Best fish lists
Best Fish for Planted Tanks: Species That Won't Destroy Your Plants
Last updated: May 2026
- Avoid these species entirely: Silver dollars, Buenos Aires tetras, goldfish, common plecos over 15 cm, and large cichlids like oscars will destroy a planted tank through grazing, digging, or sheer size.
- Best mid-water swimmers: Harlequin rasboras, cardinal tetras, celestial pearl danios, and ember tetras are all calm, small, and leave plants alone.
- Bottom crew: Corydoras need fine sand - coarse gravel damages their barbels. Kuhli loaches work well too. Both sift without uprooting rooted stems.
- Algae crew reality check: Otocinclus and Amano shrimp handle soft algae on leaves. Neither will fix an algae problem caused by bad lighting or excess nutrients.
- Dwarf cichlids can work - but German blue rams require stable soft water (pH 6.0-7.0, 26-30 °C / 79-86 °F) and aren't for new tanks.
- Most plant damage isn't the fish: Melt, holes in leaves, and stem rot usually come from CO₂ fluctuations, low nutrients, or light mismatches - not livestock.
Why fish choice matters more in planted tanks
A planted tank is a system where fish and plants share the same water chemistry, and that creates genuine constraints. Plants that prefer soft, slightly acidic water (pH 6.2-6.8) cannot share a tank with fish that need hard alkaline conditions. Stem plants rooted loosely in substrate get pulled out by any fish that digs habitually. Broad-leaved plants get grazed by species that eat vegetation opportunistically even when fed commercial food.
Beyond species compatibility, stocking density matters. Heavy bioloads produce ammonia faster than plants consume it, especially in a new tank. Before adding any fish to a planted setup, make sure your tank is fully cycled - see the guide on how to cycle a fish tank if you're not there yet.
Buying fish before the plants are established. If you add a full shoal to a tank with sparse, struggling plants, the plants lose. Add fish gradually once stems are rooting and new growth is visible - usually 4-6 weeks in.
The mid-water layer: shoaling fish that coexist with plants
Most planted tanks look their best with a shoal of small, active fish in the mid-water column. These species add movement without touching your scape.
Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
One of the easiest planted-tank fish you can keep. They stay around 4-5 cm, prefer slightly soft water (pH 6.0-7.5), and the copper-orange body against green stems looks genuinely striking. Keep at least 8-10 together - a group of three or four just drifts nervously. Temperature: 22-27 °C (72-81 °F).
Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
More colourful than the neon tetra and better suited to a proper planted tank because they prefer the warmer, softer water that many stem plants and South American species also need. Aim for pH 5.5-7.0, 24-28 °C (75-82 °F). The red-and-blue stripe deepens noticeably in tannin-stained water - a blackwater or botanicals setup suits them well. Keep in groups of 10+.
Ember tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
Underused in planted tanks. At 2 cm they're genuinely nano-sized, completely peaceful, and the burnt-orange colour pops against dark substrates and green plants. They prefer soft, warm water (pH 5.5-7.0, 24-28 °C / 75-82 °F) and do best in a heavily planted tank where they feel secure enough to shoal in open water rather than hide.
Celestial pearl danio (Danio margaritatus)
Often sold as a nano centrepiece fish, and it earns that reputation. The spotted, gem-like patterning is unlike anything else at this size. They stay under 2.5 cm and are peaceful, but males will spar with each other - keep a higher female-to-male ratio or a group large enough (12+) to spread aggression. Temperature: 20-26 °C (68-79 °F), pH 6.5-7.5.
Most small tetras and rasboras look washed out in sparse tanks under bright light. Dense planting and some floating cover (frogbit, dwarf water lettuce) bring out natural behaviour and colour in shy species like ember tetras and CPDs.
Bottom-dwelling fish that won't wreck your substrate planting
The common failure here is using coarse gravel when keeping corydoras. Their barbels are sensory organs that get infected when abraded on rough substrate. Use fine sand - pool filter sand works and costs almost nothing.
Corydoras (Corydoras spp.)
Peppered (C. paleatus), sterbai (C. sterbai), and pygmy (C. pygmaeus) corydoras are all planted-tank friendly. They sift through the top layer of sand looking for food but don't dig deeply enough to uproot established root tabs or plants. Sterbai tolerate warmer temperatures (up to 30 °C / 86 °F) which makes them one of the few corydoras species compatible with rams in the same tank. Keep in groups of 6 minimum - they're social and noticeably more active in larger numbers.
Kuhli loach (Pangio kuhlii)
Nocturnal, eel-shaped, and completely harmless to plants. They spend the day hidden under driftwood or dense plant clumps and come out at night to scavenge. Fine sand substrate is a must. Keep in groups of 4-6. Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F), pH 5.5-7.0.
Kept in smaller numbers, corydoras spend most of their time hiding - you lose both the visual interest and the substrate-cleaning behaviour you bought them for.
Algae control: what actually works and what doesn't
Every planted-tank guide sells you on an "algae crew." The honest version: no animal fixes an algae problem caused by excess light, insufficient CO₂, or nutrient imbalances. Algae eaters manage small amounts of nuisance algae in an otherwise balanced tank. They're not a solution to a broken system.
Otocinclus (Otocinclus spp.)
The best fish for removing soft green and brown algae from plant leaves without damaging them. They're small (4-5 cm), peaceful, and won't touch healthy plant tissue. The catch: they're almost impossible to keep successfully in a new tank. Otocinclus need an established biofilm to graze - they starve in sterile setups. They're also sensitive to water quality fluctuations, which makes them a poor choice for cycling tanks or those with inconsistent parameters. Add them after 3-4 months, once the tank is genuinely stable. Keep in groups of 4-6.
Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata)
The most effective shrimp for hair algae and thread algae. A group of 5-10 in a 60-litre tank will noticeably reduce filamentous algae between water changes. They're transparent-grey, grow to about 5 cm, and are tough enough to hold their own with most community fish. One hard rule: never use copper-based medications in a tank with Amano shrimp or any invertebrate - it kills them quickly at therapeutic doses.
Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
More decorative than functional, though they do graze on biofilm and soft algae. The red colour is genuinely striking in planted tanks. They breed readily, which is a feature unless your tank contains fish that will eat shrimplets - most tetras and rasboras will pick off juveniles. For a shrimp-only nano planted tank, cherries are excellent. In a mixed community, expect attrition.
Algae problems in planted tanks are almost always a lighting or nutrient issue. Before you add more shrimp or otocinclus, check whether your light is running too long (8 hours maximum for most setups), whether you're overdosing nutrients, or whether CO₂ is crashing during the photoperiod. The aquarium water parameters guide covers what to actually test for.
Dwarf cichlids: high reward, higher maintenance
German blue rams (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) and Bolivian rams (M. altispinosus) are the planted-tank cichlids most often recommended, and they genuinely work - but they're not beginner fish.
German blue rams need warm water (26-30 °C / 79-86 °F), soft and slightly acidic conditions (pH 6.0-7.0), and zero tolerance for ammonia or nitrite. They're the canary in your tank - any water quality issue shows up on them first. Bolivian rams are tougher (pH 6.5-7.5, 22-26 °C / 72-79 °F) and more forgiving of community tank conditions, but the colour is less intense.
Both species may lightly dig near spawning sites. This rarely destroys a planted tank, but loosely anchored foreground plants like Eleocharis (hairgrass) may get disturbed. Use root tabs and make sure plants are well-established before adding cichlids.
German blue rams are regularly sold in stores kept at 24 °C and then placed in community tanks running at the same temperature. They slowly decline. These fish need 27-28 °C to thrive long-term - which rules out cold-water species like white cloud mountain minnows in the same tank.
Species to avoid in planted tanks
Some species get sold with planted tanks despite being actively destructive to them.
- Silver dollars (Metynnis spp.): Herbivores that will strip a planted tank to bare stems within days. No amount of feeding prevents this - it's natural grazing behaviour.
- Buenos Aires tetra (Hyphessobrycon anisitsi): Frequently sold as a community fish. It will shred soft-leaved plants like Cabomba and Amazon swords.
- Common pleco (Pterygoplichthys pardalis): Grows to 40-50 cm, produces enormous waste, and physically uproots plants just by moving around a tank. Otocinclus do the same algae-grazing job in a fraction of the size.
- Goldfish: Coldwater, heavy waste producers, and will eat or uproot most plants. Not a planted-tank fish under any circumstances.
- Cichlasoma and large New World cichlids: Habitual diggers. They rearrange substrate as a matter of course.
Putting a stocking list together
A functional planted community typically runs three layers: mid-water shoalers, a bottom crew, and an algae team. A practical 80-litre example:
- 12× harlequin rasbora (mid-water)
- 6× corydoras sterbai (bottom)
- 5× Amano shrimp (algae)
- 4× otocinclus (algae, added at 3-4 months)
That's a moderately stocked tank with compatible water chemistry requirements (all prefer slightly soft, slightly acidic to neutral water) and predictable behaviour. Before finalising any stocking list, run it through the free stocking calculator to check bioload against your tank volume. The App-aquatic app also lets you log test results over time, which is useful for tracking whether parameters stay stable as stocking increases.
For water change frequency when running a planted tank with moderate stocking, see the guide on how often to do water changes. Plants do consume some nitrate, but they don't replace water changes entirely.
Add fish in stages rather than all at once. Put your shoal in first, let the nitrogen cycle stabilise over two to three weeks, then add the bottom crew. Otocinclus always go in last, once biofilm is genuinely established.
Track your parameters and get care reminders with App-aquatic.
Get the free appWill fish eat my live plants?
Some will reliably - silver dollars, Buenos Aires tetras, and goldfish are the main offenders. Most small community fish (tetras, rasboras, corydoras) show no interest in healthy plant tissue. Holes in leaves and shredded edges are usually caused by nutrient deficiencies or snails, not fish grazing.
Can I keep shrimp with tetras?
Adult Amano shrimp (4-5 cm) generally hold their own with small tetras like neons and embers. Cherry shrimp adults usually survive too, but shrimplets will be eaten. If breeding shrimp is the goal, keep them in a separate tank or a heavily planted setup where juveniles can hide effectively.
Do I need CO₂ for a planted tank?
Not always. Low-tech planted tanks with slow-growing plants (anubias, java fern, crypts, mosses) run fine without pressurised CO₂. Fast-growing stem plants - Rotala, Cabomba, Ludwigia - struggle without supplemental CO₂ under high light. Most algae problems in planted tanks come from high light without matching CO₂, not from skipping CO₂ altogether.
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