What plants are actually suitable for aquariums?

I have recently fallen victim to Petco's fern-in-a-tube gag where they sell terrestrial plants as aquatic ones. Now, I want to deck my tank out in green, but what are some reccommended choices that would be suitable? It's a 10 gallon with lots of room. Please help!

What plants are actually suitable for aquariums?
In my tank I have several types of sword plants, anubias, and java fern. Sword plants are great because they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and most are fast growing and easy to maintain. Anubias also comes in a few types, but it usually grows much slower which can be a problem if you have algae issues(which you shouldn't, but it can take awhile to find the perfect balance between no algae and thriving plants) because it will grow on its broad leaves. Java fern is a good filler. Mine is not particularly attractive, but it's easy to care for and cheap.



It's usually good to avoid plants that are brittle or are very stiff outside of water. These, as you've probably found out, do not grow and eventually rot because they're not true aquatics.



I would go to a mom and pop store, or specialty fish/aquatics retailer instead of a big chain. They usually have better selection and know more about the individual types of plants. They can also better help you with your lighting, substrate, etc.



This is my tank, so you can see my plants and also decide if you want to take my advice, lol: http://www.flickr.com/photos/right_on/23...



The big plant in the middle is an Amazon Sword, the rest are all mixed. The broader-leafed plants on the bogwood on the right are anubias. You can tell by the leaf shape.



edit: the sword in the middle is much, much bigger now. I like it though, as the tops of the leaves sit on the top of the water and provide a bit of diffusion for the rest of the tank, including the fish.
Reply:Never fear, Plant Geek is here! This guide right here: http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php

Will tell you if the plant is aquatic or not. If it appears in the "Non-Aquatic Plant" section (in the bottom left hand corner) then you know if you're getting cheated or not.



Since you can't take the plants home and see if they're on the list or not, I'd bring a pen and a piece of paper and write down the names of the plants that you doubt are aquatic or not. Then go back home and check the guide to see if it's aquatic or not.



E-mail me for any questions!
Reply:A lot of this matter comes down to "watts per gallon" of flourescent light....if you have the standard bulb that came with the fixture I think thats a 15? which is ok, but not great....

You could get away with java fern, java moss, anubias, all sorts of cryptocorns (I'll never learn to spell that - they are called "crypts") - - and you can deck out a nice tank with those. Bump up the lights a little, and you can do much more.



That plantgeek is a good site - also, google "low light aquarium plants" and you'll get a bunch of hits....and one thing I did - is I researched where my fish were from and looked for (in my cases) "south american river biotope" or "Asian River Biotope" adn "aquarium plant packages"



Those turned up a lot of educational materials - then I went to my LFS with a list of potential candidates....