Easy plants

[jake37]

Several plants that I believe have not been mentioned include PSO (Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus) which grows extremely well in a low tech tank (and if you let it break the surface in the back it will produce a very nice purple flower); and various crypts (wenditi seems the most common). Swords are a bit mixed in a low tech tank and most will not excel in form (imho) but i am particularly fond of prinz kleiner (around 8 inches high with deep red purple leaves) and Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica' (around 2 inches tall but deep green leaves). Another very tall leafy plant is mexican oak. Third are various aponeton. My favorite by far is boivinianus but others like ulvaceus, crispus, madagasgar (lace plant - have to be careful here because there are 100's of different ones some are no taller than 5 inches others will easily grow leaves 30 inches tall and 8 inches wide).
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Here is an old picture of my 29 before furan-2 killed off most of the plants (it is regrowing now but being low tech will take a few months) - the boivinianus is the dark green plant in the middle front and the PSO is easily seen on the left side back. I use a fluval plant 3.0 on this tank (but at that price point would recommend a chirios wrgb 2 (colorado aquaticrocks has them) or for cheaper lights hyger 957.
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[eon aquatics]

nice tanks

 

[jake37]

Too little light will restrict growth and too much might cause algae - plants will be limited by no co2 and inert substrate but most of the plants mentioned in this thread will grow easy enough with inert substrate and modest light - though some like swords will benefit from root tabs. Honestly jungle val is one plant that just grows and there are some nice tanks with nothing but jungle val. I have some in my 120 and have grown to dislike it because the leaves keep covering the entire tank (i.e, 8 feet long) but narrow leaf version does not grow quite so long and the leaves aren't an inch wide make it nicer to be across the middle of the tank (I have mine on the edge).

do more lights make plants grow better?

 

[eon aquatics]

i can get some duckweed from my parents property

 

[Fishman Dave]

An excellent food for koi and some barbs but if you have neither I would not start adding duckweed. Once you do there is no going back without a world of pain. If you have good lighting and want to add shade then add Indian fern. Can be used as floating or roots planted in the substrate if you have too much.