BEST NO SUBSTRATE Aquarium plants for beginners TOP plants for EASY planted tank

You don't need fancy and expensive substrate to create beautiful planted tank. There are many types of plants that you can just place in your aquarium by attaching them to decorations, weighing them down with something or just letting them float and they will do just great. So if you're just a beginner you can create very easy and diverse fish tank using those kinds of plants and with right combination of them it will not only look good but work great and stay algae free. So this is my list of best plants that don't require substrate of any kind. Let's start strong from one of the most beautiful plants on the list. Java Fern. This epiphyte plant grows best when it's attached to some wood, rocks or other decorations. Most popular Java Ferns have big vibrant green leaves but there are also smaller types and also different shaped ones like this Trident or Windelow with leaves that split at the end making them very interesting. Java Fern is not very problematic. It requires just a bit of liquid fertilization, moderate light and just a bit of water flow. With all that it can become one of the best looking plants in your tank. Next Anubias. Probably one of the most obvious choices and plant that just had to be on that list. Incredibly hardy, really beautiful plant that does great in almost any tank. Just like Java Fern, Anubias is a rhizome plant that shouldn't be buried in the substrate but attached to decorations. There are many different types of Anubias with different sizes, leaf shapes and even colors. So there are many types to choose from. If you are interested I created full care guide for Anubias and video about how I grow a lot of them for free. Both videos I linked in the description. But now let's go to the next plant on the list. Bucephalandra. I just love Buce and recently I use a lot of it in my projects. Just like in case of Anubias it's very hardy, easy to maintain and really beautiful. If you are using Anubias and it grows well for you, Bucephalandra is a great plant to introduce some diversity in your tank. It also likes lower light, it doesn't require any substrate and looks great attached to rocks and wood pieces. Just like in case of Anubias full care guide and propagation method are linked in the description. And just like Anubias it's a quite slow growing plant. So now let's suggest something totally different. Egeria. For me Egeria is your best natural weapon against algae. All three previous plants were quite slow growing but this stem plant grows really fast. In fact it's so fast that it can use all excess nutrients from your water column. And because of that it outcompetes algae for nutrients and therefore it can limit their growth. This is also perfect plant to bring some variety in your tank. Because let's be honest you cannot create diverse planted tank with only epiphytes like Anubias, right? But this plant really looks a bit different. You can let it float freely in your tank or weigh it down with something so it grows exactly like a classical stem plant that is planted. And this is what I like to do. So Egeria looks different, it grows a bit different and it helps to keep algae in check. Great choice for beginners. Next is Horned Wolf. This is a perfect alternative if you don't like or don't have access to Egeria. It grows just as fast and also helps with algae control. It doesn't require any substrate and can float in your tank or be attached to decorations. So if you cannot use Egeria or you're just looking for something different go for it. It's a great beginner plant that works for any planted tank. Now something very different. Moss. There are many types of aquatic mosses. Java, Christmas, Flame, Spiky, Chinese. But no matter what kind you go for, moss always brings extra detail into every tank. Moss of course cannot be buried and it does best when it's attached to decorations. With moderate light and some fertilizer in the water column it will do great and grow really really beautiful. It's one of the best choices for a substrate-free tank especially if you plan to keep shrimp. Give it time and it will look fantastic. Now something very unique. Hygrophila pinnatifida. This amazing looking plant is very different from everything else on the list. It has very unique shape and its leaves can change color from very bright green through brown to dark red depending on the conditions in your tank. It's a little bit more demanding than other plants from the list. It requires slightly stronger light and more nutrients but it's not something impossible to keep even for beginner. I've seen a lot of people actually planting it in the substrate but it is a mistake. This plant does best when it's glued or attached to decorations especially in the higher areas of your tank. And finally Bolbitis. This plant is not as popular as Anubias and I don't understand why. It's also quite hardy and brings distinct look into any tank and I think it looks great. It likes medium light conditions and thrives when there are some nutrients in water. In many ways it's similar to some variations of Java fern and it looks the best when it's attached to some spiderwood. It has very unique leaf shape and very dark deep green color so it's a great plant to make your tank look interesting. So with right combination of those plants you can easily create fantastic looking tank with absolutely no need to include any substrate. If you don't have experience go for it. Start from decorations like rocks or wood with Java fern Anubias or Bucephalandra attached to it. Next throw in some Egeria or Hornworth to keep algae in check. And finally Hygrophilia, Moss or Bolbitis for extra variety. With moderate light and very little fertilizer your tank will be very green, healthy, algae-free with almost no maintenance necessary. Let us all know if you have any more suggestions for substrate-free aquarium. Leave a like if you liked it and for more planted and aquarium related videos consider subscribing. Thank you very much for watching and see you in the next one!