Carpeting aquarium plants

Aquarium plants that the sources describe as carpeting: low plants that spread by runners or creeping stems into a lawn across the substrate. Compare them on light, CO₂ and difficulty before you plant a carpet.

Plants
22
Height
0–20 in (1–51 cm)
Water temperature
50–82 °F (10–28 °C)
Type

6 Stem plant

6 Rosette plant

5 Moss

2 Rhizome plant

2 Liverwort

1 Runner plant

Compare all 22 side by side

All 22 carpeting aquarium plants

Alternanthera reineckii Mini, a low bushy group of small red leaves in an aquarium foreground Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' Medium stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightStem plant
Cryptocoryne parva small narrow-leaved rosettes on sand in an aquarium Photo: Pedro Gallego Guerrero, CC0 Cryptocoryne parva Easy rosette plant for low and medium light. Low–medium lightRosette plant
Dwarf baby tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides) forming a dense low carpet over the substrate Dwarf baby tears Difficult stem plant for high light. High lightStem plant
Eleocharis parvula emersed tuft of thin green stems with small flower spikes Photo: Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA, CC BY 2.0 Dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) Easy rosette plant for low, medium, and high light. Low–high lightRosette plant
Sagittaria subulata dense rosettes of short strap-shaped leaves Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dwarf sagittaria Easy rosette plant for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Rosette plant
Flame moss growing in upright, twisting tufts on driftwood Flame moss Easy moss for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMoss
Helanthium tenellum forming a grass-like carpet in an aquarium with a red shrimp Photo: Uccio D'Agostino, CC BY 4.0 Helanthium tenellum Medium rosette plant for medium and high light. Medium–high light (estimated) Rosette plant
Glossostigma elatinoides upright stems with small spoon-shaped leaves on aquarium substrate Photo: Miriam Serrano Álvarez, CC BY-SA 4.0 Glossostigma elatinoides Difficult stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightStem plant
Hydrocotyle tripartita Japan, a low dense mat of small lobed leaves in a home aquarium Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' Medium stem plant for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Stem plant
Hydrocotyle verticillata round, scalloped leaves on upright stalks Photo: Ong Jyh Seng, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hydrocotyle verticillata Medium stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high light (estimated) Stem plant
Marsilea crenata four-lobed clover-like leaves floating on water Photo: Abu Hamas, CC BY-SA 4.0 Marsilea crenata Medium rhizome plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightRhizome plant
Marsilea hirsuta four-lobed hairy leaf seen from above Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Marsilea hirsuta Easy rhizome plant for medium and high light. Medium–high light (estimated) Rhizome plant
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis narrow grass-like leaves with small white flowers on wet substrate Photo: Averater, CC BY-SA 3.0 Micro sword Medium rosette plant for medium and high light. Medium–high light (estimated) Rosette plant
Peacock moss (Taxiphyllum sp. Peacock) growing over driftwood in an aquarium Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY 4.0 Peacock moss Easy moss for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMoss
Monte Carlo (Micranthemum tweediei) forming a dense carpet of small round leaves in an aquarium Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY 4.0 Monte Carlo Medium stem plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightStem plant
Pogostemon helferi rosette of crinkled wavy green leaves in a small pot Photo: DatHalfdanr, CC0 Pogostemon helferi Medium rosette plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightRosette plant
Riccardia chamedryfolia small branched lobes of the liverwort Photo: Christian Berg, CC BY 4.0 Riccardia chamedryfolia Easy liverwort for medium light. Medium light (estimated) Liverwort
Riccia fluitans mat of branching green thalli Photo: Piotr Kuczynski, CC BY-SA 3.0 Riccia fluitans Medium liverwort for medium and high light. Medium–high lightLiverwort
Spiky moss (Taxiphyllum sp. Spiky) with stiff upright shoots growing on driftwood in a home aquarium Spiky moss Easy moss for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMoss
Utricularia graminifolia grown as a dense mat of grass-like leaves in a pot Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 Utricularia graminifolia Difficult runner plant for medium and high light. Medium–high lightRunner plant
Weeping moss drooping over driftwood in a home aquarium Weeping moss Easy moss for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMoss
Willow moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) strands growing under water in a pool Photo: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0 Willow moss Easy moss for low and medium light. Low–medium lightMoss

How to choose

  1. Look at light and CO₂ first. Many carpeting plants are rated for high light, and several for added CO₂.

  2. Fine-leaved carpets are planted in small portions spaced apart; check the propagation field for how the plant spreads.

  3. Fast carpets close sooner but need trimming once they lift off the substrate.

Compare side by side

Leaf color Placement
Alternanthera reineckii 'Mini' Stem plant 3–4 in (8–10 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Cryptocoryne parva Rosette plant 2–4 in (5–10 cm) Low–medium Easy Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Dwarf baby tears Stem plant 0–1 in (1–3 cm) High Difficult Foreground, Carpet
Dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) Rosette plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Low–high Easy Foreground, Carpet
Dwarf sagittaria Rosette plant 4–12 in (10–30 cm) Medium Easy Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Flame moss Moss – Low–medium Easy Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood
Glossostigma elatinoides Stem plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Difficult Foreground, Carpet
Helanthium tenellum Rosette plant 2–3 in (5–8 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Hydrocotyle tripartita 'Japan' Stem plant 1–4 in (3–10 cm) Medium Medium Foreground, Midground, Background, Carpet
Hydrocotyle verticillata Stem plant 5–20 in (13–51 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Marsilea crenata Rhizome plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Carpet
Marsilea hirsuta Rhizome plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Easy Foreground, Carpet
Micro sword Rosette plant 1–3 in (3–8 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Monte Carlo Stem plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Carpet
Peacock moss Moss – Low–medium Easy Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood
Pogostemon helferi Rosette plant 2–3 in (5–8 cm) Medium–high Medium Foreground, Midground, Carpet
Riccardia chamedryfolia Liverwort – Medium Easy Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood
Riccia fluitans Liverwort – Medium–high Medium Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood, Floating
Spiky moss Moss – Low–medium Easy Foreground, Background, Carpet, On rock or wood
Utricularia graminifolia Runner plant 1–2 in (3–5 cm) Medium–high Difficult Foreground, Carpet
Weeping moss Moss – Low–medium Easy Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood
Willow moss Moss – Low–medium Easy Foreground, Carpet, On rock or wood

Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a carpeting plant that does not need CO₂?

Filter this page by CO₂ not needed. The field shows what each plant's source reports, so the result is only as good as the source, which is cited on the plant page.

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