10 Shrimp Safe Plants That Are Nearly Impossible To Kill

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]10 shrimp-safe plants that are nearly impossible to kill. Today, we're counting down the top 10 plants that are so tough they're practically indestructible. These are the plants that forgive your mistakes and handle a huge range of conditions, and most importantly, create the perfect world for your shrimp [music] to thrive in.

[00:00:17]Let's get into it. Before we hit the list, let's quickly cover why live plants are so essential for a booming shrimp colony. It goes way beyond just looking pretty. You're not just decorating, you're building the perfect shrimp city.

[00:00:30]>> [music] >> First, and most importantly, plants are safety. Shrimp are incredibly vulnerable, especially when they're molting or [music] when they're tiny little shrimps. They desperately need dense, complicated places to hide and feel secure. Without that cover, they're just stressed out, and baby shrimp become easy snacks for any fish you might have. Second, the surfaces of leaves and stems grow a thin, invisible layer of microorganisms and algae called biofilm. This is the primary food for all shrimp, but it's especially crucial for shrimps. A tank packed with plants is a tank packed with food. And third, plants are your partners in keeping the water clean. They naturally [music] soak up nasty stuff like nitrates right out of the water, acting like living filters that keep the environment stable and safe for your delicate little friends.

[00:01:19]So yeah, picking the right plants isn't just for looks, it's one of the most important things you can do for the success of your shrimp. So here is my list of indestructible plants. In at number 10, hornwort. [music] Ceratophyllum demersum. Kicking off our list is hornwort, a fast-growing giant and a true workhorse in a shrimp tank.

[00:01:37]This plant [music] is famous for being one of the hardiest you can find. You can let it float, you can anchor it down, you can keep it in a heated tank or a cold one, it just doesn't [music] care. It grows. So why is it so great for shrimp? Because it grows so fast, hornwort is an absolute nitrate [music] sponge, sucking toxins out of the water and keeping it pristine. Its fine, feathery leaves create an incredible jungle gym for shrimp. This provides a massive amount of surface area for biofilm to grow on, and it's one of the [music] best plants for giving baby shrimp a place to hide and stay safe.

[00:02:11]The only downside, it can get a little messy and shed [music] its needles if your water parameters swing wildly, but the benefits are just too good to ignore. In at number nine, water wisteria, Hygrophila difformis. Next up, we have water wisteria, a plant loved for its unique, lacy leaves and its seriously vigorous growth. This is a stem plant that's super [music] easy to care for and isn't picky about lighting.

[00:02:34]Just stick it in some gravel or sand, and it will take off, creating a lush forest for [music] your shrimp to get lost in. Like hornwort, its speedy growth makes it amazing at pulling excess [music] nutrients from the water, which helps fight off algae. But for shrimp, the real magic is its structure.

[00:02:51]It creates [music] a thick maze of leaves and stems, offering endless hiding spots and surfaces for grazing.

[00:02:57]Shrimp love [music] climbing all over it, and the dense cover gives them the confidence to come out where you can actually see them. It's a plant that delivers a complex, beautiful look with almost zero effort.

[00:03:09]>> [music] >> At number eight, we have Salvinia, one of the easiest floating plants you can keep in a shrimp tank. This stuff is incredibly hardy, grows fast, and because it floats on the surface, it has unlimited access to light and CO2 from the air. Salvinia is [music] brilliant for shrimp tanks for a few reasons.

[00:03:27]First, it helps soften the light coming into the tank, which makes shrimp feel more secure and confident. Second, its roots create [music] extra cover and more surfaces for shrimp to explore and graze on. It also does a great job soaking up excess nutrients from the water, which can help [music] with stability and reduce the chance of algae taking over. The only real downside is that, like most floating plants, it can spread [music] quickly, so you'll need to remove some now and then to stop it blocking too much light. In at number seven, cryptocoryne. [music] Crypts, as they're usually called, are gorgeous, low-maintenance plants that come in all sorts of colors and shapes.

[00:04:03]They're perfect [music] for low-tech, low-light tanks and don't need any fancy CO2. Their broad leaves are fantastic grazing platforms for shrimp, collecting biofilm and bits of food. [music] As they grow into a dense bush, they become prime real estate for hiding. Now, there's one thing you have to know about, [music] the infamous crypt melt.

[00:04:24]When you first put a crypt in your tank, it might look like it's dying, [music] with its leaves turning to mush. Don't panic, this is totally normal. The plant [music] is just ditching its old leaves while it adjusts. As long as the roots are good, new, stronger leaves will pop up in a few weeks, and the plant will be tougher than ever. The fact that it can literally melt and come back is what makes it nearly impossible to kill. In at number six, subwassertang, Lomariopsis lineata. [music] This next one is a personal favorite of mine, and it's a must-have for any breeding tank. Subwassertang. [music] It looks like a moss, but it's actually a type of fern gametophyte, which gives it this unique, ribbon-like, alien look.

[00:05:05]Subwassertang [music] could not be easier to grow. It loves low light and requires zero maintenance.

[00:05:10]The reason shrimp keepers are obsessed with it is its structure. [music] It grows in these chaotic, tangled clumps that are the ultimate safe house [music] for shrimp young. Baby shrimps can vanish into a clump of subwassertang, completely safe [music] from predators, with a massive surface area of biofilm to eat. It is one of the best natural nurseries [music] you can have, and it will dramatically increase the survival rate of your shrimps. You can just drop a clump in the tank or glue it to a rock. Your shrimp will thank you either way. In at number five, Bucephalandra. Once a super rare collector's plant, Bucephalandra, or buce, [music] is now everywhere, and for good reason. These plants are stunning, coming in a [music] wild variety of colors, from deep greens and blues to purples, often with a sparkly shimmer on their leaves. But they're not just pretty faces. Buce are incredibly hardy and grow very, very slowly. Just like a few others on our list, they are rhizome plants, so you need [music] to attach them to rocks or driftwood, not bury them. They are perfectly happy in low light and are super forgiving. Their slow growth means they need almost no maintenance, and their waxy [music] leaves are prime real estate for biofilm. Because they stay compact, [music] they are perfect for nano tanks, giving you that high-end, exotic look with the ease of a total beginner plant.

[00:06:31]In at number four, duckweed, Lemna minor. At number four, we have duckweed, one of the simplest and fastest-growing plants you can add to a shrimp tank.

[00:06:40]This tiny floating plant is famous for being almost impossible to get rid of once it gets going, which tells you everything you need to know about how tough it is. For shrimp tanks, duckweed [music] can actually be really useful.

[00:06:52]It helps dim the light a little, which can make shrimp feel more secure, and it does a great job soaking up excess [music] nutrients from the water. That fast growth can help with overall tank stability, especially in lower-tech setups. Now, it's not the prettiest plant in the world, and it can spread like absolute madness if you let it. But if you want something hardy, functional, and almost impossible to kill, duckweed absolutely earns its place on the list.

[00:07:18]In at number three, Java fern, Microsorum pteropus. The Java fern, practically a legend in the hobby, is one of the easiest [music] plants you can possibly grow, period. It will grow in almost any light, from super dim to medium, and doesn't [music] care about your water parameters. Like Anubias, it's a rhizome plant, and this is the key to its survival. The thick stem that the leaves [music] grow from should never, ever be buried, or it will rot.

[00:07:44]The one golden rule is to glue it or tie it to a [music] rock or piece of driftwood, and it will handle the rest.

[00:07:50]Its broad, tough leaves are perfect for shrimp to graze on, and as it gets bigger, it provides amazing shelter.

[00:07:57]It's a plant you can truly set and [music] forget. In at number two, Anubias. And if there were an award for most indestructible aquarium plant, the entire Anubias family [music] would be in the finals. Famous for their super slow growth and tough, leathery leaves, Anubias are almost impossible to kill.

[00:08:16]They thrive in low light and tolerate pretty much any mistake [music] a beginner can make. Just like the Java fern, the single most important rule is don't bury the rhizome. Attach that thick, [music] horizontal stem to a rock or piece of wood, and it will happily grow for years, maybe even [music] decades. Its broad, sturdy leaves are a shrimp's dream. They provide a huge surface for biofilm to grow on, and your shrimp will be grazing on them constantly. Its slow growth means you basically never have to trim it. It's the perfect low-effort, high-reward plant. And here it is, at number one, the undisputed [music] king of shrimp tank plants, Java moss.

[00:08:55]There is simply no plant more connected to shrimp keeping, and it's for a very good reason. It is the literal definition of impossible to kill. It will grow in any light, in any tank, as long as the water is stable. Java moss is the ultimate shrimp plant [music] for two reasons. First, its tangled, chaotic structure is a biofilm magnet. It traps tiny food particles and provides a nearly infinite surface area for microorganisms, especially [music] for babies to graze on. Second, it forms dense mats that are the absolute best hiding spots you can provide. It is the number one plant for making sure your shrimps survive. You can glue it to a rock, make a moss wall, or just let a clump tumble around your tank. It doesn't care, it just grows, provides food and shelter, and asks for absolutely nothing in return. So there you have it, >> [music] >> 10 plants that are not only incredibly tough, but are perfectly designed to create a safe, healthy world where your shrimp will absolutely flourish. As you can see, you don't have to struggle to get [music] that beautiful green shrimp paradise. By choosing hardy, easy plants like Java moss, Anubias, or any of the others on this list, you're setting [music] yourself and your shrimp up for success. You're giving them the three things they need most: shelter, food, and clean water. Now, I'd love to hear from you. What's your go-to impossible-to-kill plant for your shrimp tanks? Drop it in the comments below. I look at every single one. Thanks so much [music] for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.

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