How to Plant Live Aquarium Plants in Your Fish Tank

Purchase live aquarium plants from a reputable dealer. Make sure they are healthy plants. There are various types of aquarium plants: floating, potted, and ones bundled with a plant weight lead strip at the bottom.

Plant floating plants in your aquarium by simple dropping them into the water. Be sure the tops are up and the root side is down. If you have a waterfall-effect filter on your fish tank, you might like to tie a piece of fishing line across this area so the floating aquarium plants will not be tumbled about.

Potted aquarium plants require digging a hole in the substrate and putting the roots of the plant into it, much like planting a regular plant in a garden. If the plant pot is slotted, you may be able to plant the pot as well. Either lower the fish tank water level and use your hands, or use a long plant stick - a forked stick used to position plants in an aquarium - to dig the hole and push the plant in.

Plants that are gathered in a bundle with a weighted lead strip can be planted in the fish tank in two ways. First, they can simple be dropped into the fish tank and allowed to sink to the bottom. Over time, roots will grow downward and anchor the plant to the bottom. You can also remove the lead strip and plant the aquarium plants directly into the substrate.