Aquarium Plant Categories

Plants are categorized based on their shapes, sizes, and colors. In this article, we will describe those categories.

FOREGROUND

Foreground plants are positioned at the front of your aquarium and in front of your other plants. Since they are small and short, they would not be seen if they were behind bigger plants. Often, these can produce a carpet-like effect.

Foreground Plant

MIDDLE GROUND

Middle ground plants are sized in the middle between the sizes of foreground and background plants. They can be positioned in front of background plants so that you won’t see their stems. 

BACKGROUND

Background plants are positioned in the back of the aquarium. These plants are tall and can hide heaters, filters, hoses, and wires. They do not require as much light as background and middle plants. 

BUNCH PLANTS

Bunch plants work well in the middle or background of tanks. They look great in groups. Cutting these plants helps them to flourish and grow more. 

SPECIMEN PLANTS

Specimen plants work well in focal points. They are large and decorative. If you would like to place a specimen plant in your tank’s middle or background, usually only one there looks good at a time. If you feel especially proud of your specimen plant, use a spotlight to highlight it.

CONTRAST PLANTS

You can use plants that look different to contrast other plants. Red-leafed plants contrast well with green plants. Plants with pointed leaves contrast well with plants that have large, round leaves. Spread out plants that look similar, and place plants with differences more closely together. In this way, you will highlight the unique aspects of your plants. 

FLOATING PLANTS

Floating plants need much lighting, and they usually grow quickly. Make sure that their leaves are not too close to the light bulb, which could burn them. Since they grow quickly, they can block out light from plants below them, so make sure that they are not blocking out the light from plants that require much lighting. 

Planted Discus Aquarium

QUESTIONS

• What are the different uses for plants in your aquarium?
• Which plant categories do you want to use in your aquarium?
• Do you think aquariums look best when they are heavily-planted or sparsely-planted?
• Which types of plants would you like to bring into your aquarium?
• How will you obtain those plants?