If you are looking for the best aquarium plants to prevent algae in your aquarium, then you are in the right place.
In this article, I will show you some easy plants you can keep in your tank to prevent algae.
So let’s dive into it.
Table of Contents
6 Best Aquarium Plants to Prevent Algae
1. Java Moss
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| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Java moss |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Vesicularia dubyana |
| FAMILY | Hypnaceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Very easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Low to Bright |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 59-86°F |
| pH | 5.0 to 8.0 |
| HARDNESS | 60- 240 ppm |
| PLACEMENT | Foreground |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 4 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 5 gallon |
Java moss is one of the most popular plants in the aquarium hobby.
This plant is very hardy, and it can tolerate a wide range of water parameters, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
This plant is pretty cheap, and it is most likely available in your nearest local fish store or online.
Why Java moss is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Under the ideal environment, Java moss can grow pretty fast. And it is very quick to absorb nutrients from the tank which will starve algae for nutrients and help to prevent it.
Substrate requirements
Java moss doesn’t have roots, so it doesn’t require any substrate to keep in your aquarium.
You can keep it in your aquarium no matter which substrate you have.
Ideal water condition for Java moss
Java moss can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
That being said, the ideal temperature range for Java moss is between 59 to 86° Fahrenheit.
Its pH tolerance range is between 5 to 8. And it does well in soft water.
Light requirements for Java moss
Java moss can do well in almost any lighting condition.
You can keep it under low light as well as under bright light.
However, you will notice a difference in the growth depending on the light you provide.
For example, under low light, it will not grow fast, and its growth will be lankier. Contrastingly, if you keep it under bright light, then it will grow faster and its growth will be more compact and dense.
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Fertilization requirements for Java moss
Java moss can do well with no additional fertilizers.
However, if you are putting it under highlighting conditions, then you should also feed it fertilizers for its fast growth.
Best place for Java moss in an aquarium
The best part about Java moss is that there are several locations you can keep it in your aquarium.
First, Java moss doesn’t require any substrate. Because it doesn’t have any roots, so it doesn’t draw any nutrients from the substrate.
People usually use it as a carpet plant. So you can use it as a carpet plant and spread it on the substrate of your tank.
You can also tie it to any ornament, such as driftwood or rock, etc.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
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2. Water Wisteria
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| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Water wisteria |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Hygrophila difformis |
| FAMILY | Acanthaceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate to High |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 70-82°F |
| pH | 6.5-7.5 |
| HARDNESS | 2-8 KH |
| PLACEMENT | Background or Carpet |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 20 inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallons |
Water wisteria is a very undemanding and hardy plant.
This plant can do well in diverse environments, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Water wisteria is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Water wisteria is a fast growing plant. So it’ll absorb the available nutrients in your tank pretty quickly to keep up with the growth.
So there will be no nutrients left for algae in your aquarium. And this will help to prevent algae in your tank.
Best place to put water wisteria in your aquarium
Water wisteria is a tall-growing plant that can grow as tall as 20 inches. So you should keep it in the middle ground or background of your aquarium.
Substrate requirement for Water wisteria
Ideally, you should plant water wisteria in a sand substrate to imitate its natural habitat.
But you can also plant it in a fine gravel substrate.
Light requirements for water wisteria
Water wisteria does well under moderate to high lighting conditions.
The more the light it gets along with other nutrients, the faster it will grow.
It can even survive in a low lighting environment. However, it’ll not be its best under low lighting conditions.
So you should provide it light anywhere between 2 to 5 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light.
Or light Between 35 to 50+ micromoles if you are using LED light.
Water conditions requirement
The ideal temperature range for Water wisteria is between 70 to 82° Fahrenheit.
So you can keep it in cold water as well as in a tropical fish tank.
Its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.5. And its water hardness tolerance range is between 2-8 KH.
Fertilization requirements for Water wisteria
Water wisteria is a pretty hardy plant. And it can survive without any additional fertilization.
However, if you are providing it moderate to highlighting environment, then you should also supplement it with fertilizers to keep up with the growth.
Else, the algae will take advantage of the light and grow in your aquarium.
Best place to keep water wisteria in your aquarium
Water wisteria is a tall-growing plant that can grow as tall as 20 inches. So you should keep it in the background of your aquarium.
Besides, some people also spread it out on the substrate of the tank and use it as a carpet plant.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
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3. Jungle Vallisneria
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| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Jungle Vallisneria |
| COMMON NAMES | Jungle Val, water celery, tape grass or eelgrass |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Vallisneria Americana |
| FAMILY | Hydrocharitaceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Intermediate |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Medium |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 65° – 85° F |
| pH | 6.8 – 8.0 |
| HARDNESS | Moderately Hard to Very Hard |
| PLACEMENT | Background |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 6 feet (2 meters) |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Jungle Vallisneria is a pretty hardy plant. And it can survive in a variety of environments. So it is an excellent choice for beginners.
It is also one of the best oxygenating plants.
Besides, Jungle Vallisneria is one of the earliest plants introduced in the aquarium hobby. And it is still a favorite of many aquarium veterans.
Why Jungle Vallisneria is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Jungle Vallisneria is a pretty fast growing plant.
Under the ideal environment, i.e. optimum lighting and nutrients, this plant can grow pretty rapidly and consume all the available nutrients in your aquarium.
So there will be no nutrients left for algae to grow.
Substrate requirements for Jungle Vallisneria
You can use any substrate of your choice, whether that is sand or gravel or nutrient-rich substrate for Jungle Vallisneria.
It will grow fast in a nutrient-rich substrate because it will be getting a lot of nutrients.
Water condition requirements
Jungle Vallisneria can do well in a wide range of water parameters.
That being said, the ideal temperature range for jungle Vallisneria is between 65 to 85° Fahrenheit. So you can easily keep it in cold water as well as in a tropical aquarium.
Besides, its pH tolerance range is between 6.8-8. And its water hardness tolerance range is between 3-10 KH.
Light requirements for Jungle Vallisneria
The best part about Jungle Vallisneria is that it can do well in almost any lighting condition.
As far as it is getting light, it will survive and grow in your aquarium.
However, to encourage faster growth, you should provide moderate lighting.
You can also keep it under highlighting, but then you will also need to feed it other nutrients to take advantage of the high light and grow faster.
Besides, under high light, Jungle Vallisneria will grow very rapidly and can take over your aquarium.
So ideally, you should provide it moderate lighting anywhere between 2 to 3 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light. Or light Between 35 to 50 micromoles if you are using LED light.
Fertilizer requirement for Jungle Vallisneria
For robust growth, you should regularly supplement Jungle Vallisneria with fertilizers.
You should add the liquid fertilizers after the weekly water change.
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Best place to keep Jungle Vallisneria in an aquarium
Jungle Vallisneria is a tall-growing plant that can grow as tall as 6 feet. So you should keep it in the background of your aquarium.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
4. Amazon Sword
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| 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 hardy and it is very easy to care for, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Amazon sword is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Amazon Sword is a fast growing plant. And it will absorb all the nutrients pretty quickly in your aquarium if you provide it with sufficient light and other nutrients through fertilizers.
So as there will be no nutrients in the aquarium for algae, it will not grow in your tank.
Substrate requirements for Amazon sword
Amazon sword is a heavy root feeder aquarium plant. And it does absorb nutrients through the substrate.
So ideally, you should plant it in a nutrient-rich substrate.
However, you can plant it in sand or gravel substrate and it will do fine if you just provide it nutrients through root tabs.
Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to the substrate for Amazon sword is the substrate must be at least 2.5 inches thick.
The thick substrate will provide Amazon sword a lot of space to develop a complex root structure in the substrate.
Water condition requirements for Amazon sword
Amazon sword can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 60° Fahrenheit to up to 82° Fahrenheit.
So you can easily keep it in a cold water aquarium as well as in a tropical aquarium.
Besides, its pH tolerance range is between 6.5 to 7.5. And its water hardness tolerance range is between 8 to 15° DH.
Light requirements for Amazon sword
For the robust growth of Amazon sword, you should provide moderate light of anywhere between 2 to 3 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light. Or between 35 to 50 micromoles if you are using LED light.
Fertilization requirements for Amazon sword
Amazon sword is a pretty hardy plant, and it can do well without additional fertilizers as far as it is getting nutrients from the fish poop and eaten food.
However, if you want to see a more vibrant and faster growth of Amazon sword, then you should supplement it with some fertilizers.
As Amazon sword is a heavy root feeder plant, you should supplement it with root tabs that are especially rich in iron.
Besides, it can also absorb nutrients from the water column. So you can also supplement it with liquid fertilizers.
Best place to keep Amazon sword in an aquarium
Amazon sword is a tall-growing plant that can grow as tall as 16 inches or more.
Besides, it has huge leaves that grow in all directions.
So you should keep it in the middle ground or background of your aquarium depending on the size of your tank.
For example, if you have a small tank of about 30 gallons, then you should keep it in the middle ground.
If you have a large tank of about 50 gallons, then you can keep it in the background of your tank.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
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5. Dwarf Sagittaria
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| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Dwarf Sagittaria |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Sagittaria subulata |
| FAMILY | Alismataceae |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Moderate |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 68-82°F |
| pH | 6-8 |
| HARDNESS | 3-12 |
| PLACEMENT | Mid-foreground |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 12 Inches |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 10 gallon |
Dwarf Sagittaria is a fast growing aquarium plant.
This plant is very hardy and it can tolerate a wide range of water parameters, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Dwarf Sagittaria is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Dwarf Sagittaria is a fast growing plant. And it can propagate pretty fast and consume all the available nutrients in your aquarium.
So there will be no nutrients for algae to grow in your aquarium.
Substrate requirements for Dwarf Sagittaria
A nutrient-rich substrate is ideal for Dwarf Sagittaria.
It will take advantage of the nutrients available in the nutrient-rich substrate. And grow pretty fast and cover all the ground of your aquarium.
However, you can also plant it in sand or fine gravel substrate and provide it nutrients through root tabs.
Water conditions requirements for Dwarf Sagittaria
Dwarf Sagittaria can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
Its temperature tolerance range between 68 to 82° Fahrenheit.
So you can keep it in cold water as well as in a tropical aquarium.
Besides, its pH tolerance range is between 6 to 8. And water hardness tolerance range is between 3 to 12 KH.
Light requirements for Dwarf Sagittaria
Dwarf Sagittaria is a short plant so it will be far from the light source in your aquarium.
So you should avoid keeping it in low lighting conditions. And provide it moderate to high lighting conditions.
You should provide it light anywhere between 2-5 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light. Or light between 35 to 50+ micromoles if you are using LED light.
Fertilization requirements for Dwarf Sagittaria
Dwarf Sagittaria is an extremely hardy aquarium plant. And it doesn’t require any additional fertilizers as far as it is getting nutrients from fish poop and at least medium lighting.
Best place to keep Dwarf Sagittaria in an aquarium
Dwarf Sagittaria is not a very tall growing plant. It can grow a maximum of 12 inches tall. So you should keep it in the foreground or background of your aquarium.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
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6. Hornwort
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| PARAMETERS | VALUES |
|---|---|
| PLANT | Hornwort |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Anthocerotophyta |
| CARE LEVEL | Easy |
| LIGHT REQUIREMENT | Medium |
| GROWTH RATE | Fast |
| TEMPERATURE | 59-86°F |
| pH | 6.0-7.5 |
| HARDNESS | 5-15 dGH |
| PLACEMENT | Background |
| MAXIMUM SIZE | 10 foot |
| MINIMUM TANK SIZE | 15 gallons |
Hornwort is one of the popular plants in the aquarium hobby.
This plant is very hardy and it is very easy to grow, which makes it an ideal choice for beginners.
Why Hornwort is the best plant to prevent algae in an aquarium?
Hornwort can grow pretty rapidly. And it will absorb all the nutrients from your aquarium, which starves algae for nutrients and so it will not grow in your aquarium.
Substrate requirements for Hornwort
Hornwort doesn’t have real roots. So a substrate is not necessary for keeping hornwort in your aquarium.
However, you can plant it in a substrate by using its leaves to anchor it in the substrate.
You can also keep it as a floating aquarium plant in your tank.
Water condition requirements for Hornwort
Hornwort can tolerate a wide range of water parameters.
It can tolerate temperature as low as 59° Fahrenheit to up to 86° Fahrenheit.
So you can easily keep it in a tropical as well as in a cold water aquarium.
Its pH tolerance range between 6 to 7.5. And the water hardness tolerance range is between 5 to 15° DH.
Light requirements for hornwort
Ideally, you should provide medium-light to hornwort anywhere between 2 to 3 Watts per gallon if you are using fluorescent light. Or 35 to 50 micromoles if you are using LED light.
However, if you want faster growth, then you can increase the light and it will grow much faster.
Fertilization requirements for Hornwort
Hornwort has allelopathic abilities, which basically means that it produces chemicals that stop the growth of other plants in the surrounding so that it can absorb all the nutrients for itself.
So you don’t need to provide additional fertilizers to Hornwort. But if you have other plants in your tank, then you should regularly add fertilizers so that the other plants can get nutrients.
Best place to keep Hornwort in an aquarium
Hornwort is a tall-growing plant that can grow as tall as 10 feet. So you should keep it in the background of your tank.
Check the price of this plant at Amazon here
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Conclusion
So these are the best aquarium plants to prevent algae.
I hope you found this article helpful.
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Happy fish keeping!
