Selecting Aquatic Plants for Goldfish

Environmental Factors

Select aquatic plants that will thrive in the same temperatures that your goldfish do, 70 degrees; give or take a few degrees. If you select aquatic plants that do not like that temperature then they will not grow very fast, or die and rot away.

The lighting in your goldfish tank or goldfish pond should also be a factor in your selection process. It’s no different than selecting a spot for your non aquatic plants, If you have a light on your tank or sunlight on your pond, you can choose aquatic plants that require more light. If your tank of pond has low light, then select aquatic plants that require low levels of light.

Even if there is sunlight on your pond or you have a light on your tank, the depth at what you place your aquatic plants will effect how much light reaches them. Another factor that effects how much light will reach your aquatic plants is what’s above them. Floating plants, rocks or driftwood can block out light so you should plan the placement of goldfish tank or pond’s aquatic plants carefully.

Some plants will live just fine attached to a piece of driftwood of buried in the gravel substrate of your goldfish aquarium or pond. There are plants that get their nutrients from the the substrate and others that can absorb it through the water they live in. If you find that your aquatic plants are not doing well but you have followed every requirement to grow them, they might just need a bit of extra help to grow; try an aquarium plant food supplement.

Goldfish Behavior

The other habit your goldfish will do is digging around on the bottom of their tank looking for food. They will frequently take in a piece of gravel from the bottom and then spit it back out in their search for a snack. This can lead to the aquatic plants being uprooted. By placing your aquatic plants into small pots that can be buried into the substrate gravel, will minimize the chances that your goldfish will uproot them. Selecting floating aquatic plants will eliminate this concern entirely since they are already free floating in your goldfish tank. Another solution to this problem is to purchase aquatic plants that can be tied down to driftwood or rocks.

Top Aquatic Plants for your Goldfish

There are a few variety of aquatic plants that survive better than others in a goldfish tank or pond. These plants are either too thick to eat or just not appealing to your goldfish.

Java Fern: Microsorum pteropus
Java Moss Vesicularia dubyana
African Water Fern: Microsorum pteropus
Hornwort: Ceratophylum demersum
Dwarf Anubias: Anubias Bateri
Water Sprite: Ceratopteris thalictroides
Frogbit: Limnobium laevigatum
Anacharis: Egeria densa. (goldfish do it eat but it grows fast and is inexpensive.)
Parrot Feather: Myriophyllum aquaticum. (goldfish do it eat but it grows fast and is inexpensive.)