Hi, im new here please some advice...

ok so this is what i have, im looking for some more plants to go in but im unsure what to look for, the fish are all peaceful community fish if that makes a difference? any advice would be great. Also i have seen co2 systems what are they why would i need one or do i need one?

Thanks

I've got a giant Hygro' and I love it, (so do my ADF's and shrimp). I also have a dwarf hygro. I've got some dwarf water lettuce as well, (floats at the top), and yesterday I got 2 marimo moss ball, (which are uber cool!) You can see the plants in my profile pic - I just didn't have the moss ball in there at the time.

I've heard the various sword plants are good, and anubias (spelling?) as well. Java fern and java moss is always a hit. Cabomba, banana plants, wisteria, money wort.... your LFS can help you pick out some nice ones based on your tank size, fish, lighting and budget. They can also help you pick plants that are slow or fast growing, depending on how much maintenance you want to do.

As for the CO2 systems... I don't have one. I chose low to mid light plants because I don't have a super strong light, and it's a 10g tank, so I didn't want to get into the whole CO2 system thing. I think you only need one if you have tons of plants, but I could be wrong....

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It depends on the lighting.Duckweed is a floater and will grow in any light.Careful it takes over the surface quick!Crypts anubias java fern java moss all grow well in lower light or basic lighting(stock hoods)Amazon swords like a rich substrate or root tabs and stock lighting will do.Microswords and carpeting plants will need higher lighting and some will need CO2.Red plants also need higher lighting.

Forgot about the bulbs found at walmart,the packs of apongetons and dwarf lilies.They will grow in a basic tank.

CO2 is a source of carbon dioxide for the plants.You can go DIY or pressurized,but it will get pricey.Then you will need to up the lights.

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"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

The need for CO2 can be driven by the plants you want to keep (some will require it) or the light you have (high light). All plants will do better with it. If you want to get some accelerated growth you could do just a DIY system and see how your plants do with it.

Good morning Alan. Your plant options depend on the time and money you want to spend. I have low tech tanks, no CO2 and a fairly low budget and prefer to use the tank the way it came from the store, so I have low lighting.

You've gotten some good examples of low light plants. If you stay with lower light, I'd recommend some stem plants, like Water Sprite, Water Wisteria, Ludwigia, Pennywort and Rotala. These require a little brighter light, but I have the standard 6500 K T8s and T12s in my tanks from the local hardware store. These aren't very powerful lights, less than 1 watt per gallon, but stem plants are fast growers and will do well in low light as they grow.

There some things I do with liquid ferts that give my plants a little boost because of the lower light and I can give you that info. if you're interested.

BBradbury

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

I don't have co2 either but do have extra aeration such as stones. I also use fluorescent plant lights in my tanks (time to get new ones, replacing them each year). I have some of the above listed plants in my tanks too. I use a pea-sized gravel (planning on adding some finer substrate someday to help the roots anchor better). I just recently fertilized my year old plants with Osmocote ice cubes. My plants are flourishing & looking great.

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Yes that would be great!

OK. The most important thing a lot of people with low light tanks forget is that like anything living, it does best if fed a variety of foods. Plants are no different. I alternate different kinds of liquid ferts and my low light plants do fine.

I just research the internet and locate different aquatic plant foods. I prefer liquids, because for me they're easy to dose and the stem plants get the bulk of their nutrients directly from the water.

Costs can be high for liquids, so it's important to do your homework as far as quality and quantity is concerned and dose only to top off the tanks due to evaporation. About two to three times per week, I mix a capful of the liquid with a pitcher of my water change water and pour the mixture into the tank.

Keep in mind you don't need to use a lot of the liquid. The fish will also do some of the work of fertilizing your plants.

I'm currently using a fert called "Yamato Green". It has a good balance of plant nutrients.

A couple of things you can do for your plants unrelated to the ferts is to keep the oxygen level low. One small air pump and an airstone is all you need. Plants don't do well in a high oxygen environment. Run the airstone 24/7, it keeps the surface water moving to provide oxygen for the fish when the lights go out and the plants slow production. The fish only need a little though because at dusk, they go into their kind of sleep mode.

Last, put your lights on timers. Most aquarium plants are tropical and need long periods of light. I have mine set to 12 hours on and 12 off. If you know some of this, sorry. But, having low light levels doesn't limit you when it comes to having and maintaining a well planted tank.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

Sway - I love that tall grassy stuff you have! I need to get some. What is it?

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Im not sure im afraid, as i got them from my local Pets At Home and they dont label them up i saw them in their tank and thought the same as you!

[EDIT] had a quick mooch on ebay and i think it may be this: 5 Twisted Vallis live aquatic plants fish tank plant | eBay UK

Im now noticing that a few strands of my plants floating to the top and there are a couple of snails slitheriing about on the plant, im yet to add anything fert wise to the water, is this a sign of them slowly dieing, should i add ferts ASAP?

[quote=Suenell;96208]Sway - I love that tall grassy stuff you have! I need to get some. What is it?[/QUOTE

Suenell..

The grassy looking plant in the tank is Vallisneria probably the americana variety. Needs bright light, but in the right conditions is a medium to fast grower.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

Just in case you are still looking for plants: I went back to my LFS today and picked up an Amazon Sword and a Java Fern. They are both fast growing, so will help eat up Nitrates and are low to mid lighting plants. I'm liking the way they look so far.

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An Amazon is not a fast grower. The leaves on the ones I got back in August are just now getting to around 18". Took quite a while to get there. Most fast growing plants are stem plants and I have some that grow .5-1" per day. It will also outgrow that tank failry easily.

Java Fern may be considered a moderate grower, but it could be a slow also. They will produce new leaves quite often, but again I have some that I have had for a long time and they aren't what I'd call huge.

Wisteria is commonly available and is a fast grower. Will overtake your tank but with proper pruning....Vals, Anacharis, are also good choices.

Huh - well, slightly disappointed! I was told they were fast growing. Oh well. (I put a post up about how to prune a bunch of aquatic plants... could use some advice if you have any). It's in this forum topic, "question for common plants" I believe.

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