Plants for Brackish Water

Brackish water refers to water that is slightly salty, and creating a brackish water aquarium requires knowledge regarding what plants can grow in it. Brackish water aquariums require a fair amount of agitation in the water as well as the use of primarily herbivorous fish. Though this can take its toll on the plants, there are some varieties that do better than others.

  1. Anacharis

    • Anacharis features thick bunches of bright green, whorled leaves, and it is fairly hardy in brackish water. Take care to inspect anacharis before you introduce it to your aquarium, as it can be grown under poorly controlled conditions that will introduce snails and other pests to your aquarium. This plant grows quickly.

    Hornwort

    • Hornwort features thin strands of sturdy foliage. Also known as coontail, hornwort is a rootless, floating plant, and it can be propagated very easily. In the wild it is considered a pest weed, but it is useful to aquarium keepers as a place where fry can hide from larger fish in the aquarium that might eat them.

    Java Fern

    • Java fern is a hardy, bright green plant that grows up to 8 inches. It is a slow grower that can be anchored to rocks or driftwood in the tank. It is also one of the few plants that naturally grows in brackish water that is commonly found at pet stores and hobby stores.

    Water Sprite

    • Water sprite is a lacy, floating plant that looks delicate, but is actually fairly hardy. It can keep the oxygen levels in the water high as well as provide shade for the fish below. It can also serve as a hiding place for fry who need to stay away from the adult fish. Some popular varieties of water sprite include Ceratopteris cornutus and Ceratopteris thalictroides, which is also called the Sumatra fern or the water hornfern.

    Sword Plant

    • Swordplants from the genus Echinodorus are good choices for brackish water aquariums. There are 31 varieties to choose from. One commonly found variety is the thin-bladed Amazon sword plant, which can produce asexually. Another is the pygmy chain sword, which has a wide spread and is a fast grower.

    Hairgrass

    • There are more than 150 varieties of hairgrass, which is also known as spike-rush or sedge. It has thread-like leaves and it grows rapidly by throwing out runners. It is a good addition to brackish tanks, but it is important to match the species of hair grass to the temperature of the tank.