If you are looking for the best aquarium plants for Neon tetras then you are in the right place.
In this article, I am going to show you 5 best aquarium plants that you can easily keep in your Neon tetra tank.
Later, I will also answer a few questions related to Neon tetra and live aquarium plants.
So let’s dive into it.
Table of Contents
What makes an ideal plant for a Neon tetra?
Before going through the list, first, let’s see what type of plants Neon tetras prefers or what type of plants you should keep in your Neon tetra aquarium.
Hiding places
Neon tetra is not a fish that can hold its own against other fish.
So it needs hiding places so it can hide and relax.
That’s why the plants that provide a lot of hiding places are a good choice for Neon tetra or tetra species in-general.
Filtered light
Neon tetra don’t like direct light in the aquarium.
Floating aquarium plants are very good at filtering the light.
So Neon tetra like floating aquarium plants.
Ideal water conditions
Lastly, you should choose the plants that require similar water conditions as Neon tetras so they can both thrive in the same tank.
5 Best Aquarium Plants for Neon Tetras
1. Ludwigia Repens
See more images at Amazon here
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Ludwigia Repens |
| COMMON NAMES | Ludwigia repens, Ludwigia repens Rubin, Red repens, Ludwigia sp. Weinrot, Red-Leaf Ludwigia, Creeping Primrose-Willow |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Ludwigia repens |
| FAMILY | Onagraceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low to very high |
| GROWTH RATE | Moderate to Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 60- 86oF |
| pH | 5 - 8 |
| HARDNESS | Very soft to hard level |
| PLACEMENT | Background |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 7-19 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Ludwigia repens is one of the most popular red aquarium plants. It is also one of the best oxygenating plants.
This plant is very easy to care for and it can tolerate a wide range of water parameters which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Ludwigia repens is the best aquarium plant for Neon tetra tank?
You can keep Ludwigia repens floating in your aquarium which can help to filter light in your tank.
Besides, you can also plant Ludwigia repens in your tank and it will provide hiding places to your Neon tetras.
Substrate requirements
You can use any substrate for planting Ludwigia repens in your tank.
However, I advise you to avoid planting it in sand substrate (except organic volcanic sand) because it can suffocate its roots.
Light requirements
Ludwigia repens does well under medium to highlight.
So you should provide it light anywhere between two to four watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light.
Or provide light between 35 to 50 plus micromoles if you are using LED light.
If you are going after its red coloration then you should provide high light because it will help with the coloration.
Water conditions requirements
Ludwigia repens can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 60° Fahrenheit to up to 86° Fahrenheit. So you can keep it in coldwater as well as tropical aquarium.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5 to 8.
And you can keep it in very hard as well as soft water.
These water parameters are under the ideal range of water conditions that Neon tetras need.
So you can easily keep them both together in the same tank.
Fertilization requirements
For vibrant coloration and healthy growth, you should regularly supplement Ludwigia repens with fertilizers.
You should use the fertilizers that are especially rich in CO2 like Seachem Flourish Excel. You can check its price at Amazon here.
Do I Need to Fertilize My Aquarium Plants? (Is it really necessary?)
Best place to keep Ludwigia repens in your Neon tetra aquarium?
You can keep Ludwigia repens floating in your Neon tetra tank. And it will restrict the direct light coming into the aquarium.
Besides, you can also plant it in your tank. And it will provide a lot of hiding places to your Neon tetra.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
Are Aquarium Plants Good? (Everything you need to know)
2. Brazilian Pennywort
See more images at Amazon here
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Brazilian Pennywort |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Hydrocotyle leucocephala |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 68 – 82°F |
| pH | 6.0 – 7.8 |
| PLACEMENT | Floating or Foreground |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 8 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Brazilian pennywort is a floating aquarium plant.
This plant is very undemanding and it is very easy to care for, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Brazilian pennywort is the best plant to keep in Neon tetra tank?
As Brazilian pennywort is a floating aquarium plant, keep it floating in the tank.
This will filter the light coming directly into the aquarium. Floating plants also helps to lower temperature in the tank.
Substrate requirements
Brazilian pennywort is a floating aquarium plant so you don’t need any substrate to keep in your tank.
Water conditions requirements
The ideal temperature range for Brazilian pennywort is between 68° to 82° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6 to 7.8.
And its general water hardness tolerance range is up to 30 dGh.
Light requirements
Brazilian pennywort does well under moderate lighting conditions.
So provide light between 2-3 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light.
Or light between 35 to 50 micromoles if you are using LED light.
Do Aquarium Plants Need Light? (Do they really need a special light)
Fertilization requirements
For healthy growth, regularly supplement Brazilian pennywort with liquid fertilizers.
You should use all in one fertilizer for this plant like Seachem Flourish (check its price at Amazon here)
Best place to keep Brazilian pennywort in Neon tetra tank?
You should keep Brazilian pennywort floating in your Neon tetra tank. It will block light coming directly into the aquarium.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
Are Aquarium Plants Hard To Keep? (And how to keep them healthy)
3. Java Fern
See more images at Amazon here
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Java Fern |
| COMMON NAMES | Java Fern |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Microsorum pteropus |
| FAMILY | Polypodiaceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low to Moderate |
| GROWTH RATE | Low to Moderate |
| TEMPERATURE | 68-82oF |
| pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| HARDNESS | 60-160 ppm |
| PLACEMENT | Mid to Background |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 13.5 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 5 Gallons |
Java fern is one of the most popular plants in the aquarium hobby.
This plant is very easy to care for, so it is a good choice if you are a beginner.
Besides, this plant is extremely hardy and it is very cheap as well.
As Java fern is popular, it is widely available in local fish stores and online.
Why Java fern is the best plant to keep in Neon tetra tank?
Java fern can provide a lot of hiding places to Neon tetras.
Besides, the ideal water parameters range of Java fern is quite similar to that of Neon tetra. So you can easily keep them together.
Substrate requirements
Java fern doesn’t have real roots. Instead, it has rhizomes.
So you don’t need to plant it in the substrate of your tank.
Instead, you can attach it by tying it to rock or driftwood.
Water conditions requirements
The ideal temperature range for Java fern is between 68° to 82° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6 to 7.5.
And its water hardness tolerance range between 3-8 KH.
These water parameters are similar to that of Neon tetra. So you can easily keep them both together in the same tank.
Light requirements
Java fern is not very undemanding when it comes to light.
You can keep it under low-to-moderate lighting conditions.
If you’re using fluorescent light then you should provide it light anywhere between 1.5 to 2 Watts per gallon.
If you are using LED light then you should provide it light between 35 to 50 micromoles.
Fertilization requirements
Java fern is a pretty hardy plant and it can do well without any additional fertilizers.
However, for faster growth, you should regularly supplement with fertilizers.
Java fern absorbs nutrients through its leave. So supplement it with liquid fertilizers.
What’s the best place to keep Java fern in Neon tetra aquarium?
You should keep Java fern in the middle ground or background of your Neon tetra tank. It will provide hiding places to your Neon tetras.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
Are Aquarium Plant Fertilizers Safe For Fish? (Best fish safe fertilizers)
4. Water Lettuce
See more images at Amazon here
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Water Lettuce |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Pistia |
| FAMILY | Araceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Moderate |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate |
| GROWTH RATE | Moderate |
| TEMPERATURE | 70 to 80 °F |
| pH | 6.5-7.2 pH |
| HARDNESS | Soft to Moderately Hard |
| PLACEMENT | Water Surface |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 10 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Water lettuce is a floating aquarium plant.
This plant is a bit tricky to keep in a home aquarium because it requires humidity to grow.
However, if you provide it with the ideal environment, it can grow pretty fast and easily overtake your tank.
Substrate requirements
water lettuce is a floating aquarium plant, so it doesn’t require any substrate to keep in aquarium
Water conditions requirements
The ideal temperature range for water lettuce is between 70 to 80° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.2.
And you can keep it in soft to moderately hard water.
Light requirements
Water lettuce does well under moderate lighting conditions.
So if you have fluorescent light then you should provide it light between 2 to 3 Watts per gallon.
If you have LED light, then you should provide light anywhere between 35 – 50 micromoles.
Fertilization requirements
Water lettuce is a pretty hardy plant, and it doesn’t require any additional fertilization.
It will use ammonia produced by the fish poop as fertilizer.
What’s the best place to keep Water lettuce in in Neon tetra aquarium?
Water lettuce is a floating aquarium plant, so keep it floating in your Neon tetra tank.
It will block the light coming directly into your tank and create the ideal environment for your Neon tetras
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
5. Amazon Sword
See more images at Amazon here
| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Amazon sword |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Echinodorus grisebachii |
| FAMILY | Alismataceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 60.8-82.4°F |
| pH | 6.5-7.5 pH |
| HARDNESS | 8-15°dH |
| PLACEMENT | Background |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 16 Inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 Gallons |
Amazon sword is one of the most popular plants in the aquarium hobby. It is also one of the few flowering aquarium plants.
This plant is very easy to care for, so it is a good choice if you are a beginner.
Why Amazon sword is the best plant to keep in Neon tetra tank?
Amazon sword grows pretty tall. And it creates forest-like effect in your tank, which provides a lot of hiding places to Neon tetra.
Besides, the ideal water parameters range of Amazon sword is similar to that of Neon tetra so both can thrive in the same tank.
Substrate requirements
Amazon sword is heavy root feeder aquarium plant. So if you plant it in a nutrient rich substrate, it will definitely benefit from it and grow faster and healthier.
However, you can also plant Amazon sword in sand or gravel substrate.
Just make sure the substrate is at least 2.5 inches thick so it’ll have space to create root structure in the substrate.
Also supplement it fertilizers through root tabs.
Water conditions requirements
Amazon sword can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 60° Fahrenheit to up to 82° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range between 6.5 to 7.5.
And its water hardness tolerance range is between 8 to 15 DH.
These ideal water parameters are similar to the ideal water parameters range that Neon tetra requires. So you can easily keep them both together in the same tank.
Light requirements
Amazon sword does well under moderate lighting conditions.
So if you are using fluorescent light then you should provide it light anywhere between two to three Watts per gallon.
If you are using LED light, then you should provide it light between 35 to 50 micromoles.
Fertilization requirements
For healthy, faster, and vibrant growth you should regularly supplement Amazon sword with fertilizers.
Amazon sword is a heavy root feeder aquarium plant, so it will absorb nutrients to the substrate through its roots.
So you should provide it fertilizers using root tabs.
Amazon sword can also absorb nutrients through its leaves, so you can also supplement it with liquid fertilizers.
Best place to keep Amazon sword in a Neon tetra aquarium
Amazon sword is a fast growing aquarium plant.
And it can grow pretty tall. So ideally, you should keep it in the background of your tank. And it will provide a lot of hiding places to your Neon tetras.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
6 Tips to Take Care of Live Plants in Aquarium
Here’s a beautiful Planted Neon Tetra tank for you. Enjoy!
FAQ
Do Neon tetras need live plants?
Live plants are not absolutely necessary to keep in a Neon tetra tank.
However, there are a lot of benefits of keeping live aquarium plants in the tank.
Especially, to Neon tetras, the live aquarium plants will provide hiding places that can help them feel more secure and relieve stress.
Besides, the natural habitat of Neon tetra has a lot of vegetation. And keeping live plants in home aquarium help to emulate the natural habitat of Neon tetra which makes them feel like home.
Will Neon tetras eat plants?
Neon tetras are omnivorous so they can eat both plant matter and meat.
So in your aquarium you can expect them to nibble on plants sometimes.
20 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Aquarium
Conclusion
So these are the best aquarium plants for Neon tetras.
I hope you found this article helpful.
If you do, please share it.
As always, happy fishkeeping!
