How to Plant, Anchor, & Transition Potted Aquarium Plants
Posted by Artur M. Wlazlo on 29 Oct 2025
Key Takeaways
- Using different types of live plants in the foreground, background, and midground of your aquarium is a great way to enhance your waterscape and create a lively ecosystem.
- However, you need to properly install and care for your plants by providing them with proper lighting and substrate to ensure they thrive.
- We will teach you how to plant, anchor, and transition plants into your tank. Follow this guide to learn more about planting techniques and ongoing maintenance for your aquarium.
Learn How to Introduce Plants to an Aquarium
Live plants do more than just add a splash of greenery and vibrant life to your aquarium; they also enhance the health of your entire tank. Aquarium plants can improve water quality and provide fish with a habitat closer to their natural environment. Learn more about the types of plants you can introduce to your tank and discover how to plant potted aquarium plants.
Keep reading for expert guidance on how to anchor plants in an aquarium!
Types of Plants
Before we start talking about how to plant potted aquarium plants, you should explore the different types of plants available. Some plants require specific substrate and water temperature, while others are floating plants that don’t need to be anchored at all. Here are a few of the most common plants you’ll see in our store!
Typically, these are plants that go at the very back of your aquarium to create more depth and shape. Background plants are taller, and many are versatile enough to survive in a variety of environments.
These plants are designed to be the focal point of your aquascape. They don’t grow too fast, they’re easy to maintain, and they often come attached to decorative rocks or driftwood.
Generally composed of carpeting plants, foreground options offer fast growth and easy care, as well as coverage for fish. They complete your aquascape so nothing looks empty or plain.
If you don’t want to worry about how to anchor plants in an aquarium, floating plants are for you! These plants are literally designed to float along the top of your aquarium with no access to the substrate.
These plants arrive in a pot, but they’re not meant to stay in it! We grow plants in pots to provide you with options that grow fast and come with multiple bundles, so you can more easily divide them among your tank.
You may need a few plant options from every category to create a comprehensive aquarium design. Make sure they all have similar water temp, nutrient, lighting, and substrate requirements. Once you have your selections, it’s time to figure out how to introduce plants to an aquarium.
If you’re still not sure of the best plant selections, here are a few beginner plants that can help you fill out your aquarium:
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Foreground: Anubias
Our favorite foreground plant to learn how to anchor plants in an aquarium is Anubias. It is hardy, doesn’t need much light, and can survive in temperatures ranging from 69-86° F!
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Midground: Cardinal Plant
The second plant that makes it easy to learn how to plant potted aquarium plants is the Cardinal Plant. It’s a slow grower that needs moderate light and does well in water temperatures around 70-82°F.
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Background: Amazon Swords
Finally, we recommend Amazon Swords for your background plants. They also require moderate lighting and can survive in water temperatures ranging between 68-82°F.
How to Add Your Plants
Now it’s time to learn how to introduce plants to an aquarium! Follow these steps.
1. Add Substrate
Choose a nutrient-rich substrate with small grains that allow plants to anchor well. You can layer several types of substrate to improve oxygen flow to plant roots. Install a 2-3” layer of substrate so roots can take hold easily.
2. Set Up Proper Lighting
The next step for how to plant your potted aquarium plants is adding lighting equipment. Choose lighting based on your plant's needs and set a timer for the appropriate duration, which may range between 2-12 hours.
3. Add Your Rooted Plants
For your rooted plants, dig holes in your substrate to fully cover the roots. Heap the substrate back around the plant without covering any of the shrubbery. Space your plants in organic formations to create a natural look.
4. Add Your Floating Plants
For floating plants, just place them gently on the surface of the water and allow them to spread as they like. If you want a specific arrangement, install brackets or a corral to keep them contained.
Tips For Planting Potted Aquarium Plants
Our potted plants are a little different than other selections in the store. For these plants, you’ll need to remove them from their pot, separate their roots from the rock wool, and trim them to ensure they fit in your substrate. Rinse the roots and remove as many rocks as you can before creating smaller bundles of plants and following the normal planting instructions.
Need more guidance on how to plant your potted aquarium plants? We’re here to help! Check our blog for more advice.