Description
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum Demersum)
A fast-growing, low-maintenance stem plant that can be floated or anchored, hornwort is perfect for beginners, fry tanks, and anyone looking to soak up excess nutrients and keep algae under control.
Hornwort Overview
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is a classic aquarium plant found in freshwaters around the world and loved by hobbyists for its versatility and ease of care. It forms long, flexible stems covered in fine, needle-like leaves that give the plant its “horned” appearance.
In the aquarium, hornwort can be kept as a floating plant to create a lush canopy, or gently anchored in the background to form a dense, bushy thicket. Although it does not produce true roots, you can tuck the lower portions of the stems into the substrate or secure them under rocks or decor to keep the plant in place.
Because it grows quickly and pulls nutrients directly from the water column, hornwort is excellent for:
- Providing hiding places for fry and small fish
- Helping to reduce algae by competing for excess nutrients
- Adding instant, vibrant greenery to new or established tanks
Hornwort can flower and produce seeds, but these are tiny and rarely noticed in home aquariums. The easiest way to propagate it is simply to trim and replant. Snip a healthy stem, float it or anchor it, and it will continue growing into a new plant.
Caring For Hornwort
Under good conditions, hornwort grows robustly with a light to deep green coloration. It is very forgiving and does not require special equipment or intense light, making it an ideal choice for beginners and experienced aquascapers alike.
- Light: Low to moderate (brighter light will increase growth)
- Temperature Range: 59–83°F
- Placement: Floating or background stem plant
- CO₂: Not required
- Difficulty: Easy
- Growth Rate: Fast
Simply place hornwort in your tank—either floating on the surface or gently anchored—and it will usually adjust to its new environment quickly and begin growing. Occasional trimming will help you shape the plant and prevent it from overtaking the aquarium.
Why Buy Hornwort from Modern Aquarium
The hornwort for sale at Modern Aquarium is carefully selected for health, color, and vigor, making it one of the easiest “plug-and-play” plants you can add to your aquarium.
- Top Quality Store: Modern Aquarium has been designated by Google as a Top Quality Store on Google and has over 2,000 individual verified reviews from real customers, so you can shop with confidence.
- Live Arrival Guarantee & Fast Shipping: All of our live plants are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee and are shipped via FedEx 2-Day delivery to help ensure they reach you healthy, vibrant, and ready to grow.
- Trusted Sourcing: Our plants come from some of the best nurseries in Florida and are handled with care from the nursery to your doorstep.
- What You See Is What You Get: Every image on our site is a typical representation of the plants we sell—no unrealistic stock photos. Because live plants are natural products, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and coloration.
Complete your aquascape by pairing hornwort with our selection of live aquarium plants, driftwood, aquascaping rocks, and botanicals for a healthy, natural-looking underwater environment.
Reviews (150)
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Very ood and interesting because they were also mixed with reddish hornwort
Posted by ROBERT THILL on 1 Jan 2026These are very good looking and interesting to me. The ones I received were mixed with reddish hornwort (or parts of them were reddish). However, this reddish brown might not appeal to all buyers. For me, I thought it added interest and variety. Also, the groups I received were very lush and had a nice shape that is a bit like the product photo. While they were certainly not as lush and green as the photograph, they were not the spindly kind that are more common. That said, most of my fish tore them to bits, creating a catastrophic plant collapse and I had to toss them out. This had more to do with the disposition of the fish than the plants.
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nice green plants
Posted by Karen K on 15 Nov 2025I wont buy plants anywhere else shipped fast and healthy
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Horwort
Posted by William D Aiello on 22 Sep 2024...I Recently Purchased Four (4) HornWort Plants...I'm Thinking The Add Said Buy Two Get One Free or By One Get One Free...I Bought Four An Got 1 Free...I Can't Find That Particular Add...So I'm Not Sure...What I am Sure Of Is One Plant Was All Brown...Had To TossIt...I Would Like To Buy More But I'm A Bit Dubious...
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A little brown
Posted by Daniel Best on 2 Apr 2024I didn't realize that these plants would be shipped from Florida. I saw the store was in NY so I thought there would be less time in the shipping box and the plants might show up better looking. Unfortunately I was wrong. Anyway, on to the plants. They came with some brown prices and not matter how much I rinse them in the sink before putting in the tank, they still drop a lot of needles. This is my first time with hornwort, so I'm not sure if that is normal. I tried floating them around but some sank and the ones that did float blocked too much light, so I tied them to some rocks. Still waitkng to see if the brown ones get green on the water.
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Hornwort, nice bushy and green but very messy
Posted by Hailey on 13 Jan 2024A lot comes in just one bundle. Not all, but most the hornwort was in good shape. I made the mistake of putting it in without rinsing it first (I wanted to keep the good bacteria on them for my cycle)..particles and little worms or larvae went everywhere in my tank and fogged up my tank pretty good. There are loads of little critters that live in these..it’s not necessarily a bad thing though (free fish food I suppose). They are just a bit unsightly is all. Overall, if you don’t mind little critters in your tank, it’s a good filler plant in your tank. If you don’t want little critters in your tank, definitely skip this plant. I was very pleased with the other plants from this company.
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Healthy and lush
Posted by Malgorzata Pikor on 9 Jan 2024The plant came healthy and lush. Make sure to rinse well to remove any loose or dead "needles". I was pleasantly surprised, when placing an order, that the seller included bonus plants! I placed another order as I am very satisfied with the quality and value.
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Awesome!
Posted by Jana Stinman on 18 Dec 2023Growing like mad even after a week. Beautiful plant. Decided to put them straight into the substrate and they look amazing. Highly recommend.
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Great bunch of Hornwart
Posted by Toshia Morrison on 25 Oct 2023Came in a good sized bunch and looks very healthy! Will definitely order again!
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Good quality and quantity
Posted by Trevor Samaroo on 11 Jun 2023Ordered two bunches and both came in excellent quality. Also the quantity received per bunch was a lot. Have them in my aquarium about 1 week now and they both seem to be surviving. Not much growth , as yet, but they are healthy.
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Nice plant.
Posted by Christopher Murphy on 13 Dec 2022Thank You!
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Excellent plant!
Posted by Mark on 11 Dec 2022Really nice plant, looks great in my aquarium.
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Love this plant!!
Posted by Brooke on 10 Dec 2022With this being the first time I purchased this plant for my aquarium, I absolutely love them. They have grown SO much! I definitely will be ordering again! And they were so fast getting here.