There’s no doubt about it, folks:
Having real plants in your aquarium is more important than just the good looks (which are definitely a plus).
They offer shelter and security for your goldfish…
… Purify the water…
… As well as helping give them a more interesting environment to swim around in.
But which goldfish plants are the best?
I’ve tried a LOT of different kinds of plants with goldfish, and countless have not survived.
So I’ve made a list of the ones that have done the best for me (and other goldfish keepers) with performance scores.
After all:
Live plants make expensive salads for your water piggies
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
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Our Top Pick
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Java Fern |
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Anubias |
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Hornwort |
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Cabomba |
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Brazilian Pennywort |
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Our Picks of the Top Aquarium Goldfish Plants
OUR TOP PICK
1. Java Fern
Benefits:
Great option to use as a background or “filler” in the aquascape
Lives without being planted in a substrate – does well in low light without added fertilizers
A good first choice for beginners; hard to kill
Description:
Java fern makes a lovely background or mid-ground plant, and resists the attacks of goldfish due to its tough, fibrous leaves. Its dense, leafy structure affords shelter and is fun for your fish to swim through. You pretty much have to be trying to kill this plant for it to die. If it can’t make only a plastic plant could. 😉 Java fern is not demanding in light or fertilizer requirements, and does not require a substrate to be planted in – it can be easily affixed to wood or rocks. With time and the right conditions, Java Fern can grow to a large size – up to 14 inches – and makes an impressive addition to any aquascape. In my tests, no variety or size of goldfish bothers it. It makes a nice background plant in shallower tanks, or mid-ground in larger ones.
Java fern does not want to be buried in any substrate, preferring to have its roots and rhizome left on top. Smaller plants can be affixed with plant glue, but I have found lead weights are the easiest and most effective method for anything but baby Java ferns. Simply wrap them around the rhizome and drop them where you wish.
2. Anubias
Benefits:
Least likely to get eaten by goldfish
Low maintenance: low-light, no added fertilizers or substrate required
Hardy and difficult to kill – perfect for beginners
Description:
Anubias is hands-down the best plant to keep with goldfish. With thick, rubbery leaves that can resist even the most voracious of goldfish, it comes in many varieties and requires very little special attention to keep it happy. Rarely do larger slim-bodied varieties attempt to eat them, though they may nibble on the new leaves. When well-cared for, they can grow to a nice large size and can even produce little flowers! Anubias petite can be placed side by side to create a “carpet effect” at the bottom of the tank. Anubias does not require any substrate and prefers to have its roots left uncovered (especially great for those who have a bare-bottom tank).
How to Plant
Anubias can easily be attached by using plant glue to affix the thick stem at the bottom to a rock or driftwood. I have also found lead weights are excellent for weighing down these plants and can be cut for smaller plants or doubled up for larger ones. These allow you to place the plant anywhere.
Anubias can easily be attached by using plant glue to affix the thick stem at the bottom to a rock or driftwood. I have also found lead weights are excellent for weighing down these plants and can be cut for smaller plants or doubled up for larger ones. These allow you to place the plant anywhere.
- Related Post: Water Wisteria: Complete Care Guide (Planting & Growing)
3. Hornwort
Benefits:
Fast-growing & nutrient absorbing
Algae-inhibiting
Great for spawning fish, eggs & fry
Description:
If you are like me and don’t have a green thumb but want a beautiful, enhancing plant for your aquarium, Hornwort is the one for you. It’s also known as Coon’s Tail because of its busy shape. This is a very flexible plant with low demands. It does not need a fancy substrate, fertilizers, CO2 or high light. In fact it can grow in just about any condition. With more light it looks bushier and grows faster – up to several inches a week! Goldfish don’t bother it at all in my experience due to the tough needles instead of tender leaves. This plant is tolerant of a huge range of temperatures and is probably one of the only plants that can survive winter outdoors in a pond. Because it is a nitrate hog, it helps out-compete algae problems. Great as a background plant as it can grow practically as tall as you have space for.
Read More: Hornwort Aquarium Plant Guide
You can weight it down with lead weights or leave it floating; it has no root system. Some find sticking it in the substrate works well.
4. Cabomba
Benefits:
One of the most beautiful aquarium plants available
Fast growing, purifies water well
Fluffy appearance offers fish & fry shelter
Description:
Cabomba is a little-known but fantastic plant for goldfish, resistant to even larger pond goldfish. Also known as Fanwort, it is a phenomenal water purifier. It is a stem plant that likes to grow roots. A soft plant with a lush look, it makes a stunning background planted in rows or used as a filler in the aquascape. The dense, feathery leaves are perfect for spawning tanks and offering fry or fish shelter. It is very similar to Myrio Green, another fantastic plant for goldfish.
Read More: Cabomba Aquarium Plant Guide
If you have a bare-bottom tank or want to provide the most nutrients, this plant will do great in a glass cup filled with 3/4 soil and topped with 1/4 gravel or sand. It will grow very healthy in this setup. Some also plant it directly in the sand or gravel substrate. It likes to grow roots into a substrate of some kind and does best with fertilization in the form of soil or root tabs. It can be left floating but looks best planted.
5. Brazilian Pennywort
Benefits:
Floating or rooted; submersible or aerial
Very easy, non-demanding plant
Helps shade other plants to protect from algae
Description:
Pennywort is an excellent choice for goldfish tanks. The leaves are a bit rubbery, making it unappealing to them. It will grow underwater and, if allowed to, will grow over the surface of the water. This allows it to help shade other plants and prevent algae. It also is more effective at nutrient export. Pennywort can produce beautiful little white flowers. It is an easy to care for plant and can be left floating or planted in the substrate.
Leave it floating if you like or plant it in the substrate. It will benefit from fertilization or soil. You can use glass cups to hold soil capped with gravel or tie cloth bags of dirt around the base of this plant.
6. Moneywort
Benefits:
A good choice for fancy goldfish tanks
Adds nice detail to the aquascape
Bright green color
Description:
Also known as Bacopa Monnieri, Moneywort is a stem plant that is popular in aquascaping for the beautiful, small round leaves it produces that add detail to the aquarium. Most fancy goldfish will not bother this plant, though the leaves may be nibbled on by larger slim-bodied fish. Some report it does very well in their ponds. It can grow emersed and produce beautiful flowers. It does not require CO2 or high light but will benefit from both, making it a good choice for low-tech setups. Easy to prune, it is a great choice for beginners.
This plant does best in soil or with fertilizer in inert substrate. It will develop a root system and will do well in glass cups of soil capped with gravel or sand.
7. Ludwigia
Benefits:
One of the highest oxygen producing plants
Beautiful red to pink tones add vibrant color contrast
Hardy & low-maintenance plant
Description:
Ludwigia is hugely popular among aquarists for its beautiful variegated coloration. A relatively fast-growing plant, it provides ample shelter for fish and fry while improving the ecosystem of your aquarium through its strong oxygen production. Propagation is simple by trimming and replanting the trimmings. It will add an elegant touch to any fish tank, and it’s leaves are durable enough to resist the attacks of most goldfish – fancy and slim-bodied alike. The red pigmentation is promoted by higher lighting, low nitrates and high phosphates.
Read More: Ludwigia Repens: Complete Care Guide (Planting & Growing)
A heavy root-feeder, this plant prefers to have accessible nutrients in the form of either soil or fertilizer supplementation. Pots of soil capped in gravel or sand are a great way to provide the benefits of soil to this plant without making a mess in your tank.
8. Vallisneria
Benefits:
Creates a lush, natural background
Non-demanding, nitrate-eating plant
Fast growing & easy to propagate
Description:
Vallisneria is one of the most cherished aquarium plants in the hobby for its ease of care and beauty. It is a fast growing plant that will quickly create a jungle out of the background of your tank in the right conditions, and is difficult to kill. The leaves of this plant are like grass and can grow very tall in a short period of time. Fish love to swim through it and it is especially resistant to goldfish of all shapes and sizes. It is a very tall addition to goldfish tanks and can grow to a significant height, even bending over below the surface of the water (the leaves can be trimmed to avoid this if desired). Vallisneria spreads by sending out runners. Planting several Vals in a row along the background helps to give your aquarium a dense background with a natural underwater look and can help to hide equipment in the tank. It’s great for goldfish tanks because it doesn’t like very soft water.
Vallisneria is not picky and will do well in most substrates with proper fertilization, though it is advantageous to provide it with soil capped with gravel.
9. Water Sprite
Benefits:
Hardy and difficult to kill
Purifies water like crazy
Does well in most aquariums
Description:
This plant can make your aquarium look like a beautiful forest, as it can grow quite large and propagate extensively with time and the right conditions. It is not terribly fussy about water parameters but prefers strong light to really take off. Goldfish may nibble at these, but it is such a fast growing plant it usually isn’t a problem. The delicate, lace-like design on the leaves provides nice detail to the aquascape.
It can be left floating until it throws out roots, after which time it is a good idea to plant it in the substrate. It can live in plain, regular sand or gravel but will do better with fertilization of root tabs or soil underneath.
10. Rotala
Benefits:
Delicate plant offers detail and color
Produces flowers if allowed to grow above water
Creates dense bushes or “forests” in the tank
Description:
Rotala is a plant that tends to do quite well with goldfish, even the slim-bodied ones, due to its tougher leaves. There are many varieties of Rotala, many of which have a pinkish or reddish hue with narrower leaves. It does not require CO2 injection, but does better with more light and will show stronger reds with lower nitrate levels. Easy to propagate, this plant can be used to create a dense forest in your tank or bush. If allowed to grow to the top of the tank, it can grow out of water and produce flowers.
This plant has fine roots that do well in sand, aquasoil or small gravel. It will also do quite well in a container of soil capped with gravel or sand. Using tweezers can make it easier to replant the stems into the substrate.
11. Amazon Sword
Benefits:
Large plant great for filling background areas
Easy plant that is difficult to kill
Helps purify water while aerating substrate with root system
Description:
The Amazon Sword is a popular choice for goldfish aquariums. They can grow to be very large (up to 2 feet tall!) and do a great job at helping to eat up excess nitrates in the water. A nutrient-hungry goldfish plant, adding root tab fertilization (Seachem Flourish tabs are a great choice) is recommended. Swords are typically placed towards the back of the aquarium in the aquascape and do well in moderate to high light conditions. The roots will spread all over and can help prevent toxic anaerobic gas pockets from forming in the substrate. They also come in several unusual and beautiful color and leaf variations.
Read More: Amazon Sword Plant for Goldfish Tanks
The biggest obstacle with planting swords is getting them to stay down. You also do not want to bury the crown of the plant (whitish part at the bottom) or it will rot to death. It can be grown planted in pots filled with gravel or directly in the substrate itself (gravel or aquasoil such as Fluval Plant Stratum is preferred over dense sand – though gravel poses a choking hazard for goldfish).
12. Sagitaria
Benefits:
Dwarf varieties can create lush carpets
Develops a strong root system to aerate substrate
Adds interest to foreground
Description:
Sagitaria comes in several varieties, among which are the dwarf and the taller grass-like variety. The dwarf is incredibly popular for creating carpets on the aquarium floor. Both propagate by sending out runners. If you would like to make a dwarf sag carpet, it is recommended to plant the plants first and let them grow in for at least a month before introducing fish to allow their root systems to get established. Otherwise the goldfish will enjoy uprooting them and your plants will all be floating at the top. The good news is that is about the extent of damage goldfish will do to this plant. It can be used in a low-tech setup and does quite well without CO2 injection.
Using tweezers is highly recommended to plant these little guys. They will hold down well in sand or gravel and will grow best if soil is added below the gravel. It can be tricky to plant them in aquasoil due to their tendency to float up, especially with digging fish.
Bonus Plant: Elodea
Benefits:
Grows incredibly fast
Highly water oxygenating
Flexible plant that does well with any substrate (or none at all)
Description:
Elodea (also known as Anacharis) is one of the fastest growing water plants in the aquarium hobby. It is not a picky plant and can do well in almost any setup with a wide range of water conditions and lighting. Fancy goldfish generally leave this plant alone, but even if the goldfish nibble at it it grows so fast that it’s hard for them to ever annihilate. With enough light it produces fine streams of bubbles that oxygenate the water. Offers shelter for eggs and fry and ensures cleaner water for fish. The biggest issue I’ve had with it is what to do with all the extra plants.
Throw it in the water as is or plant the stems in the substrate if desired. Elodea will throw out roots regardless if it has a substrate or not. Propagate by pinching the stems to create new plants.
Why Choose Live Plants over Fake Ones for Your Goldfish?
There’s no doubt about it:
There’s just nothing quite like the natural beauty of a planted goldfish tank.
*Embarrassing story alert*
Okay, so I always new I wanted live plants in my tank (which used to be a Tupperware bin) when I was young. So I actually snuck down to our neighbor’s pond, harvested a cattail and put it in a pot of sand with my goldfish.
Needless to say it didn’t last long, so don’t try that at home!
Now don’t get me wrong:
Plastic plants have their perks.
They are usually inexpensive… and very difficult to kill 
But I’m not fond of them.
The plastic ones can pose the dangers of pokey edges to clumsy goldfish. And the silk ones always seem to fall apart or fade after a bit.
Not to mention they never seem to have a “real” look, and they don’t offer anything to the aquarium environment biologically speaking.
Live plants, on the other hand… why wouldn’t you want them?
They absorb nitrates to use as fertilizer. In a closed aquarium, this is very beneficial for your water quality.
Get this:
They also help produce oxygen (O2) while absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2).
This is more important the smaller your fish’s home is.
And of course…
They are gorgeous!!
Now we come to the question:
Which Plants will Goldfish Avoid?
I’ve tried a lot of different ones in my search for the perfect goldfish plant. And I’m happy to say I’ve found the answer.
It needs to be tough.
See, it isn’t easy finding live plants that stand a chance with the “monster munchers” in your tank.
Just when you think you’ve found the prettiest one…
*CHOMP!*
Bye-bye tender leaves.
And bye-bye hard earned cash. :'(
Goldfish need vegetable matter as part of their diet, but I think you’d rather give them a piece of lettuce as a more economical snack!
And unless you have a much larger ratio of plants and water to fish, nothing edible stands a chance – not even the faster growing ones.
I learned the hard way that, while duckweed might look nice initially, they’ll only end up passing through your goldfish’s tummy
So whatever plant you choose, you will want to make sure your goldfish won’t eat it.
Something else to consider is whether or not the plant requires some kind of liquid fertilizer being dosed into the water.
The good news is goldfish are such heavy waste producers that some plants such as Anubias and Java Fern may not require supplementation in that respect.
Is there a Way to Prevent Goldfish from Destroying Your Aquarium Plants?
While most goldfish will not eat the ones recommended in this article, there is an element of subjectivity with each individual fish keeper’s experience.
Some fish are just more destructive than others and will shred anything edible, no matter what (though fortunately these kind of goldfish are few and far between!).
Fancy goldfish seem to be less prone to destroying them than athletic breeds like Commons or Comets.
The truth is…
In my experience, most goldfish destroy plants because they don’t have anything else better to do.
They’re bored.
But don’t lose hope:
One way to deter goldfish from chowing down on your beauties is to DISTRACT THEM.
Give them softer foraging materials like wilted spinach, cucumber, cilantro or other leafy veggies and they will be much more likely to ignore your other plants.
These are way more appetizing and satisfy their desires to tear into something!
Also:
Growing in your plants for a month or so is also a good idea before adding fish.
Where and When Should You Buy Aquarium Plants?
Buying your goldfish’s plants online (which is what I do) has some nice advantages – you can get access to far more selection than what’s at your local pet store.
That said:
Some plants don’t ship as well as others.
More sensitive species such as Vallisneria can show up to your door brown and wilted if shipped in excessive cold or hot temperatures.
(Speaking from experience here.) :/
Checking the weather to make sure it won’t be under 30 or over 100 degrees F for a few days after you plan to order is a good idea.
Quarantining Your New Plants
Check with the seller and see what they do to ensure your plants don’t come with unwanted “hitchhikers.”
Snails are usually the biggest issue, but in rarer cases pathogens could be transmitted (depending on where your plant is from and how it was housed).
For a seller that does no quarantine or grows their plants in a tank with other fish, you will need to make sure your plants are disease and pest free yourself.
You can do this by keeping the plant isolated for a minimum of 28 days.
Some people have success doing a hydrogen peroxide and water dip (though this may be hard on certain species).
Either way, healthy plants will help make for a healthy aquarium.
How to Attach Your Goldfish Plants
Because some varieties (such as Anubias or Java Fern) do not require a substrate, you will need to attach it to something in the tank to secure it.
Some people use nylon string.
I did that for a LONG TIME, and let me tell you – it was a total pain.
No matter how strong you tie it, it always gets loose due to disturbance during water changes.
Loose thread is hazardous to goldfish, who can get caught on it by their gills or fin rays (this actually happened to my goldfish on several occasions).
Some recommend superglue, but the problem is that it usually has other things in it that can potentially leach into the water.
But then I found plant glue. <3
Let me tell you, this stuff has been a life-saver.
You can attach your Anubias or Java Fern or Java Moss or whatever to wood or rocks in seconds, and it is goldfish safe too (unlike Superglue).
I use this kind by the makers of Seachem Prime.
Lately I’ve been having success using these lead plant weights for my Anubias and Java fern.
It’s less messy and seems to last much longer than the glue.
Now just watch them grow
What About You?
Do you keep live plants in your goldfish tank, or are you still nervous about trying them out?
What has your experience been with a planted goldfish tank?
Let me know your experiences in the comments section below.
Water lettuce.
Some plants can survive if they grow fast enough to avoid being eaten.
This usually depends on a low ratio of fish to plants.
However this method usually ends up just slowing the INEVITABLE DEATH of these plants. 😉
Hi there!
I recently bought your e-book and I e-mailed the 24 hour support address provided with the purchase as I am having some problems with one of my new fantails. I know I e-mailed over the weekend, but let me know if there is a better way to reach you. I’d love some advice – I am starting to get worried about one of my fish.
Thank you!
Responded, thank you for letting me know 🙂
i am thinking about getting anchors i know they grow fast but am willing to deal with it would you recommend? btw awesome website :3
Anacharis might not grow fast if you have a goldfish 🙂 I like anubias, goldfish won’t touch it.
*anicharas
I have a 125 gal tank. My biggest comet is about 9”. They still nip at anubias leaves, tearing off small parts. 🙁 Also, glue your onion plants to large pebbles! I know it’s time consuming but you won’t find them floating, and you can move them around your tank with ease! I love those things. So hardy and the Goldies are beautiful swimming through them.
Great tips, Wesley! Thanks for sharing.
great info
Glad you liked the post, William!
I tried marble queen photos stuck in the back of my 150 gallon and my little water piggies ate all the routes and kill them I also have Madagascar lace hornwort pennywort and a bunch of other plants they don’t bother them at all.
I want to try Pothos again do you have any suggestions on how to protect the route for a while ?
I like to put Pothos in the filter. No goldfish can bother them!
Hi! I commented a while ago on the foxtail page, but I don’t think it sent or something. But it is really important. First, I am buying some foxtail plants and pots, but i don’t know what type of soil I should use, would regular potting soil be ok capped with gravel? Or do I need some special kind from ebay? Second, I am getting a butterfly without gill flaps, it doesn’t affect his health, but would it get caught on the foxtail leaves, and should I not let him be in a tank with them?
Thanks!
Please check the foxtail page 🙂
Hello again, thanks for the helpful info and advice! I wanted to say that there are some really reasonably price anubias and other plants from a seller on eBay who also offers quarantine for only three more dollars and has a pretty nice shipping deal going on right now too. Just wanted to give a heads up! Here are the links for the quarantine and anubias petite. 🙂
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Anubias-Nana-Petite-Live-Freshwater-Easy-Aquarium-Plant-US-Seller-Nano-Tiny/273710184705?hash=item3fba65f901
http://ebay.us/5ZVBrY
A friend reccomended I put some aquarium moss balls in my new aquarium, are they good/ok for goldfish?
Moss balls are great, if your goldies won’t eat them.
I bought three of those moss balls and they went from a pretty vibrant green to an ugly brownish green. Are they dead? I have LED lights. Do I need special lighting to grow plants?
It might have to do with not turning them enough. From what I’ve read they need to be turned often to stay healthy.
Thanks so much!
You are welcome!
Thanks. Love your website! Cant wait to try some live plants. Will wait till summer and try to buy locally because shipping is expensive for plants!
Glad you liked it!
I have a beautiful annubias barteri I got at a local fish auction and it is doing great. I had some melt back about 2 months after it was in the tank, but that has stopped and it is doing well with a new leaf about every 2-3 weeks. I have an Amazon Sword I also got at auction and it melted back, then did great for a while, but now, even with mucho root tabs will just not grow out. Not dying…just not thriving. Also, the one I love the most, a huge sample of Valasnaria, again with mucho root tabs has stayed alive for 6 months in the gravel substrate, even some tiny sprigs I put in the front just to see how they would do, but the main portion has gotten much smaller, and has not sent out even one root. I have a traditional cold water setup so about 67 to 68 all winter in the house. Is this too cold for the plants other than annubias?
Off topic, but my 6 mixed fancy tail goldies (black moor, oranda, milk white, calico, solid gold) and my 6 white clouds get along swimmingly. Any suggest for a cory type that might do well in this environment, because I will be moving this to a new 75 G in about 6 months as my goldies grow and need room. Looking at moving the 6 soon to be more than juvenile goldies, the existing white clouds plus maybe 6 more so they can school well and stay out of the way, but I would like 3 or 4 cory’s that stay small and fill up the bottom of the tank. 6 of the 2 inch goldies can certainly share the space with some stay 2 inch corys. Suggestions on a breed please.
Your temp is definitely cooler for the sword, but the Val should be fine in colder water. The root tabs might not be supplying adequate micro and macro nutrients, you might also need to be adding liquid carbon as that is a limiting factor for aquatic plant growth.
Don’t know much about cories, sorry.
I love putting aquarium plants for my goldfish but I just stopped putting them because my water just turned brown. How can I prevent this from happening again? Nice website.
Sorry. I just accidentally posted two comments
Brown water could indicate a problem with tannins from driftwood or soil. Not usually from plants, unless there is a lot of dead plants
Would guppy grass (Najas) be ok to keep or is that one they would eat? Thanks!
That will probably be a meal.
LOVE the update to the page!!! 😉
Thank you BeautifulButterflies ^_^
Hello Meredith. This is an amazing post. Very informative.
I recently got two cabomba aquatica and they are in my quarentine tank. However, they seem to have flower buds below water, and way below the first leaf above the surface.
I just recently got them and i have no idea if these flower buds will rot or grow above water surface since everywhere i looked they seem to grow above the surface.
It is also of notice that my quarentine tank is smaller in height and volume (15L) than my other tank (60L) and when the quarentine period is over they will be even more below the surface.
Do you have any advice?
Thank you so much
The flowers are emergent. This means they grow out of the water. They will probably continue to flower underwater and then die off once they’re done. 🙂
Hi pure goldfish, should I get pieces if driftwood for my java fern plants or will they be ok in the substrate(flourite black sand)? Also, if I have java fern, hornwort and maybe amazon sword should I get nutrient tablets or stuff to put in the water for them to grow well? And what do I do if the plants get too big?
Java fern does best tied to something instead of planted in sand. So you can tie it to driftwood, rocks or use lead weights (what I do.) Nutrient tabs are good for swords. But I just use soil 😉 Sell the plants or move to new tank if they outgrow
Where can I get lead weights?
I use these.
Are these plants good for outdoor small fights ponds
Depends on how cold your winters get. Hornwort is almost always a survivor in ponds year round.
Ah nice page, I figured this all out the hard way as my sword plants got totally eaten. I happen to have two very ‘aggressive’ goldfish. Now they are in a bigger tank and have Anubias there, I think. They are very hardy leafed. So far so good, I think one of them did eat a bite on one of the leaves but this is big progress already compared to how it used to be. They did not seem to be interested in the lettuce leaf that I dropped in. More tests to come! Thanks for a thorough list of plants.
Try blanching the lettuce first they will love it 🙂
I have a tank with an oranda goldfish (thanks to my young son) and I always longed for a lush planted tank (daddy’s dream) so i’ve spend the past couple years on a similar odyssey as Meredith seeking for plants compatible with goldfish. Besides the ones already mentioned, I would add most Cryptocoryne to the list of goldfish-safe and beginner-compatible plants. I am even now experimenting with crypt Parva, which is a challenge not becuase goldie likes to munch it but just because it keeps getting uprooted…. larger crypts can get established more easily and I have had a healthy happy stand of cryptocoryne wendtii in my tank for years.
Another goldfish-proof and easy plant is crinum calimistratum (“onion plant”) – mine took some time to get established, then it will grow without CO2 and its tough leaves don’t get munched.
For those willing to invest in CO2 and more advanced plant keeping, I’ve also had good luck wih Ammania Gracilis and Alternathera Reinickii, for whatever reasons these are not tasty to my Oranda.
One of my recent failed experiments was Rotala Bonsai – the tender stems became lunch in very short order…
Thanks for your suggestions, Mike! I’ve heard of several people who find crypts to be good plants for goldfish.
I want to get a pothos and submerge the roots do you think it will be ok. And if they do eat it will it harm the fish I know people say it’s harmful if a dog and cat eat it.
Totally fine. Lots of people do this. If you put it in the filter they can’t get to the roots.
Thank you for this article. I’m one of those people who ended up with a feeder goldfish by mistake. Popped it into a 2 gallon and 2 years later and 3 tank upgrades, I have 6 inch fish in a 40 gallon tank. I was struggling to find plants to fill the space because my Java fern and Anubias just aren’t cutting it by themselves. My goldfish is a monster and uproots any new Java fern off-shoots I try to plant. I’m hoping some of your suggestions will do the trick!
I hope you find the perfect plant, hornwort might be a good first try for you 🙂
I really want to buy some plant, but since amazon is only shipping essentials IDK what to do. I\’m worried if I buy the plants they could get stuck sitting somewhere and die. What should I do? I really need some nitrate reducers. :/
You can try eBay.
I \”adopted/rescued\” 6 goldfish from a Craigslist ad. I say that because they were not well kept. Their water was brown)minus driftwood or similar organic material) and they were on a commercial food only diet ?. I\’ve wanted fish again for a long time, now that I\’m older and responsible enough to keep them healthy ?. Sadly, there are six of them (sizes range from 2\”-5\” without fins) in a 29 gal tank ?. I believe five of them are comets and one I really think is a common but who really knows with all the interbreeding. I only plan on keeping 2 though.
Anyhow, they were apparently extremely delighted in their new home with clean water plus dried brine shrimp treats, peas, bananas, pears, red leaf lettuce, grapes and strawberries (you know, whatever) added to their diet because as soon as I stuck that first plant in the tank, BOOM, they made babies. I was absolutely not at all prepared because everything I\’ve read said they will not breed in such a small environment. Just so happened that I siphoned gravel the day the first eggs hatched or I might not have ever even noticed them. Just one little guy stuck to the side of the tank gave it away. I tried saving it but I just ended up getting it eaten. I\’ve got two HOB filters running so water moves pretty fast in the tank. You\’re probably already thinking to yourself, the rest probably got sucked into the filters and you\’d be right. I immediately unplugged both filters and went to work trying to save as many as I could. As luck would have it I also bought a one gallon tank from a different Craigslist post because I figured it would serve well as a quarantine tank in the future as I expand my newest hobby. All in total, I ended up with seven fry. One passed as it developed a deformity, or I accidentally injured it.
Either way, I think it\’s kinda cool that I\’ve got six and six. The survivors have a 10 gal now and even though it\’s a lot more work than I was bargaining for, it\’s definitely worth getting to watch them grow.
My original intention was to share my Anubias plant planting method but I\’m a story teller at heart. So, what I ended up doing with one initially, which also happened to the 2nd Anubias because my goldfish crew demolished the roots of the other I tried tying to a decoration that had a porous feature on it. They tear everything up but also even out the gravel while they boredom scavange so that\’s kinda nice. Everyday since I\’ve gotten them I can\’t help thinking that it should have been Hungry Hungry Fishes instead of Hippos. And yes, I\’ve sidetracked again. Okay so I had some nylon netting from a children\’s game where you caught fake butterflies, I\’m all about reusing and saving money through DIY projects and crafts. It\’s a pack rat kinda lifestyle but I keep it contained to my garage (aka my she shed I guess). So, what I did was cut up the nylon netting and sewed it into pouches to hold aquarium gravel and tied the top up around the base of the rhizomes drawstring style. I read that the Anubias like to root loosely while the rhizomes stay above substrate to gather nutrients from the water. I didn\’t have any extra money to spend on drift wood and just have something against lava rock. I used to do lawn care with my dad years ago and lava rock beds were such a pain (I can\’t let it go). Needless to say, the smaller root demolished Anubias is now in with the fry tied up with a better nylon netting sack because I learned from making the first one. It was a smaller and it\’s leaves were getting eaten along with the roots although not as fast. I\’m guessing the younger leaves on that one must be more tender and therefore edible. I sewed the fishing line I used very loosely and just kinda wrapped and tucked the remaining line around and into the gravel pouches so I didn\’t inhibit the plant from growing. There\’s no loose strings fluttering about and I inspect them daily during feeding times just to be safe.
Sure, my DIY version requires some more work but I feel as though it\’s quite an original and innovative idea while also adding a bit of depth ? and originality to my aquarium decor. The gravel I used in my naturally weighted nylon plant sack is a contrasting color to the rest as well. I also considered using lead fishing weights out of my tackle box but was concerned about the addition of a heavy metal to my tank. Sure, people fishing lose them in lakes and rivers but those are large bodies of water with huge eco systems and beds for the weights to sink into. I guess I couldn\’t help thinking how toxic lead is to us.
Thanks for letting me share!
I hope that my short story was entertaining enough so as not to bore anyone who might stop to read it.
Oh, the six fry are now a couple weeks old and developing their own little personalities already, which is interesting. Can\’t tell much about their physical characteristics yet but I\’m excited to see what happens. I was able to determine that my six big goldfish are half and half, male and female. One of the females is just gorgeous to me. She\’s mostly silver but her silver scales have a vibrant pink shimmer to them while there\’s some yellow hues outlining her body and she\’s also got spots of orange on her fins and tail. I\’m hoping some of her will come out in one of the babies. I have no way of knowing for sure who laid the eggs or who fertilized them or how goldfish genes work for that matter. It\’s all very exciting and I hope every fish enthusiast gets the chance to raise baby fishes.
Thanks for sharing, Kat!
Hi! I\’m planning on doing a fishless cycle. Would it be fine to add plants and snails while the tank is cycling to quarantine them? When I add the fish, I\’m assuming I\’ll have to take them out and quarantine the fish separately. Thank you!
You can, but plants can interfere with your cycle.
Hello ,
are bucephalandra species goldfish proof ? if yes say their score
thank you for this marvelous site
I have heard of some people keeping those with goldfish successfully though I haven’t tried it myself so can’t say for sure.
I have two large comet goldfish and they have eaten my anubis and hornwort plants. I feed them plenty. They just randomly go on benders of eating anything they can, then return to normal activity.
That stinks. Those comets can be lawnmowers sometimes.
Hi,
is cryptocoryne pettchi goldfish proof?how about other cryptocorynes
Replied via email 🙂
Thanks for this article I have lot to learn on this. Im planning to plant Java Moss on my Goldfish tank, is it possible?
Possible but also possibly edible lol
Hello, we\\\’re new to keeping fish, my son came back from the funfair with a goldfish (we live in the UK) thanks to grandparents ☺️.
This was a year ago now! He\\\’s pretty much doubled in size since so we\\\’ve invested in a bigger tank (75 litres), he\\\’s been in a 17 litres one from early on.
I stumbled across your website and what a relief to have easy tips to follow!
We want to give him a lovely tank as originally we were told goldfish don\\\’t need anything in their tanks.
How many plants would you recommend in a 75 litres tank?
We\\\’ll get the sand you recommended for the bottom.
Would you recommend doing the tank cycle first and then add the plants later and then our fish?
Thank you in advance.
Totally depends on type and size of plants. I like planting 50% of the tank bottom. Cycling first is fine 🙂
Hi Meredith,
I saw somewhere on your website that treating plants with MinnFinn to eliminate pathogens and such. I\’m planning on getting some plants from a lfs but too afraid they will introduce the nasties to my main tank. If I treat these plants with MinnFinn, do I still need to quarantine them and how long? Thanks!
No need to QT the plants if you use MinnFinn imo. I give mine an hour bath at regular strength. But I can’t promise how all plant varieties will respond. It seems fine for me with anubias, Java fern and dwarf sag.