• Grow sturdy plants to set up a planted tank.acuario image by FRAN from Fotolia.com
  
  Plants make your aquarium look more dramatic, but someone who has just taken up an aquarium hobby might find the different aspects of maintaining an underwater world overwhelming. Some plants serve well as starter plants because they are sturdy, require little maintenance and easily adapt to different environments.
  
  

Eel Grass (Vallisneria)

• Several types of Vallisneria are available on the market and they have different leaf shapes. The color ranges from dark green to dark red and the height ranges from less than 4 inches to several feet. It usually has silky leaves that resemble flat ribbons in shape, but some types of Vallisneria have broad leaves or spiral leaves. It has male flowers that float up to the water's surface to meet the female flowers that have long stalks. The water's movements bring the pollen to the female flowers.
  
  

Cabomba

• A submersed annual plant, cabomba has flat stems that sprout from its fibrous roots. The soft, fan-shaped leaves grow in opposite pairs along the stem. The leaf color ranges from green to red. The flowers have pink to yellow petals that are sometimes spotted. They measure about 1/3 inch in width and bloom slightly above the water surface throughout the summer. The cabomba grows wildly in lakes, ponds and rivers.
  
  

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum Demersum)

• Also known as "coontail," hornwort grows in the water and looks like the tail of a raccoon. In the wild, it grows in the lakes and ponds of southeastern U.S. It has rough surfaces. The fine leaves are linear with teeth along one margin. They form clusters of five leaves or more and become more crowded as it grows upward. The stem can grow to reach a height of 15 feet or more and can be trimmed to fit an aquarium.
  
  

East Indian Hygrophila (Hygrophila Polysperma)

• The East Indian hygrophila mostly grows underwater, but sometimes it grows to be tall enough to stick out above the water's surface. The square stems can grow to reach a length of six feet and the leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem. The leaves measure 1 1/2 inch in length and 1/2 inch in width. The East Indian hygrophila has bluish-white or white flowers and grows from the part where the leaves meet the stem.