Pillar guide
The Planted Aquarium, A Complete Guide
A complete planted-aquarium reference: lighting, CO₂, substrate, dosing, plant selection, and algae control, built on the Fin & Stem catalogue.
By Mike ElmiraUpdated 2 min read
TL;DR, The Planted Aquarium, A Complete Guide
A planted tank is a system: light drives photosynthesis, CO₂ feeds the plants, substrate anchors them, and dosing fills the gaps. Get those four right and most of the so-called 'plant problems' disappear. This guide walks through each lever in plain English, then hands you straight to the catalogue so you can pick species that actually fit the parameters you can hold. Every plant profile cross-references compatible fish, shrimp, and mosses, so by the time you've stocked, the tank already works.
The planted aquarium is the most rewarding corner of the fishkeeping hobby, and the most over-mystified. There are no secret techniques. Just four levers (light, CO₂, substrate, dosing), one biological constraint (cycling), and the patience to let a tank mature before you call anything 'wrong'.
Fin & Stem's catalogue is built around the planted tank as a system. Every plant entry tells you exactly what light and CO₂ regime it wants. Every fish entry tells you whether it'll uproot stems or shred floaters. Every shrimp entry tells you which fish will hunt them down. Pick your anchor species, then use the Compatibility tool to fill the rest.
The full catalogue in this guide
68 profiles · each cross-referenced for compatibility with the rest of the catalogue.
- Anubias Barteri Nana, Anubias barteri var. nana
- Java Fern, Microsorum pteropus
- Amazon Sword, Echinodorus grisebachii
- Cryptocoryne Wendtii, Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Vallisneria Spiralis, Vallisneria spiralis
- Dwarf Hygrophila, Hygrophila polysperma
- Bucephalandra (mixed), Bucephalandra sp.
- Dwarf Hairgrass, Eleocharis parvula
- Monte Carlo, Micranthemum tweediei
- Rotala Rotundifolia, Rotala rotundifolia
- Ludwigia Repens, Ludwigia repens
- Staurogyne Repens, Staurogyne repens
- Dwarf Baby Tears (HC Cuba), Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
- Pogostemon Helferi (Downoi), Pogostemon helferi
- Floating Watermoss (Salvinia), Salvinia natans
- Bacopa Caroliniana, Bacopa caroliniana
- Cryptocoryne Parva, Cryptocoryne parva
- Asian Ambulia, Limnophila sessiliflora
- Glossostigma, Glossostigma elatinoides
- Micro Sword, Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
- Four-Leaf Clover, Marsilea hirsuta
- Amazon Frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum
- Hygrophila Pinnatifida, Hygrophila pinnatifida
- Aponogeton Crispus, Aponogeton crispus
- Lobelia Cardinalis 'Mini', Lobelia cardinalis 'Small Form'
- Dwarf Sagittaria, Sagittaria subulata
- Ludwigia 'Super Red', Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'
- Pearlweed, Micranthemum micranthemoides
- Chain Sword, Helanthium tenellum
- Needle Hairgrass, Eleocharis acicularis
- Cryptocoryne Lutea, Cryptocoryne lutea
- Java Fern 'Windelov', Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov'
- African Water Fern, Bolbitis heudelotii
- Ranunculus Inundatus, Ranunculus inundatus
- Temple Plant, Hygrophila corymbosa
- Water Wisteria, Hygrophila difformis
- Brazilian Pennywort, Hydrocotyle leucocephala
- Bacopa Monnieri, Bacopa monnieri
- Anubias Barteri, Anubias barteri var. barteri
- Green Cabomba, Cabomba caroliniana
- Anacharis (Elodea), Egeria densa
- Red Tiger Lotus, Nymphaea zenkeri
- Cryptocoryne Balansae, Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae
- Hydrocotyle Tripartita 'Japan', Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan'
- Java Fern 'Trident', Microsorum pteropus 'Trident'
- Rotala Wallichii, Rotala wallichii
- Rotala 'H'ra', Rotala rotundifolia 'H'ra'
- Alternanthera Reineckii 'Mini', Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini'
- Blyxa Japonica, Blyxa japonica
- Pogostemon Stellatus 'Octopus', Pogostemon stellatus 'Octopus'
- Eriocaulon Cinereum, Eriocaulon cinereum
- Rotala Macrandra, Rotala macrandra
- Ludwigia Palustris, Ludwigia palustris
- Ludwigia Arcuata, Ludwigia arcuata
- Riccia Fluitans, Riccia fluitans
- Süßwassertang, Lomariopsis lineata
- Ammannia Gracilis, Ammannia gracilis
- Mato Grosso Milfoil, Myriophyllum mattogrossense
- Stargrass, Heteranthera zosterifolia
- Cyperus Helferi, Cyperus helferi
- Helanthium 'Vesuvius', Helanthium tenellum 'Vesuvius'
- Water Lettuce, Pistia stratiotes
- Cryptocoryne Walkeri, Cryptocoryne walkeri
- Lindernia Rotundifolia, Lindernia rotundifolia
- Narrow Leaf Java Fern, Microsorum pteropus 'Narrow Leaf'
- Anubias Barteri 'Petite', Anubias barteri var. nana 'Petite'
- Echinodorus 'Red Flame', Echinodorus 'Red Flame'
- Umbrella Hairgrass, Eleocharis vivipara
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions search engines and AI assistants surface most often about this species.
Do I need CO₂ for a planted tank?
Not for most beginner setups. Anubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne, mosses, Vallisneria, and a long list of stem plants will thrive without injected CO₂ as long as light is moderate and the tank is well-cycled. CO₂ injection unlocks the demanding high-light reds (Rotala macrandra, Ludwigia super red, Alternanthera 'Mini') and lets carpets like HC Cuba and Monte Carlo grow flat and dense. Start low-tech; upgrade when you've outgrown the plant menu.
What light intensity does a planted tank need?
PAR at substrate level matters more than wattage. Low-light tanks run 15–30 µmol PAR (most LEDs at 50% over a 40 cm tank); medium 30–60; high 60–120. Match light to plant choice, pushing a low-tech tank into high-light territory without CO₂ just feeds algae.
How do I cycle a planted tank?
Plants partly cycle the tank for you, heavily-planted, well-lit setups can run fish-in from week one if you stock lightly, test daily, and water-change at the first sign of ammonia or nitrite. For a hands-off cycle, add a bacteria starter (Seachem Stability, Dr Tim's One & Only) and dose ammonia to 2 ppm; the tank's ready when 2 ppm of ammonia is processed to 0 ppm nitrite within 24 hours.
Why is my planted tank getting algae?
Algae is a symptom, almost always of too much light for the plant biomass, unstable CO₂, or excess nutrients with no plant uptake. Diagnose by which algae: green dust = young tank, BBA = unstable CO₂, green water = too much ammonia, hair algae = nutrient surplus. Fix the cause; don't chase symptoms with algae-killing chemicals.
Ready to plan your tank?
Pick any species and Fin & Stem will cross-reference everything compatible across all four categories.