Easy Care Aquarium Plants That Can Tolerate a Higher PH

Keeping live plants in your aquarium has a number of important benefits, including better oxygen content in the water and a more natural look and feel for the tank. Unfortunately, many new hobbyists give up on live plants after a few failed attempts. While some species of aquarium plants are quite challenging to grow, others are very easy. Choosing easy-to-grow plants that tolerate high pH levels can make all the difference.

  1. Cardimine Lyrata

    • Cardimine lyrata is a small and delicate plant, but also a very hardy one. This plant is distinguished by its lovely heart-shaped leaves, with each leaf approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch in length. In addition to tolerating high pH levels quite well, cardimine lyrata is also very resistant to cold weather. This cold tolerance makes it a good candidate for outdoor planting as well as aquarium use.

    Ceratopteris

    • Ceratopteris, commonly known as water sprite, is one of the fastest growing and easiest plants for the aquarium. Water sprite can be rooted, or left to float. Floating water sprite provides an excellent cover for newly hatched fry, and a good hiding place for shy fish as well. This plant can tolerate high pH levels, making it a good choice for tanks wherein pH levels fluctuate or consistently run high. Water sprite can grow quite large, up to 20 inches tall, making it a good choice for all size tanks.

    Dwarf Anubias

    • The dwarf anubias is one of the hardiest plants available for your aquarium. This aquatic plant is so resilient it can even survive short periods of time out of the water. Dwarf anubias is known for being very tolerant of water conditions, so a high pH level should be no problem. This plant is the perfect choice for the beginner hobbyist, and many aquarium enthusiasts who have never been able to grow live plants find that the dwarf anubias is very hardy and incredibly easy to grow.