Photo courtesy of Dornenwolf

You’ve probably had a shower before at a place that had hard water. It leaves your skin feeling dry and isn’t ideal. But if your house has a hard water supply, and you’re using that water for your aquarium, then your tank is also filled with hard water.

Is that a problem for your aquascaping?

It turns out it’s not that big of a deal. Although hard water can make it more difficult for plants to absorb nutrients, plenty of plants thrive in this type of environment. You don’t have to change your water supply or buy water for the tank.

Instead, just make sure you’re planting species that appreciate the water you have. Check out these suggestions and see which ones fare well in your live planted aquarium.

Sword plants

These plants tend to grow long, vertical leaves and can get pretty full and tall. That makes sword plants a good choice if you want a dramatic look to your tank. There are lots of different varieties, including New Zealand micro sword, Brazil sword, melon sword, and Amazon sword.

Java fern and java moss

Java fern and java moss are known staples of aquascaping and live planted fish tanks. They’re one of the easiest aquatic plants to grow.

Java fern is a small, slow growing plant that is tolerant of hard water (or pretty much any type of water). This plant is pretty versatile and can be grown floating at the top of the tank if you like. Or a lot of growers tie it to aquarium decor or secure it in pots in the substrate.

Java moss grows more like a carpet, but is just as hardy and easy to take care of. In fact, just because a plant isn’t listed here doesn’t mean it’s not a good candidate for your hard water tank. Many of the aquatic mosses are pretty tough (i.e., good for growers with a tendency to kill plants accidentally).

Like java fern, java moss can be left floating at the top of the tank or tied to décor. Many growers like to plant it as a carpet in the substrate with mesh or glue to hold it in place.

Anubias

Anubias is a hardy plant that can also be tied off to an object in the tank rather than being planted in the substrate. It prefers lower lighting, so it works perfect in a tank with floating java fern or java moss to block some of the light.

Cryptocoryne plants

Crypts are an unusual plant that can be fun to keep if you don’t mind their quirks. You see, they have a tendency to undergo “crypt melt” and entirely disintegrate in your aquarium. If you’re patient and leave the rhizome in place, the plant usually grows back in a month or so.

Hygrophila

Hygrophila is actually the formal name for swamp weeds. Don’t let that deter you. Being a swamp weed is pretty good for your survival rate, if you’re a plant. You used to be able to get dwarf hygros or giant hygros, depending on the tank size and the look you’re going for. But the dwarf species has since been outlawed in many states (including Illinois) because it is an invasive species.

Follow Indoor Cultivator to find plant nutrient additives that will keep your aquarium plants healthy.