Aquatic plants are used to give the aquarium a realistic appearance, oxygenate the water, and provide habitat for fish, especially fry (babies) and for invertebrate species. Some aquarium fish and invertebrates also eat live plants. Many commonly-used plant species come from the rivers of South America.
- Anubias
- Cabomba (fanwort)
- Ceratophyllum (hornwort)
- Cryptocoryne
- Echinodorus (sword plant)
- Elodea
- Lemna (duckweed; floating plants)
- Microsorum
- Pistia (water lettuce; floating plant)
- Vallisneria
- Vesicularia dubyana ("Java moss")