Choosing Plants For 10 Gallon

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As far as I am aware banana plants are terrestrial plants that will not survive being submerged for long so you may want to omit this, another excellent plant to add would be java moss to carpet any wood or rocks and limnophilia both of which flourish in most conditions and are very easy to care for.
Maybe you're thinking of the banana tree, which is a terrestrial tree, but the banana plant is an aquatic plant with roots shaped like little bananas, hence the name. I'll post a pic of one at the end of this post.

I have some java moss, just a few strands though. It never seemed to grow at all, I may try using java moss for the bogwood though. I think I'm pretty much set on plants though, but I'll look at limnophilia.

banana tree:
http://www.silkplant.../BananaTree.jpg

banana plant
http://www.liveaquar...anana-Plant.jpg

I will save you some greff, the banana plant won't live in your aquarium it needs alot and I mean alot of ferts and co2 and High lighting, don't care what anyone else says about it. I have first hand experience with this plant and eventually it will die anyways I have grown the leaves to bigger than my hand in my planted tank and I have also grown them in just a normal tank eaither way they don't seem to like florish to well for some reason. and I am not talking about the banana tree...... Also a note would be that this plant does not like high flow in your water, so the main things are high lighting and low flow!

Anubias well have fun, it to requires high lighting and co2 to grow submerged.... At least if you want it to flower not sure if that one flowers under water or not can't remember

Water sprite is actually a bog, I have found I have better luck after it gets to a hand size to grow it half in the water and half out of the water. It requires high lighting as well

Here is a list that you can go over I think this would be better suited

Fanwort
Comoba
Anything from the vail family will work great with high water flow
some crypts would be a nice add just remember some require high lighting some require moderate
ricca might do okay it just won't pearl without co2
different mosses dont' require co2, actually i can't keep it alive with co2
java fern

add high lighting and co2 and the list becomes big!
Hm. Better rethink my plants then.
 
No don't I'd take that post with a pinch of salt.

I can't comment on banana plants. But I've had everything else on that list and they all do fine submerged under reasonable conditions.

HC (what you refer to as dwarf baby tears) will more than likely become a bit stragley, but so long as there is a reasonable amount of light you shouldn't have too many problems.

Also if you were looking for 'comoba' it's actually spelt Cabomba, a really nice plant, would replace your anacharis if you fancied a change.

You don't need high light to keep these plants alive (with the possible exception of HC, but plenty of people grow it with 'reasonable'/medium light and it does ok. Just nowhere near as vibrant as it would be under optimum conditions.
I think that might be what the shadowinc meant...might be a bit confused between 'reasonable' and 'optimum'.
Obviously some plants get bleached or inhibited by high light or high CO2 etc, but most plants thrive on it...yet there are still plenty of people who have basic lighting and set-ups and grow all the plants you're talking about absolutely fine.
 
hi i would suggest a amazon sord or a brazilian sord they are very nice plants and will grown into your aqaurium
for a 10 gallon tank I wouldn't recommend an Amazon Sword they grow huge, I mean rediculously big! My 40gal tank with no co2 low lighting just that plant alone took up 1/2-3/4 of the tank although the brazilian sword might be a good centre plant choice. Not sure on how big it gets I do have one in my tank and been in there ever since I got rid of my amazon swords, I just might be 1 of a few who have had them at rediculaous sizes, my brazilian is about bigger than my hand I do heavy trimming of it though.

[You don't need high light to keep these plants alive (with the possible exception of HC, but plenty of people grow it with 'reasonable'/medium light and it does ok. Just nowhere near as vibrant as it would be under optimum conditions

Staying away from nowhere near optimum would be the key, and go with something that is near or right on optimum conditions to keep it alive

Many other things to consider as well. Ferts, Substrate, lighting, co2, flow, fish that will be in the tank <- that plays a big part in the setup. Ie Having discus there are certain plants that will not live due to heat. Having a betta, well it kinda limits what you want bettas don't like heavy flow

My betta bowls or jars I use java moss because of the benefit of it removing waste from the water, also use fanwort and float it. Cabomba can be floated to I have done this. Vallis can be kinda sticky and kinda not, they reqiure flow to grow and reproduce so depends on how fast the flow is the stronger it is the better for this type of plant I have figured out, but will do okay with low flow and light
 
Thanks for your replies..

I may not keep the banana plant anymore, then. Are there any foreground plants that I could use to replace the banana plants? Also, is there any alternative to HC I can use if it won't work out well?

Also, for cabomba, it looks like it grows pretty big. It also clogs up the filter sometimes apparently. I don't know if I want this.
 
Crypts are very good foreground plants, there are a few different types though so it may be best to research them to see what type will suit your conditions best, I have 3 different types which are doing well with minimal care, as for the cabomba I've never got along with it, it never seems to flourish with me and always ends up breaking in bits, perhaps it doesn't like hard water? an excellent alternative that I think I have mentioned before is limnophilia, very similar looking to cabomba but without the problems, it grows very well in my tanks again with minimal care, it does have a habit of getting tall but that shouldn't be a problem just give it a hair cut every so often and either give the excess away or bin it, oh and sorry about the mix up with the banana plant! I hadn't heard of the aquatic version before, looks great but as others have said perhaps a bit too difficult :sad: all the best with your choices! :good:
 
In my experience, crypts are the number one easiest plant to grow in low tech set ups. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. azgardens has a good selection (and btw 10 plants isn't as much plant as you think it's going to be). I agree w/betta fish about cabomba. I haven't had success w/it at all! It falls apart and dies w/in a couple of weeks!
 
Ok, can anyone suggest a good crypt I could use to replace the banana plants? And I think I'll just try the HC, because I cant find a replacement for them.
 
Dwarf hair grass, Brazilian Micro Sword or Pygmy Chain Sword are all possibilities for carpet plants, I have Pygmy chain sword in my tank and it's done well so far :)

Cryts to replace the banana plant...how tall do you want them to grow?
 
Thanks for your replies..

I may not keep the banana plant anymore, then. Are there any foreground plants that I could use to replace the banana plants? Also, is there any alternative to HC I can use if it won't work out well?

Also, for cabomba, it looks like it grows pretty big. It also clogs up the filter sometimes apparently. I don't know if I want this.


Crypts work well, I will give you a few scientific names to look up, some are kinda the same but not

Forground
Cryptocoryne Lucens
Cryptocoryne Parva
Cryptocoryne Petchii

Forground to Midground
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Bronze
Cryptocoryne Walkerii
Cryptocoryne Tropica (Weird name I know)
Cryptocoryne Lutea
Cryptocoryne Blassii (can be more from mid to back)

Cobomba (Many types)
Cabomba Aquatica
Cabomba Caroliniana
Cabomba Paleoformis
Cabomba Piauhyensis

I forget what cabomba requires higher lighting and good water conditions, it spreads out like a huge fan and grows big with proper care maning co2 30ppm etc etc, this is the one that doesn't last in a normal aquarium. Not sure about all the others, but I think the aquatica is the most common

The other option would be to make it an all slow growing tank meaning crypts and stay away from fast growing stuff :) Also if you are after walls being filled or even a carpet I would recommend java moss, not only does it help with water quality it also loves to keep water clean :) (Grows quick)

This is just some off the top of my head to look at not sure about them all but gives you an area to look in for crypts and cabomba types
 

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