How To Choose the RIGHT Aquarium Plants | The Science Behind Ep. 7

Choosing the right plants for your aquarium is one of the most important steps in creating a healthy, stable, and beautiful planted tank. In this episode of The Science Behind, we take a deep dive into aquarium plant selection and break down the real science behind how plants grow, how they use light, CO₂, and nutrients, and how to choose the perfect species for your aquascape.

Whether you are building your first planted tank or refining an advanced aquascape, this video will help you understand how aquarium plants actually function in a real ecosystem. We explore epiphytes, stem plants, carpeting plants, rosette plants, floating plants, mosses, and runner plants. You will learn how each plant type behaves, how to match your plants to your lighting and CO₂ system, and how to avoid common mistakes that cause melting, stunted growth, or algae outbreaks.

We also cover how light intensity, photoperiod, CO₂ injection, liquid carbon, and nutrient availability shape plant health. From low tech aquariums with no CO₂ to high energy aquascapes packed with fast-growing stems, you will see how to balance your system and create long term stability. This includes choosing the right substrate, understanding active vs inert soil, when to use root tabs, how nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace minerals actually work, and how to keep your plants growing consistently without triggering algae.

On top of that, we look at how water parameters like pH, GH, KH, temperature, hardness, mineral levels, and water chemistry affect plant growth and why stability matters more than chasing perfect numbers. You will also learn how to choose fish and tank mates that create harmony with your plants instead of damaging them.

Finally, we break down aquascaping composition techniques that help you design a natural, balanced layout. Foreground, midground, and background layers, plant difficulty levels, and how to pick species that match your maintenance routine and the overall energy level of your tank.

If you want to build a thriving planted aquarium, avoid beginner mistakes, and understand the biology behind every choice, this video is made for you.