Top 10 Best Plants for a Shrimp Tank
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If you keep freshwater shrimp, live plants aren't just decorative — they're essential. Plants provide biofilm for shrimp to graze on, hiding spots for baby shrimp, and help maintain stable water parameters. But not all plants are created equal when it comes to shrimp tanks.
At Razz Aquatics we keep shrimp alongside plants every day. Here are our top 10 picks for the best plants to add to your shrimp tank — all available in our store.
1. Java Moss
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Low | CO2: Not required
Java Moss is the single best plant you can add to a shrimp tank. Period. Baby shrimp hide in its dense tangles for safety, all shrimp constantly graze on the biofilm that grows within it, and it thrives in almost any condition. Tie it to driftwood or rocks and it will spread on its own over time.
Why shrimp love it: Dense cover for babies, constant biofilm food source, thrives in any condition.
2. Christmas Moss
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Low–Medium | CO2: Not required
Christmas Moss has a beautiful layered, feathery appearance that looks like a miniature Christmas tree. Like Java Moss it's a magnet for baby shrimp and provides excellent biofilm. It attaches easily to hardscape and can be shaped into moss walls or carpets. Also available as a convenient Christmas Moss Mat for instant coverage.
Why shrimp love it: Even denser structure than Java Moss, excellent for baby shrimp survival rates.
3. Weeping Moss
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Low–Medium | CO2: Not required
Weeping Moss grows in a beautiful cascading, downward pattern that creates a stunning waterfall effect on driftwood and rocks. It provides the same biofilm benefits as other mosses and is a favorite hiding spot for baby shrimp. The mat form makes it easy to attach and position in your tank.
Why shrimp love it: Cascading structure creates dense hiding spots, excellent biofilm producer.
4. Anubias Nana
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Low | CO2: Not required
Anubias Nana is one of the most beginner-friendly rooted plants in the hobby. Its thick, waxy leaves grow slowly and are rarely eaten by any tank inhabitants. Attach to driftwood or rocks — never bury the rhizome. Shrimp love grazing on the biofilm that coats Anubias leaves.
Why shrimp love it: Large leaf surfaces covered in biofilm, slow growth means leaves stay grazeable longer.
5. Dwarf Sagittaria
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Low–Medium | CO2: Not required
Dwarf Sagittaria is a grass-like plant that spreads aggressively via runners to create a lush, natural-looking carpet or mid-ground. It tolerates a wide range of conditions and provides excellent cover for shrimp. Its narrow leaves collect biofilm well and shrimp can often be seen grazing up and down each blade.
Why shrimp love it: Spreads quickly to create dense cover, narrow leaves collect biofilm, easy and forgiving.
6. Vallisneria
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Medium | CO2: Not required
Vallisneria is a tall, grass-like background plant that creates beautiful movement in water flow. It spreads via runners and quickly fills the back of a tank. It thrives in the same water parameters as Neocaridina shrimp — neutral pH and moderate hardness. Also available in the unique twisted form as Corkscrew Vallisneria.
Why shrimp love it: Long leaves provide grazing surface, spreads to create dense background cover.
7. Ludwigia Super Red Mini
Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate | Light: Medium–High | CO2: Recommended
Ludwigia Super Red Mini is a stunning compact stem plant with vibrant red leaves. It adds a pop of color to any planted tank and grows faster than larger Ludwigia varieties. While it prefers more light and benefits from CO2, it can grow in medium light with good fertilization. Shrimp love exploring its compact, bushy structure.
Why shrimp love it: Dense bushy growth provides excellent cover, fast growth means constant fresh biofilm.
8. Scarlet Temple
Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate | Light: Medium | CO2: Optional
Scarlet Temple (Alternanthera Reineckii) is one of the most striking red plants you can add to a shrimp tank. Its vivid red and pink coloration creates a beautiful contrast against green plants and shrimp. It grows as a stem plant and is relatively easy to care for with good lighting and regular fertilization.
Why shrimp love it: Dense stem structure provides hiding spots, vibrant color makes shrimp pop visually.
9. Tiger Lotus
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Medium | CO2: Not required
Tiger Lotus is a stunning bulb plant that produces large, lily pad-style leaves with beautiful red and green patterning. It can grow floating lily pads on the surface or stay compact with trimming. Its large leaves create shaded areas that shrimp love to congregate under, and the broad leaf surfaces collect substantial biofilm.
Why shrimp love it: Large leaves create shaded resting spots, excellent biofilm collector, striking visual centerpiece.
10. Pearl Weed
Difficulty: Beginner | Light: Medium | CO2: Optional
Pearl Weed is a delicate, fine-leaved stem plant that creates a beautiful dense foreground or mid-ground carpet effect. It grows quickly and absorbs nutrients rapidly — making it excellent for water quality. Its fine, intricate structure is loved by baby shrimp as a hiding spot and provides constant fresh biofilm.
Why shrimp love it: Fine intricate structure perfect for baby shrimp, fast growing so always fresh biofilm available.
Tips for Planting a Shrimp Tank
- Always have moss — if you only add one plant, make it moss. The survival rate of baby shrimp improves dramatically with moss in the tank.
- Attach, don't bury — Anubias must be attached to hardscape, not buried in substrate. A buried rhizome will rot.
- Avoid copper-based fertilizers — copper is toxic to shrimp. Always check fertilizer labels.
- More plants = more stability — a heavily planted tank is more forgiving of water parameter fluctuations.
- Layer your plants — use tall background plants like Vallisneria, mid-ground plants like Dwarf Sagittaria, and foreground moss for a complete planted look.
Shop Plants for Your Shrimp Tank
Browse our full selection of aquatic plants at Razz Aquatics — all carefully sourced and packaged to arrive in excellent condition.
Questions? Reach out through our contact form — we're always happy to help.
— Razz Aquatics 🌿