Good Plants?

[Captain Retardo]

Are there any common, cheap, plants that don't need a CO2 Injection? I want to get real plants, but I'm not up for getting ones that are hard to take care of. Suggestions? (Please post what kind of light it likes e.g. subdued, bright, medium, etc.)

The ones I want to get for my 29 gallon tank:

Hornwort
Elodea
Java Fern
Java Moss
Duckweed (Because I like it but mostly to dim down my light)

Thanks

 

[tigerbarb420]

A couple other good, hearty beginner plants are crypts and anubias. Anubias are similar to java ferns in that they can be rooted to rocks and driftwood.

Water sprite and some swords are also fairly easy to deal with.

 

[Themuleous]

They would all do fine in a low light tank

Sam

 

[Captain Retardo]

Okay, I think I looked through all the plants and these are ones that I want to get:

Duckweed (Lemna minor)
Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)
Elodea (Egeria densa)
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
Dwarf Anubias Anubias barteri var. nana)
(Cryptocoryne affinis)
(Cryptocoryne walkeri var. lutea)
Giant Hygrphila (Hygrophila corymbosa)
Broadleaved Anubias (Anubias barteri var. barteri)
Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana)
Straight Vallisneria (Vallisneria spiralis)
Radicans Swordplant (Echinodorus cordifolius)


I have some questions about plants though:


1. Will I need a Co2 injection for any of those plants?
2. Are they Low-Moderate light plants?
3. Are they common?
4. Are they easy to take care of?
5. Are they cheap?
6. When the lights turn off in the tank I realize that Carbon Dioxide is produced from the plants, how do I get around this? Just put a airstone in?
7. How often would I need to do maintenece on those plants?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Duckweed (Lemna minor)- I would suggest frogbit or float water sprite.
Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus)- Good choice.
Elodea (Egeria densa)- may need more light than you have. Consider Hygro polysperma.
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)- Would not do it- when it dies, and it does for many, it makes a real mess. hard to root in lower light.
Dwarf Anubias Anubias barteri var. nana)- Good choice.
(Cryptocoryne affinis)- Crypts need nutricious bottom- means the proper substrate and then gravel ferts. Works in low light.
(Cryptocoryne walkeri var. lutea)- Same as above.
Giant Hygrphila (Hygrophila corymbosa)- Probably better in a larger tank.
Broadleaved Anubias (Anubias barteri var. barteri)- Good choice.
Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana)- Best use is fry cover and spawning. It will spread everywhere. Use a sponge on filter intakes if you do this plant.
Straight Vallisneria (Vallisneria spiralis)- May need more light than you have. Most varietys get tall, the corkscrew variety needs more light. There are some crypt varieties that look similar- Spiralis is one.
Radicans Swordplant (Echinodorus cordifolius)- There are several varieties of this plant. Most need more than low light. All will outgrow a 20 gal tank. Swords need same sort of sybstrate and root feeding as crypts. You might get away with Ozelot or Amazon sword.

Bear in mind that plants grow and many spread as well. heavy planting is fine but I think you may have too many plants selected for a 29 gal esp since stems plants work bast in groups and vals and crypts spread etc etc. Anubias and java fern will grow slower.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Thanks for the valuable info, TwoTankAmin!

I only want to get 1 Radicans Swordplant (feature plant) and only a 1 or 2 Giant Hygrophila (backround), will that still be okay? (Also 2 Vallisneria for corner plants) my light is a bright or moderate light, that is why I want to put some floating plants, but later I will be getting a low/medium bright light.

Also my tank is 18" tall.

Thanks for the input, i wont be getting the ones that you recommended not too!

I forgot something: I am using sand as a substrate, will this be a problem for the roots of the plants? Should I put a think layer under the sand so they can root there, i dont want to see the gravel though...

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Running high light co2 on a 50 gal I managed to have under 6 inch swords outgrow the tank inside of 3 months. Most swords work under moderate light. However most anubias will get algae unless you underplants them- ie use other plants to shade them. This can also be a problem with java fern.

A great resoruce for plant info is http/www.tropica.com/default.asp