Aqua Essentials

Aqua Essentials: Live Aquarium Plants and Planted Tank Supplies

Aqua Essentials is a UK-based online retailer specialising in live aquarium plants and the equipment needed to grow them. The company presents itself as a planted aquarium specialist, with a catalogue built around freshwater plants, fertilisers, CO₂ systems, lighting, substrates and hardscape materials. Orders are picked and packed in what the company describes as its UK plant room, and the site states that plants are selected from fresh stock and checked before packing.

Plant Range and Categories

The plant catalogue is organised by position in the tank (foreground, midground and background), by type (potted, floating, moss, carpeting, red, coldwater and XL plants) and by setup requirements. Dedicated sections cover shrimp-safe plants, plants for gravel, plants for nano tanks and plants for plant-eating fish. The site also offers ready-made options such as plants already attached to wood or rock, ready-made aquascapes and planted aquarium decor including living trees.

Specialist brands and formats include Tropica aquarium plants, tissue culture plants, epiphytes and aquatic bulbs. Mixed boxes are available in several configurations, including a mixed box of aquarium plants, an easy-care red mixed box, a coldwater box, a jungle-style box and a tissue culture box. A separate section lists plants by aquarium model, with references to Aqua One Horizon 130, Aquael Leddy 60, Ciano Aqua 60, Fluval Flex 57, Fluval Flex 123, Juwel Lido 120, Juwel Primo 70, Juwel Rio 125, Juwel Rio 180 and Tetra Starter Line 54.

Plant Care, Water Treatments and CO₂

Beyond plants, the store stocks water conditioners, anti-algae conditioners, filter boosters, fertilisers, liquid carbons, thermometers, auto dosers and test kits. Fertilisers are presented by tank setup: Neutro Combo for low-tech aquariums without pressurised CO₂, Neutro TerraTabs root tabs for inert substrates and root-feeding plants, and Neutro+ for CO₂-injected aquariums. The CO₂ section includes accessories, pressurised bottles, pressurised sets, regulators and solenoids. Lighting is covered through LED lighting and lighting accessories.

Aquascaping and Maintenance

For aquascaping, the catalogue lists aquarium rocks, aquarium wood, pebbles, aquarium decor and plant paraphernalia. Substrate options include aquarium sands and gravels, aquarium substrates and root tabs. The tools section covers aquarium maintenance, glass cleaning, plant maintenance, filter materials, filter tubing, filter boosters and circulation pumps. A build-your-bundle option is also offered.

Livestock, Pond and Terrarium Sections

The site includes sections for fish and shrimp, with shrimp, shrimp food, shrimp accessories, shrimp water conditioner and fish food. It also lists pond plants, terrariums and vouchers. A subscribe-and-save programme is available, with the site stating 10% off now and 15% off renewals after the fifth payment.

Ordering and Delivery

Orders placed before 4pm are dispatched the same day, Monday to Friday, according to the site. Shipping starts from £4.99, and most orders are said to arrive within one to two working days. Express Delivery is offered with tracking and a one-hour delivery window, and the company refers to a delivery protection policy for plants arriving safely. The site also provides a Plant Finder tool that asks about experience, lighting, CO₂ and planting position to help customers choose plants.

Customer Feedback and Guidance

The website displays a rating of 4.77 from 9,560 customer reviews collected by Judge.me, and describes the reviews as verified. It also publishes guidance articles for beginners, including easy aquarium plants for beginners, why aquarium plants melt and which plants do not need CO₂.