Growing and maintaining a saltwater aquarium is a fun experience, but many aquarists want to take the leap and replace fake ornamental aquarium plants and decorations with live aquarium plants—but where do you start?
Saltwater aquarium plants are slightly more challenging to find and grow in your aquarium, but with a lot of research and the right care requirements, these plants have the opportunity to thrive and grow in a saltwater aquarium while providing shelter for the live inhabitants, improving the appearance of the aquarium, and helping keep the water quality healthy.
Saltwater aquarium plants can help make an aquarium look more natural and provide a realistic approach to saltwater aquarium keeping. We have reviewed some of the best saltwater plants that are relatively easy to grow in your aquarium.
A Quick Comparison of Our Winners (2024)
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Best Overall
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Red Mangrove |
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Best Value
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Caulerpa Prolifera |
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Premium Choice
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Dragons Tongue Algae |
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Sea Lettuce |
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Green Finger |
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The 6 Best Saltwater Aquarium Plants
1. Red Mangrove – Best Overall
| Growth rate: | Slow to moderate |
| Max height: | 30 feet |
| Light demands: | Moderate to high |
| CO2: | Low |
| Difficulty: | Beginner-friendly |
The best overall saltwater aquarium plant is Red Mangrove (also known as Rhizophora mangle). This is a tropical saltwater plant that makes the perfect coverage for small fish. It is a true marine plant that is suitable for any saltwater aquarium that has moderate to high lighting. This plant grows from “propagules”, which are the seed from the red mangrove tree, and replicates a beautiful tree-like appearance when planted in an aquarium.
This is a beginner-friendly plant that grows quite large in the wild but can be contained in a large marine aquarium. This plant has low CO2 requirements and does not need additional fertilizers if the water conditions are good.
2. Caulerpa Prolifera – Best Value
| Growth rate: | Fast |
| Max height: | 6–8 inches |
| Light demands: | Moderate |
| CO2: | Low to medium |
| Difficulty: | Beginner-friendly |
The best saltwater aquarium plant for the money is the popular Caulerpa prolifera marine plant. It makes a great display plant in marine aquariums and is primarily used to help control the nutrient load. The plant itself can be grown in the refugium, sump, or planted in the aquarium. Caulerpa prolifera grows quite fast but not very fast, so regular maintenance and pruning should be done every few weeks to keep this plant growing well.
This is an excellent plant for seahorse tanks and it only requires a good light and substrate depth to grow in. You will find that this macroalga is great at removing phosphates and nitrates from the water from accumulated waste which in return helps to keep your saltwater aquarium clean.
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3. Dragons Tongue Algae – Premium Choice
| Growth rate: | Slow |
| Max height: | 5 inches |
| Light demands: | Moderately high |
| CO2: | Medium |
| Difficulty: | Beginner-friendly |
Our premium choice is the hardy and slow-growing dragon tongue algae. This plant is ideal for seahorse aquariums and has become quite a popular plant to grow in a refugium because of its waste filtration properties. It is a beginner-friendly plant that has undemanding care needs. Dragon tongue algae have a bushy appearance and add vibrant coloration to saltwater aquariums while removing unwanted ammonia, nitrates, heavy metals, and phosphates from the water column.
This plant also makes a great source of food for herbivorous marine fish and it helps to eliminate microalgae. You will find that this plant is easy to grow and its slow growth and short maximum height require little-to-no maintenance, so you do not have to worry about this plant overgrowing in an aquarium.
4. Sea Lettuce
| Growth rate: | Fast |
| Max height: | 12 inches |
| Light demands: | Moderately high |
| CO2: | Medium |
| Difficulty: | Beginner-friendly |
Sea lettuce is a popular saltwater plant that is grown as a food source for many live inhabitants such as crabs and fish. This is an easy-to-grow plant that is hardy and able to survive in an aquarium for a long time. This plant has a high tolerance to light and temperature, so beginners do not have to worry about making any common mistakes when first growing this plant in their aquarium. Sea lettuce is made of a thallus which is the body of fungi, algae, and other organisms that have a lettuce-like appearance.
It is fast-growing and does have the potential to overgrow in a marine aquarium quickly unless it is regularly eaten by inhabitants or trimmed. This plant has high lighting requirements, and it is important to keep this plant healthy because decomposing sea lettuce can foul the water quickly. Overall, it is an easy plant to grow and can even be placed in a refugium system.
5. Green Finger
| Growth rate: | Moderate |
| Max height: | 13 inches |
| Light demands: | Medium |
| CO2: | Low |
| Difficulty: | Beginner-friendly |
The Green Finger aquarium plant is a vibrant macroalga that grows with long stems that poke out from the plant’s central area. This plant will grow fast under the right conditions and provides saltwater aquariums with a form of natural filtration and oxygen to help improve the conditions of the tank. This plant seems to grow best in cooler waters, so you might not want to add this plant to a heated saltwater aquarium if you want it to thrive and grow to its full potential.
The Green Finger stands out against common saltwater plants because it lacks the leafy or algae appearance many other plants have, making it uniquely beautiful.
6. Mermaids Fan
| Growth rate: | Slow |
| Max height: | 12 inches |
| Light demands: | Medium to high |
| CO2: | Low to medium |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate |
Mermaids fan is a popular marine plant that is a part of the calcareous macroalga family and makes a great display plant in saltwater aquariums. This is a slow-growing and small plant that has fan-shaped leaves that grow year-round. It has mild filtration properties in an aquarium, and it is better suited for ornamental purposes or to provide shelter for your aquarium inhabitants. It can either be grown in a refugium or buried in the substrate of an aquarium that has a low to medium-lighting system.
This plant is slightly more difficult to grow—which makes it better suited for aquarists with some experience—because it is sensitive to any sudden changes in its environment, and this can impact the plant’s growth.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Saltwater Aquarium Plants
Why Grow Saltwater Plants?
Saltwater plants (also known as macroalgae) offer saltwater aquariums a natural and realistic appearance and they can help make an aquarium look more sophisticated and well-put-together. Many saltwater inhabitants will also enjoy the benefits these plants have to offer.
Many aquarists also enjoy the challenge of caring for another live inhabitant in their aquarium, and plants are a great choice if you want to replace the simple look of fake saltwater aquarium decorations for fascinating plant species that you can learn about and care for. Most saltwater aquarium plants are easy to grow and can be grown by beginners if their basic care requirements for the specific species of plant are being met.
The main essential items you will need to successfully grow saltwater plants in your aquarium are a good lighting system, the right substrate, and a large enough environment to support the growth of the different plant species.
Conclusion
Our top pick of saltwater aquarium plants is the Red Mangrove because it is an attractive plant that is easy to grow in a saltwater aquarium with relatively undemanding care requirements. Our second favorite choice is the Dragons tongue algae because it is a slow-growing and beginner-friendly plant that can easily adapt to a saltwater aquarium and does not require much maintenance.
Live plants can add a unique touch to a saltwater aquarium, and hopefully, our reviews have helped you find some beautiful additions for your saltwater tank.
Featured Image Credit: Daniel Corneschi, Unsplash
