 degrees, which is the absolute threshold for tropical fish.

Further Reading:
- Heater Overview
- Chiller Overview

GF/CI Outlet

Your home may have GF/CI outlets, but if it doesn’t, you may want to install one for your aquarium equipment.

Fish Food

This really depends on the type of fish you purchase. Ask at the aquarium store about the best food for the fish you purchase.

If you travel and no one is home to take care of your fish, consider an automatic fish feeder.

Fish Net

Always use a fish net to move fish you buy at the aquarium store.