Live plants

Mymonsterfish

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2013
208
1
18
St Paul, MN
So I wanted to keep a few live plants in my tank to help out with the tank cycling and want to start with something easy. Any suggestions?

Sent from my SM-N900T using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

Mymonsterfish

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 25, 2013
208
1
18
St Paul, MN
This will be my second attempt at raising live plants. The first time failed miserably. Just a FYI thankyou.

Sent from my SM-N900T using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

brich999

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2010
4,312
11
38
New Hampshire
Anubias, java fern, and mosses are the easiest lowest light plants out there
 

skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
4,397
3,777
179
Tennessee
Hello; I usually put some free folating (non-rooted) plants in a new tank if available. I use hornwort most often.

Very often such plants will come from a cycled tank and will already have colonies of beneficial bacteria on the surfaces. Rooted plants can also be added later but the free floating can be added very early.
 

carl_d_c

Exodon
MFK Member
Jun 21, 2014
69
5
23
Mineral Wells, Texas
Anubias and Java fern are great low light plants, best to put the lights on a timer so you don't get the algae growing. I like to attach them to bog wood or drift wood with black thread, others use fishing line or other things, but before too long they'll attach themselves. Just don't bury the rhizomes in the gravel, or you can kill them. Good luck!
 

mudbuttjones

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2014
1,375
58
66
Wisconsin
Ive wasted lots of money doing the whole trial and error with plants. in the end theres only a few things I can keep alive. And actually have them grow.

Various java ferns
Cryptocorynes
Anubias

Water wysteria always grew well for me. They would grow rampant but would die after i tried to prune them

I bought that seachem gravel that's supposed to be awesome, which was horrible to rinse and didnt seem help. Root tabs help the crypts grow alot. I reccomend root tabs for any heavy root feeders. I use a liquid fert a couple times a week and liquid carbon daily. Some people dont like the carbon but it works well for me.

My planted tank is low tech. you dont need to spend alot of money, just find the balance with your lighting and ferts. I have No co2 system and just a couple 18" florescent tubes, (or are they 15"?) I think less than 40 watts total. They are cheapo walmart under cabinet utility lights with 5000k bulbs. Plus 2 tiny led strips (only leds on in the pic) which are on a timer to be on when the flourescents are off. My photo period is 10 hours with both florescents on at the same time for about 6 hours. The tank gets some indirect filtered sunlight during the day too.
20140810_225432.jpg

Anubias and java fern are not messy at all. They are low light plants. If you blast them too much you'll have an algae problem on the leaves. ive had black beard algae, its basically just black algae on thr leaves, if you cant clean it off it will keep the plants from getting light and theuy will die. Also the plants cant be buried in gravel or they will rot as mentioned before

Hornwart is messy. The needles shed, like to clog filter intakes. It is amazing sponge for nutrients though. Ive had good luck with it, other times it would just shed all its needles and die on me. I suspect its sensitive to either heat or thr ph/hardness of my water.

Hope this helps. If I can grow them, believe me you can too lol

20140810_225432.jpg
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store