What Plants Do Tetras Like?

Tetras come in many colors and types. From the flashy neon to the deep red cardinal, these fish are a brilliant and popular freshwater species. Found primarily in the streams and rivers of South America and Africa, they are excellent community fish and like to travel in schools. Good planting in the aquarium is essential for tetras, and they like several different varieties of ferns.

  1. Anubias Nana

    • Anubias nana is one of the tetra's favorite snacks. This hardy fern from Africa grows very well, but is slower-growing underwater. Since it can become very large, this is a good thing for aquarium owners. Anubias will root onto rocks and wood, and can be attached by a rubber band to wood. Anubias can be expensive, but depending on tank size, little may be needed.

    Water Sprite

    • Water sprite, or Indian fern, is another good choice for tetras in an aquarium. This versatile plant can be anchored or left floating, and it offers good hiding places as well. It is good for beginners, as it grows well and also removes unhealthy inorganic matter from the tank by its root system. Decorative with lacelike leaves, it is also known as Ceratopteris thalictroides and tetras enjoy feeding on it.

    Elodea and Java plants

    • Elodea canadenis has multiple branches and is an attractive aquarium plant. It has green to dark purple leaves and white flowers with a coating that causes them to float. Java fern and Java moss are more preferences of tetras. These plants will also attach to wood, their crampons will lock around gravel and they grow to about 8 inches in length.

    Last But Not Least Is Lighting

    • Once you have your tetras' favorite plants, lighting is very important to keep them healthy and growing. Most aquariums come with a lighting system that is right for either freshwater or saltwater fish, but try and provide at least 2 watts per gallon of light supplied by full-spectrum (5,000K to 7,000K) bulbs.