Grow These 7 Aquarium Plants with Cichlids Successfully

Aquarists who have cichlids in the tank know their behavior, which is aggressive and territorial. Due to this, it often becomes challenging to keep them with other fish and aquarium plants. However, if you love to add some greens to the tank with cichlids, fret not. This article will give information on some of the best aquarium plant species that you can easily grow with these fish. Also, the article will discuss how to successfully set up the tank with cichlids and aquarium plants in the conclusion.

Even though it is believed that live aquarium plants and cichlids are a tricky combination, these species will definitely help you attain a lush green tank with them. Before learning about them, let’s understand a few things that you must consider when selecting cichlids and aquarium plants.

Things to Consider While Adding Cichlids and Live Aquarium Plants  

1. Level of Aggressiveness– The general behavior of cichlids is aggressive; however, their range of aggressiveness may vary. For instance, Jaguar cichlids and African cichlids are too territorial in nature. While establishing their territory, they may damage the plants by uprooting or digging them out from the substrate. Usually, it happens during the breeding season. On the other hand, there are species like Apistogramma that are comparatively less aggressive and spare the plants.
2. Selection of Plants– Plants that are sturdy should be your first priority. This is mainly because cichlids are aggressive and love to dig plants out. If the plants are resilient, they will withstand the behavior of the fish and stay alive. Those with tight or tough leaves are preferred over those with fine and delicate leaves. The article will discuss such plants in detail.
3. Aquarium Setup– Cichlids love digging the substrate; therefore, you will need a substrate that is well-planted and stable. In such cases, heavier substrates with sand and gravel make the best choice. Also, you must ensure that plants are properly rooted for extra stability. Likewise, it is important that such tank setups have rocks, caves, and other hiding places for cichlids to play so that they disturb the plants less.

This article will also briefly discuss the aquarium tank setup with cichlids and aquarium plants to help every novice and beginner aquarist.

Seven Best Aquarium Plants to Grow with Cichlids

1. Anubias

Apart from being sturdy, Anubias is one of those aquarium plants that are available in a variety of colors, sizes, and leaf shapes. They are among the best at adding more aesthetics to the tank and bringing more allure to the entire aquascape. The leaves are quite sturdy and tight for the cichlids to deal with. Due to this hardness, cichlids fail to shred the leaves from the plant, and thus, they stay healthy. For all these reasons, Anubias becomes one of the best aquarium plants to keep with cichlids.

Other than this, Anubias is an easy plant with very little demands. You can easily propagate it in a diverse range of water conditions and bring a lush green aesthetic to the tank. This plant can be grown even when the cichlids are large, as they are not able to do any harm to the plant due to sturdy leaves. Another good thing about Anubias is you can plant it in different ways, such as using driftwood or some heavier object to bury the roots.

2. Red Tiger Lotus

You can easily plant red tiger lotus when the tank has cichlids, as they both are native to the African continent and thus prefer similar water conditions. This beautiful red-colored aquarium plant adds more beauty to the tank and makes it more refreshing and vibrant. At the same time, just like the Anubias, it is less demanding. This plant prefers limited lighting and less care.

Red tiger lotus needs a substrate to grow, but it is recommended not to bury it too deep as it may rot. Therefore, when you are adding red tiger lotus, make sure the tank only has small cichlid species instead of the larger ones.

3. Amazon Sword

When you have larger varieties of cichlids, take Amazon Sword as your next option for a live aquarium plant after Anubias. This is one of the hardy aquarium plants whose leaves are sturdy and grow back fast when damaged by the fish. In this way, the lush green look will always be there in your tank.

The best thing about the Amazon sword plant is that its root system is quite strong enough to withstand any mess done by the cichlids. Even if the fish damage or uproot the plant, the high regeneration rate of the Amazon sword will help it bounce back with no effort. Thus, they will stay anchored in the tank for long.

Regarding the water requirements, Amazon Sword can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and pH. Thus, it will adjust to the water requirements of the fish. Just plant them deep into the substrate and use some weighing rocks around them to keep them rooted.

4. Java Fern

With the ability to cling to different objects in the tank, java fern could be a great addition to cichlids. Whether you have driftwood, rock, coconut shell, or any other decorative object in the aquarium, Java Fern will attach to it and start growing within a few days of adjustment. The strong leaves make it suitable for planting in tanks that have cichlids, as the fish are not able to break them down.

However, one thing that needs to be mentioned here is that you must go for mature java fern plants, as the younger ones have delicate leaves. Or, you can plant the java fern and allow it to mature before adding cichlids to the tank.

Besides being a low-maintenance aquarium plant, Java fern has always been one of the preferences of many aquarists. It can also survive in a wide range of water conditions, thus making it perfect for all types of aquarists– novices and experts.

5. Cryptocoryne

This is another hardy aquarium plant that you can definitely grow when the tank has cichlids. With the ability to tolerate high pH and live in varied water conditions, this aquarium plant could be your ultimate choice. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that it needs a substrate to grow like an Amazon sword.

Therefore, it is advised to root the cryptocoryne deeply and give it all the fertilizers that it requires for growth. Once the plant attains a strong root system, it becomes easy for it to stay anchored even when the cichlids try to make a mess. It is better to let the plant establish completely and then introduce the cichlids for better results.

As far as the water requirements of cryptocoryne are concerned, the plant needs warm temperatures and low light conditions. Whenever you are planning to add a crypt, do not overlight the tank, as it will melt the plants. Overall, it is an easy-to-care aquarium plant that can grow with cichlids. However, if you have larger species of cichlids, they may try to munch the slow-growing leaves when hungry. So, keep an eye always and make sure the fish are well-fed so that plants’ leaves do not attract them.

6. Bucephlandra

Being one of the hardy aquarium plants, you can definitely go for Bucephlandra with cichlids. The care and maintenance of this plant are the same as Cryptocoryne and Anubias, and it can easily survive along with the aggressive and territorial cichlids.

All you need is to place it along with any décor or object present in the tank and allow it to cling to it. Rocks and driftwoods make great choices for such arrangements. With little light and a lot of nutrients, bucephalandra grows well and adds to the beauty of the aquarium.

7. Vallisneria

Last but not least, Vallisneria, which is one of the fastest-growing aquarium plants, can also become the ideal plant for a cichlid tank. Even though the leaves of the plant are soft and the fish can easily munch on it, the rate with which it grows is so high that they will regenerate before the fish try to vanish it completely. Due to its regenerative qualities, Vallisneria could be one of your choices.

The leaves of the plant are thick and tall, and they are often planted to create a jungle look in the tank. Also, they are fast growers and require low maintenance, thus making them ideal for beginners.

All you need is to supply enough nutrients to Vallisneria and allow it to grow abundantly in the tank. Under the right water conditions, it grows amazingly and brings more beauty to your cichlid tank. Another thing to keep in mind is that Vallisneria grows tall; therefore, your tan must be big enough to accommodate it.

Conclusion

So, these are some of the aquarium plants that are surely going to give you the best results with cichlids, which means both– fish and plants will survive together. However, you must have specialized knowledge about both and how to set the tank appropriately. For instance, the tank should be big enough to accommodate fish of varying sizes. Likewise, when you are adding plants, you must ensure that both have enough space to meet their individual needs.

Secondly, your selected plants must be planted properly, in the absence of which the chances of uprooting and damage will become high. The roots of the plants that need to be rooted deeply must be weighed down with rocks or another object so that their root system gets established, making it difficult for the cichlid to dig it out.

Grow your plants some distance apart, allowing cichlids to swim around them without any hindrance. Always cycle your tank, as it helps both fish and plants stay strong and adjust to the new atmosphere