Adding plants to an axolotl tank is important for both decorative purposes and well-being of your axolotl. In this post, you will find a list of best plants for axolotl tank – best safe live plants that your axolotl will love, fake vs. live plants for axolotls and why is an axolotl eating plants.
You can use both live and fake plants for an axolotl cage. Most aquarium plants are safe and suitable for axolotls, but you need to choose plants that will need low light and temperature.
Live or fake plants for axolotls?
Live plants are harder to maintain in an axolotl tank, while plastic plants don’t need any maintenance. Also, live plants might melt/die due to low light and temperature, and will produce some organic debris that you will need to remove when spot-cleaning the tank.
Some plants might grow too quickly and need frequent trimming. Axolotls also tend to uproot plants, so make sure to anchor them properly (if potted), but you can choose free-floating plants too.
But good news is, there are plants that can adapt to low light settings and require little maintenance. Live plants help with nitrogen cycle and water oxygenation. Fake plants are also fine, but won’t help clean the water or oxygenate it.
Important rules and tips for plants in axolotl tank
Please note, that you must never use any liquid fertilizers for plants in your axolotl tank. Fertilizers contain various minerals that in higher quantities will be toxic for your axolotl. Please don’t use any fertilizers, not even root tabs.
Best plants for axolotl tank
#1: Hornwort
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) is one of the best plants for an axolotl tank. It is a free-floating plant, that you can place it inside the water without support.
If you have substrate that can hold the plant securely, you can place a bunch inside the substrate. Hornwort is often sold in a bunch with the weight on the bottom. You will need to trim your hornwort from time to time, and you can even use trimmings somewhere else in the tank!
#2: Cabomba caroliniana
Cabomba caroliniana is another aquatic plant that looks somewhat similar to hornwort. This plant can also be left to free-float, or placed under the substrate for better support. Cabomba caroliniana is great with humidity and colder-warm water temperatures that your axolotl needs too.
#3: Java fern
Java fern is another great plant for an axolotl tank. This plant is great for ax axolotl tank because it can survive in low-medium light and low temperatures. Java fern is rather a slow grower, and looks very attractive in a tank.
#4: Elodea
Elodea is a genus of freshwater plants, also called waterweeds. These plants are attractive, have a thick stem and small green leaves.
Elodea plants are not hard to care for and are quite hardy, but can grow too big and will need trimming from time to time. If you see any long bare stalks, you will need to trim them to prevent algae growth or overgrowth.
These plants are good for axolotl tanks because they can survive lower temperatures (as low as 55-60 F/13-15.5 C), but will need at least some moderate lighting. In general, Elodea plants are great for axolotl cage as they are beautiful and adaptable.
#5: Egeria densa
Egeria densa is a beautiful green waterweed that will be great for an axolotl tank. This plant is dense and tall and easy to care for. Egeria densa also grows rather quickly, and helps prevent algae growth in the tank. You can keep this plant free floating or anchor it to substrate.
This plant prefers some light to grow, as leaves might turn yellow with lack of light. However, Egeria densa is quite hardy and can tolerate lack of light. It will also be fine in lower temperatures that your axolotl needs.
#6: Water cabbage (Pistia stratiotes)
Water cabbage, also called water lettuce, is another great plant for your axolotl tank. You can leave water cabbage floating in the tank, and it will form a rosette and roots underneath.
Water cabbage is a good algae fighter and helps with water quality. However, water cabbage requires medium light to grow and is not the best beginner plant to grow in a tank.
#7: Anubias
Anubias is a genus of plans that do very well in axolotl tanks. These plants are durable and hardy, and look great in an aquarium. Anubias are great even for beginners.
You can attach Anubias (their rhizome) to substrate or other accessories in the tank. They are easy to grow and will be fine even in low light settings.
You can choose from a variety of Anubias, depending on which one you can easily find. Anubias Nana and Anubias Barteri are often two of the most favorite ones.
#8: Duckweed
Duckweed is a surface floating plant, and it has small leaves that will rest on top of water. This plant creates a ‘carpet’ on top of water.
Duckweeds clean and purify the water, and also fight algae growth. They are easy to grow in an axolotl tank, and can grow in various temperatures.
However, it can reproduce rather quickly and be hard to remove once established in a tank. Also, it’s not the best idea to introduce duckweed into a very small tank (that’s less than 20 gallons), as it can cause overgrowth and make cleaning harder.
#9: Amazon Frogbit
Amazon frogbit is another surface floating plant, that is good for beginners due to its hardiness. These plants can grow in a variety of temperatures, without substrate. However, similar to duckweed, it’s not really recommended to introduce into very small tanks of under 20 gallons for cleanup purposes.
Amazon frogbit can take over the tank quickly and make feeding a bit harder, so make sure you are ready to clean it often before introducing in the enclosure.
#10: Java Moss
Java moss is one of the best plants to grow in an axolotl tank. That’s because it’s pretty, dense, soft and will provide hiding spots for your axolotl in a tank. Java moss is also easy to care for, is suitable for beginners, and looks great.
#11: Amazon Sword
Amazon sword is another easy to care for plant that you can put in an axolotl tank. This plant often does well in a low-medium light environment, however it can grow very big. In general, it’s a great plant for an axolotl tank and is widely available.
#12: Marimo moss balls
Marimo moss balls are algae balls, and are cute additions to an axolotl tank. These moss balls don’t require much care, and are often fine with low light and room temperatures.
However, with very low light, Marimo moss balls might start turning a bit brown. If you notice your Marimo moss balls turning brown, you can take them out, place in a warm spot with lots of natural light/artificial grow lights for plants. This should bring it back to life, and then you can move them back to your axolotl’s tank.
#13: Banana plant
Banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica) is another great beginner plant for an axolotl tank. This plant produces tubers that look like banana bunches. Banana plant is hardy and resilient, doesn’t grow too fast, and will do great in axolotl tank temperatures and medium to low light.
It’s better to provide some type of light for a banana plant to grow. However, it can often adapt to lower light conditions.
#14: Water wisteria
Water wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) is a great background plant for an axolotl tank, that doesn’t need CO2 to thrive. This plant however, can grow a bit big, so you would need to occasionally trim it, and remove any brown leaves to prevent death of a plant.
#15: Water sprite
Water sprite plant is a widely available, good looking and easy to care for plant for an axolotl tank. You can keep water sprite free floating in a tank, or plant it in a substrate. Water sprite can grow very quickly in favorable conditions however, so you will need to trim it occasionally.
#16: Cryptocorynes
Cryptocoryne is a genus of aquatic plants, and will be great for an axolotl tank. Plants in this genus are easy to take care of, hardy and adapt to lower light conditions. They are also slow growers, so won’t require much maintenance.
#17: Bucephalandra
Bucephalandra is a genus of plants that are very decorative and easy to care for. They are great for an axolotl tank because they prefer low light settings. In your axolotl tank, you will need to anchor them to driftwood, rocks or substrate.
Fake plants for an axolotl tank
You can also consider an option of fake plants for an axolotl tank. If you don’t really wish to maintain, trim and clean the plants, you will benefit from fake plants. Axolotls love both live and plastic plants.
It’s also harder for some owners to keep live plants alive due to low light and temperatures, or lack of time to maintain them. When choosing fake plants, choose non-toxic silk plants with rounded leaves, for an aquarium, like this Dracaena silk one.
If you choose plastic plants, make sure they are not sharp. You can test this by running it through pantyhose/sheer tights. Also check for any sticking wires. Sometimes, you might need to take your plastic plants out to clean if you get any algae growth on them.
Axolotl eating plants?
If your axolotl is eating plants, it could be doing that by mistake, when confusing them with food. Check if there are any food scraps on the plants.
What is more, it can be caused by strong water flow in the tank. If that’s the reason, try to reduce/block it and review filtration. Axolotls are generally very curious, and might try to eat everything that moves.
As long as plants are non-toxic, it will come out without causing problems. However, make sure that fake plants are not being ingested.
Thank you for reading this post on axolotl plants! If you would like to learn more about axolotl care, please see this resource page.