Creating an attractive, colorful tank environment is one of the most fun parts of keeping fish and other water beings. That said, it isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a beginner, to know which plants to choose—there are so many, after all! It can also be tricky to know if a plant is safe for your aquarium, as you want to make sure nothing harms your fish.
Red is a great color for aquariums—it adds a lovely, bold “pop” factor to your tank amongst a whole lot of green. Check out our best red aquarium plants reviews to see if there’s anything that catches your eye.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Heirloom Garden Rotala Rotundifolia
Fast-growing
Provides shade and a hiding space
A good starter plant
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Best Value
Potted Red Flame Sword
Cheap and hardy
Easy to care for
Interesting spotted pattern
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Premium Choice
Mainam Super Red Set Package
One pack comes with seven different red plants
Adds color and diversity to your aquarium
Oxygenates your tank
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Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig
Attractive, flame-like appearance
Pest-free
Can be separated into several small bundles
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Mainam Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Low maintenance
Can get a few bundles from one portion
Easy to plant
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The 8 Best Red Aquarium Plants
This Rotala Rotundifolia takes the top spot for the best overall red aquarium plant. Fast-growing and easy to care for, the Rotala Rotundifolia can be found in the tanks of many aquarium enthusiasts. It has fine, slender leaves and lots of them. It coexists peacefully with fish, snails, shrimp, and a range of other aquarium dwellers who enjoy hiding amongst and behind it when they fancy a bit of privacy from admiring eyes.
Growth rate: Fast
Max height: Up to 6 inches
Light demands: Medium to high
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy to medium
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The Rotala Rotundifolia is a truly lovely-looking aquarium plant, but it’s not the kind of plant that you can just pop in and expect to flourish all by itself—you need to trim it now and then to help it reach its full potential growth-wise. This isn’t too hard to do, though. It also needs some pretty intense lighting to help it achieve a nice deep shade of red.
Pros
Fast-growing
Provides shade and a hiding space
A good starter plant
Oxygenates and absorbs nitrates
Cons
Needs trimming for propagation
Needs intense lighting
This potted Red Flame Sword plant is our best value for the money pick. Don’t let its small size fool you, these plants can grow pretty big in the right conditions. You can plant it directly into the substrate (recommended) or put it in the aquarium in the pot. The Red Flame Sword has simple needs, care-wise, but may need occasional trimming as they have a tendency to grow large.
Fast-growing
Provides shade and a hiding space
A good starter plant
Oxygenates and absorbs nitrates
- Fast-growing
- Provides shade and a hiding space
- A good starter plant
- Oxygenates and absorbs nitrates
Needs trimming for propagation
Needs intense lighting
- Needs trimming for propagation
- Needs intense lighting
Growth rate: Fast
Max height: 8 – 12 inches
Light demands: Low to medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy
In short, this is a cheap and cheerful plant that adds a nice pop of color to your setup and has the potential to grow into something seriously eye-catching. It’s not really the best option for smaller-sized tanks, though, because of this. Its growth potential could be a pro or a con depending on your preferences.
Pros
Cheap and hardy
Easy to care for
Interesting spotted pattern
Cons
Not good for small tanks
Can get pretty large
Sensitive to copper
If you don’t want to grow your collection gradually or can’t choose between your favorite red plants, you could always spoil yourself—sorry, your fish, of course—and go for a whole pack! This pack contains seven freshwater red aquarium plants of different sizes that help foster an ideal environment in which your fish can flourish.
Cheap and hardy
Easy to care for
Interesting spotted pattern
- Cheap and hardy
- Easy to care for
- Interesting spotted pattern
Not good for small tanks
Can get pretty large
Sensitive to copper
- Not good for small tanks
- Can get pretty large
- Sensitive to copper
Growth rate: Medium
Max height: Various, some can reach the top of the water
Light demands: Medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Medium
Having a wider variety of plants really helps oxygenate your tank and provides plenty of hiding places for your critters. This option is a little pricey, but you get a nice selection of plants, so it may turn out cheaper in the long run than buying several different plants separately. This pack is best suited to medium and large-sized aquariums.
Pros
One pack comes with seven different red plants
Adds color and diversity to your aquarium
Oxygenates your tank
Pest-free
Cons
Pricey
Not great for smaller tanks
- Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig
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Growth rate: Medium
Max height: 3 to 15 inches
Light demands: Medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Medium
This Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig comes in a tissue cup and is grown to be free of pests like algae and snails. To plant them, you need to remove the plant from the cup and wash it to remove any gel remnants before putting it in your substrate. Like many plants, CO2 is not a hard requirement, but it is recommended to help your Alternanthera Reineckii Rosanervig to grow as nicely as possible.
One pack comes with seven different red plants
Adds color and diversity to your aquarium
Oxygenates your tank
Pest-free
- One pack comes with seven different red plants
- Adds color and diversity to your aquarium
- Oxygenates your tank
- Pest-free
Pricey
Not great for smaller tanks
- Pricey
- Not great for smaller tanks
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Growth rate: Medium
Max height: 3 to 15 inches
Light demands: Medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Medium
This is a pretty plant that gives your aquarium a “flame-like” effect. It needs some basic care for propagation, like trimming to help new stems grow and cultivate a “bushy” look. On the downside, this isn’t the cheapest aquatic plant, especially when you factor in its small size. You also need to be very careful when you plant it, as it’s delicate. Tweezers can help with this.
Pros
Attractive, flame-like appearance
Pest-free
Can be separated into several small bundles
Cons
Very delicate
Expensive
- Mainam Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red Rooted Pot Plant
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Growth rate: Medium
Max height: 3 to 11 inches
Light demands: Low to medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy to medium
This potted Cryptocoryne Wendtii plant goes directly into your substrate. It’s a low-maintenance and hardy option for beginner aquarium enthusiasts. It’s reputed to do well in both low and high light and is easy to care for and maintain. It can take a little time for your Cryptocoryne Wendtii to develop its reddish color, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t appear red when it arrives.
Attractive, flame-like appearance
Pest-free
Can be separated into several small bundles
- Attractive, flame-like appearance
- Pest-free
- Can be separated into several small bundles
Very delicate
Expensive
- Very delicate
- Expensive
Growth rate: Medium
Max height: 3 to 11 inches
Light demands: Low to medium
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy to medium
In terms of cons, it’s quite a small portion, but you can get a few bundles from it to place in different areas around your aquarium. It’s also quite pricey for its small size.
Pros
Low maintenance
Can get a few bundles from one portion
Easy to plant
Unique rippled leaves
Cons
Expensive
Small portion
- Aquarigram Red Root Floater Plants
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Growth rate: Fast
Max height: Coin-sized, roots approximately 1 inch
Light demands: Low to medium
CO2: Not necessary
Difficulty: Medium
To add some decoration to the top of your aquarium, root floater plants are a great option. These tiny, coin-sized plants come in a pack of 30 leaves. They’re slightly larger than a quarter and have green and red leaves and red roots. These root floaters provide shade and cover for your smaller fish and support a healthy aquarium environment—they help remove nitrates, ammonia, and chemicals from the water.
Low maintenance
Can get a few bundles from one portion
Easy to plant
Unique rippled leaves
- Low maintenance
- Can get a few bundles from one portion
- Easy to plant
- Unique rippled leaves
Expensive
Small portion
- Expensive
- Small portion
Growth rate: Fast
Max height: Coin-sized, roots approximately 1 inch
Light demands: Low to medium
CO2: Not necessary
Difficulty: Medium
Another bonus: Aquarigram sends you a free “mystery plant” along with your order—hooray for freebies! On the other hand, they’re a little pricey and the quantity is small—you get 30 leaves, not 30 separate plants. That said, these floaters are good for any aquarium size.
Pros
Adds diversity to your aquarium
Helps remove toxins from the water
Provides shade
Suitable for all aquarium sizes
Cons
A small quantity
Pricey
- Planterest – Ludwigia Repens
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Growth rate: Fast
Max height: 12 – 20 inches
Light demands: High
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy
Ludwigia Repens, native to Mexico and the USA, is a popular water plant for hobbyists. It’s easy to care for, so a good option for beginners, and it can be grown submerged or partially submerged. The leaves are a mix of red and green, and though CO2 is not necessary, it’s recommended to develop rich red-colored leaves.
Adds diversity to your aquarium
Helps remove toxins from the water
Provides shade
Suitable for all aquarium sizes
- Adds diversity to your aquarium
- Helps remove toxins from the water
- Provides shade
- Suitable for all aquarium sizes
A small quantity
Pricey
- A small quantity
- Pricey
Growth rate: Fast
Max height: 12 – 20 inches
Light demands: High
CO2: Recommended
Difficulty: Easy
Ludwigia Repens can be planted into the substrate, though it is reputed not to do well in sand-based substrate because it can damage the roots. Apart from this, it’s a low-maintenance plant that does well in a range of aquariums.
Pros
Inexpensive
Easy to care for
Does well in both large and small aquariums
Cons
Can be damaged by sand substrate
- biOrb Sea Lily Crimson (Artificial)
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Growth rate: N/A
Max height: 3.3 inches
Light demands: Not needed
CO2: Not needed
Difficulty: Easy
If you’re looking for something extremely low-maintenance, you might want to consider this pretty biOrb Sea Lily Crimson plant. This is an artificial plant designed to resemble similar-looking creatures from the South China sea. It’s pretty, bright, and adds a nice touch of color to a range of aquarium setups. It’s weighted down with a rock-shaped ball to prevent it from floating about.
Inexpensive
Easy to care for
Does well in both large and small aquariums
- Inexpensive
- Easy to care for
- Does well in both large and small aquariums
Can be damaged by sand substrate
- Can be damaged by sand substrate
Growth rate: N/A
Max height: 3.3 inches
Light demands: Not needed
CO2: Not needed
Difficulty: Easy
The only issue with this plant is that it’s made of plastic, so may not be suitable for tanks with long-tailed or sensitive fish that could brush up against it. Also, because this plant is artificial, it doesn’t contribute to a healthy tank environment by way of oxygenation or nitrate absorption.
Pros
No special care required
Adds color and diversity
Cons
Not suitable for long-tailed or sensitive fish
Artificial
No special care required
Adds color and diversity
- No special care required
- Adds color and diversity
Not suitable for long-tailed or sensitive fish
Artificial
- Not suitable for long-tailed or sensitive fish
- Artificial
Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to picking plants for your aquarium, there are a few things to consider to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money. You’ll want to do your research on the seller and check out the reviews others have been leaving—this will give you peace of mind that you’ll be receiving quality plants that won’t shrivel up and die before you can even get them in the tank.
Going with a reputable seller also guarantees that, if there is a problem, you’ll be able to get an exchange or a refund without hassle. Another important factor to consider is how well a particular plant will be able to thrive in your aquarium setup. If you have a small tank, you may not want to consider plants known for growing really tall or taking up a lot of space, as this can overshadow all the other great things about your aquarium.
If you have fish with long, flowing tails, artificial plants made of plastic could cause some damage. This doesn’t happen in every case, but it’s still something to consider. If you decide to go with artificial plants, it might be a good idea to pick something made of a very soft material.
Live plants vary in how much care they need, so it’s prudent to research any potential tank additions to make sure you’ll be able to maintain them. Some plants, like the Ludwigia Repens, are well-suited for beginners due to their low maintenance levels.
Conclusion
To recap, our best overall red aquarium plant is the Heirloom Garden Rotala Rotundifolia. We really like this plant’s copious leaves, and how it spreads and grows to create a safe, private environment for your fish.
Our best value for the money red aquarium plant is the cheap and cheerful Potted Red Flame Sword. We’re impressed by how large this little plant can grow and how wallet-friendly it is. Our premium pick goes to the Mainam Super Red Set package that comes with seven different plants. This is an ideal choice for those willing to spend a bit more for a varied, diverse tank environment.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our red aquarium plant reviews and that you feel more confident choosing plants that will add beauty, diversity, and a real touch of “fire” to your aquarium.
Featured Image Credit: Ludwigia glandulosa (Andreea Filip, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)
