We like to keep the definition of “beginner” simple. There are really just two kinds of plants:
- Beginner plants — Plants that thrive in a broad range of water types, adapt easily to most tap water, and grow well without added CO₂.
- Other plants — Varieties that may require specific water chemistry adjustments, specialized lighting, or supplemental CO₂ to survive or reach their best potential.
Beginner plants are forgiving. They adapt to different tap waters and give aquarists room to learn while still enjoying a healthy tank. They don’t require you to understand every detail about water chemistry or nutrients right away, which makes them the perfect choice when you’re starting out — maybe you just set up your first aquarium and want to add some plants. That’s why we’ve put together a curated list of beginner plants. This makes it easy to choose varieties that are more likely to thrive in your conditions without having to spend a lot of time figuring everything out right away.
Once you understand your water and know how to test for KH (carbonate hardness) and GH (general hardness), you can begin to select plants based on those parameters or create water parameters that suit the plants you want. I spent years glazing over terms like dGH, KH, and ppm before I finally understood them out of necessity — and my main motivation was simply wanting to expand the range of plants I could keep in my aquariums.
Beginner plants can be every bit as beautiful as any other plants or varieties. Some are stunning. And sometimes people get lucky — their tap water happens to suit almost anything without them ever knowing their KH and GH. But for many others, that’s not the case.
Why We Emphasize GH and KH
Most products sold as “master test kits” are really designed for fish. They focus on ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH — all important for cycling and livestock safety, but not the real foundation for plants. Some of these kits simply aren’t suitable for planted tanks. GH and KH tell you far more about what plants will grow in your water than the rest of the kit combined.
One note: saying “broad range” doesn’t mean all water types. There are places where the tap water is so extreme that almost no aquatic plant will thrive. If you find yourself struggling in that situation, get an affordable KH and GH test kit. From there, we can help you learn how to use it, understand what your water is telling you, and give you some answers on what you may need to add if changes are necessary. We’ll keep writing blogs so you can find the information you need, but if not, shoot us an email and we’ll do our best to answer your questions.
That’s how we define beginner. At the end of the day, you can stay in this hobby for a lifetime with less demanding plants. What matters most is that you’re enjoying your plants, your fish, and finding a little peace in front of your aquarium