Freshwater Aquatic Plants for Guppies & Algae

Guppies are one of the most popular types of fish kept as pets. The small fish are easily bred and raised in aquariums. Guppies are known for their nonaggressive behavior and will live peacefully in community aquariums. Many beginning aquarists start off with guppies. The ornamental fish are made to feel at home by the addition of aquatic plants.

  1. Aquarium Plants

    • Guppies do well in an amply vegetated aquarium set up to mimic their tropical home waters of Central America and northern South America. Plant several freshwater aquatic plants to simulate the guppies' natural environment. Artfully arrange the underwater plants for a visually interesting backdrop to display your guppies. Plants provide a place for the guppies to hide, especially the baby fish. The hiding behavior seems to reduce stress in the guppies. The fish form a pecking order, and low-ranking guppies often need to stay out of sight.

    Algae

    • Guppies will not usually eat underwater plants. They supplement their diets by eating green algae off the sides of the tank. Adult guppies feed off the aquarium walls, while guppy fry will scour the plants for edible green algae. Some types of fancy guppies feed on string algae and white beard algae. If there is little or no algae in the tank, add some spirulina flakes to the fishes' food supply.

    Freshwater Species

    • Plant tall, easy-to-care-for plants that will grow to the top of the water. Java fern, Madagascar lace, or one of the many varieties of sword plants are easily grown, attractive species. Mix in some plants with fine leaves, such as hornwort, four-leaf-clover or anacharis, for variety. Plant underwater grasses and rushes -- such as micro-sword, spiralis or dwarf hairgrass -- to cover the bottom of the aquarium. Choose some plants with floating leaves, such as the radican sword, to provide cover for the fish.

    Guppy Biotope

    • Advanced guppy collecters sometimes try to recreate the guppies wild habitat by researching and buying the same plant species that inhabit the guppies' home range. Set up a tank with an electric filter, instead of a bottom gravel filter, to avoid disturbing the plants' roots. These setups are called biotopes. Plants from the guppies' range that are readily available include Sagittaria subulata, Cabomba aquatica, Bacopa monnieri, Eleocharis acicularis, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Mayaca fluviatilis and several species of Ecinodorus.