10 Best Plants for Cherry Shrimp in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
By Ashley Bates
Updated on
Cherry shrimp are super fun to have in your aquarium. They are zippy swimmers that add color and personality to many community tanks. If you’re thinking of adding some fresh plants to improve tank life and add some zest, you came to the right place.
We took the liberty of compiling reviews on the top 10 plants for cherry shrimp. These plants work well alongside these little critters and many of their compatible tank mates, too. Let’s see what some of your options are.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall
|
|
Marcus Fishtanks Java Moss |
|
Check Price |
Best Value
|
|
G&Z Dwarf Water Lettuce |
|
Check Price |
Premium Choice
|
|
GreenPro Anubias Nana Petite |
|
Check Price |
|
Planterest Java Fern |
|
Check Price | |
|
Planterest Dwarf Water Lily |
|
Check Price |
The 10 Best Plants for Cherry Shrimp
1. Marcus Fishtanks Java Moss – Best Overall
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Max height | 2–4 inches |
| Light demands | Low |
| CO2 | No |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
For your cherry shrimp, we think they’d most enjoy Marcus Fishtanks Java Moss. It is super compatible with this breed, along with any tankmates your cherry shrimp might have. Overall, we loved the java moss’s look, health, and aesthetic—and we think you will, too.
Java moss is incredibly easy to go, thriving in low to high lighting. You won’t need a green thumb or special talent to help this plant succeed. The company guarantees live arrival, which was fulfilled according to our experience.
This plant is perfect for a ground cover, providing rich color and a safe place for low dwellers to seek refuge. However, this plant requires an anchoring surface. If it doesn’t have something to attach to, it will come apart in the aquarium.
- Ideal for beginners
- Ground coverage
- Healthy
- Needs anchoring surface
2. G&Z Dwarf Water Lettuce – Best Value
| Growth rate | Medium to fast |
| Max height | 4 inches |
| Light demands | Medium |
| CO2 | No |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
The G&Z Dwarf Water Lettuce comes with 12 live plants—guaranteed. With as many live water lettuce plants as you get, we think it is the best plant for cherry shrimp for the money. You might want to know a little about the plant, as they can be somewhat tricky to grow in indoor aquariums.
This is a floating plant that grows on the surface. If you have any fish or other plants that require heating or extra lighting, you might not want to use these plants. They can take over quickly, obstructing the light from breaking through.
However, if your setup would love some dwarf water lettuce on top, you can receive these lovely plants fresh to your door. This company offers a guarantee, so if you encounter dead plants, they will replace any that you’ve lost.
- Floating
- Quick growth
- Multiplies easily for extraction
- A bit challenging to grow indoors
3. GreenPro Anubias Nana Petite – Premium Choice
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 5 inches |
| Light demands | Low to medium |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
GreenPro Anubias Nana Petite arrived in optimal condition—lush green leaves, ready to plant. We loved how healthy they looked before even getting into the aquarium. This particular green can be a very hardy plant, so this is an excellent choice for people looking for an easier grower.
Anubias are flowering plants that produce a singular white-petaled flower with one large pistil in the center. These are perfect midground or background plants—giving your aquarium a lovely natural feel. Since they grow with so little assistance, they are perfect for any experience level.
These plants are guaranteed to be alive, healthy, and snail-free. If, for any reason, they arrive dead, you will get a full replacement.
- Flowering plant
- Hardy plants
- Any experience-level grower
- Not ideal for all setups
4. Planterest Java Fern
| Growth rate | Moderate to fast |
| Max height | 14 inches |
| Light demands | Low to medium |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
The Planterest Java Fern arrived in mint condition—standing at roughly 7 inches. Javas ferns are highly common and sought after in the aquarist world because they make magnificent mid-to-background plants—and all the tank life seems to love them.
Cherry shrimp love coverage, so java ferns work very well in this regard. They sprawl out far and wide as they grow, providing a bushy place for tank life to duck for cover. Java ferns are super easy, growing adequately in most lighting and water types.
You can even use java ferns in brackish water, which is pretty impressive considering the salinity tolerance. Java ferns do best in bare-bottom tanks, as gravel and sand cause root rot.
- Perfect for mid-to-background
- Easy for tank life to hide
- Survives in brackish water
- Does not do well in substrate
5. Planterest Dwarf Water Lily
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 5 inches |
| Light demands | High |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
The Planterest Dwarf Water Lily arrived live and ready to plant. However, ours arrived with stems and no leaves. No worries, as the company explains this is normal and will resolve itself as soon as it’s planted and growing.
These plants are a buy-2-get-1-free deal, so you have plenty to get you started. They also have a seven-day replacement guarantee, meaning if for any reason your plant dies, it will be replaced, as long as you share a photo.
These plants are lovely and easy to grow—perfect for novice and seasoned growers alike. These plants grow quickly and look fabulous in many setups, but they may produce too quickly for some.
- Buy 2, get 1 free
- 7-day replacement guarantee
- For any experience level
- May grow too quickly for some setups
6. GreenPro 3-Bundle Rotala Rotundifoilia
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 6 inches |
| Light demands | Medium |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
These plants come in a bundle of three plants. There were a few brown leaves, but otherwise, the product looked very healthy and ready to anchor.
Rotala grows very quickly, even without CO2. So, for setups that need a controlled plant, you’ll have to prune these bad boys often to prevent overgrowth. This can be a good thing while you’re looking for a quick plant that will take off, but maintenance is required.
Rotala requires rooting, so you will need some type of substrate your plant can take to. It is an ideal plant if you’re looking for coverage and protection for your tank life.
- Develops quickly
- Grows in substrate
- Provides coverage
- Might grow too quickly for small tanks
7. GreenPro Water Wisteria
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Max height | 20 inches |
| Light demands | Moderate to high |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
The GreenPro Eater Wisteria arrived in great condition but looked slightly different than advertised. That is to be expected, as the overall look of the plant can vary initially. However, it settled quickly into its new home.
Water wisteria is a very heavy, shady plant that will give your fish and shrimp tons of security. It grows slowly, so if you’re looking to have optimal control over your plant in the tank, this is a good selection.
Water wisteria is a very leafy plant, providing excellent coverage for your shrimp and other fish who like to be under the radar. These plants look amazing as a background or midground plant.
- Hardy
- Provides shade and coverage
- Leafy
- Looks different than pictured
8. GreenPro Bucephalandra
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Max height | 4 inches |
| Light demands | Low |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
If you have some driftwood and want to spruce up the look of things, the GreenPro Bucephalandra might work beautifully in your tank. It anchors nicely to the wood, creating a very rich greenery, perfect for carpeting.
The slow rate of growth allows you to keep the desired look you want. This isn’t a plant that will take over your tank—it just adds a deep, shiny green to the setup with uniquely wavy leaves. These plants are 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Since this plant only grows on hard stable structures, it might not work for everyone.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Anchors to wood
- Very lush
- Must have anchoring surface
9. GreenPro Cryptocoryne
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Max height | 6 inches |
| Light demands | Low |
| CO2 | No |
| Difficulty | Easy |
These GreenPro Crypotcoryne plants arrived completely live and lovely. They were alive and ready to plant as promised. With the company’s satisfaction guarantee, they would replace any items that weren’t up to par upon delivery.
If you have hard water, these plants are perfectly compatible. So you can guess that they are hardy growers. They also grow slowly, making them ideal plants for a controlled aquarium. If you want to be able to prune and design your tank as you see fit.
Most aquarists love cryptocoryne because it is easy to take care of, requiring minimal effort. But you still get all of the perks of having plant life.
- Low maintenance
- Hard water friendly
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Slow growing
10. FIY 18 Vals Vallisneria Easy Grow
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Max height | 14 inches |
| Light demands | Moderate |
| CO2 | Optional |
| Difficulty | Easy |
The FIY 18 Vals Vallisneria Easy Grow comes with 18 starter plants to fill any aquarium. Depending on your needs, you can use a few spread out over your aquariums or put them all in one. We were impressed at how healthy the plants looked upon arrival.
Vallisneria is a very popular background plant for aquariums because it has terrific height and fast growth. When it is initially growing, it may look sprawled and awkward, but as it fills out, it builds tons of quirky, twisted leaves—quite dazzling.
Vallisneria grows very well in gravel substrate. You can get new chutes developing every three days, which is pretty impressive. If you want a fast-growing, uniquely shaped background plant, this is an ideal plant choice.
- Takes awhile to fill out
- 18 plants
- New chutes every 3 days
- Might be too many plants for some setups
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Plants for Cherry Shrimp
Compatible Plants for Cherry Shrimp: Quick List
- Java moss
- Java fern
- Anubias nana
- Cryptocoryne
- Dwarf lilies
- Vallisneria
- Water wisteria
- Exo Terra water plant
- Bucephalandra
- Rotala rotundifolia
- Water lettuce
Why Cherry Shrimp Benefit from Plants
- Cherry shrimp are natural scavengers. Cherry shrimp love foraging on the bottom of the tank. Plants, especially ground-covering kinds, give your shrimp lots of roughage to sift through, looking for goodies buried in the bottom.
- Cherry shrimp can take refuge in the vegetation. Cherry shrimp can be rather shy and skittish sometimes, scaring easily. If they have lots of plant life in the tank, it gives them a quick getaway.
- Plants improve the overall tank experience for aquatic life. Plants, when cared for properly, can make your tank life live a much healthier existence.
Pros & Cons of Adding Live Plants
We realize that adding real plants to your setup isn’t for everyone. Real plants require care of their own in addition to your cherry shrimp. Here are some pros and cons to think about.
- Can slow algae growth
- Adds oxygen to the water
- Can create an attractive seascape aesthetic
- Emulates natural habitat for tank life
- A food source for some creatures
- Protects tank life
- Keeps substrate in place
- Helps filter water
- Requires upkeep
- Needs maintenance to stay healthy
- May require special lighting
Conclusion
With any luck, you’ve found some beautiful greenery for your tank. Your cherry shrimp will look gorgeous swimming in this natural scenery.
We loved the Marcus Fishtanks Java Moss. Java moss is super easy to grow and keep alive. We think that it has a very high success rate for your tank.
If you want something a little more vertical and price-friendly, G&Z Dwarf Water Lettuce comes with 12 plants total. You can break them up into separate aquariums or place them together for an ultra-lush look.
Featured Image Credit: David Tadevosian, Shutterstock
