Hygrophila Polysperma, Amazon Sword, Valis

[stackem evs]

Hi, posted this earlier in the beginners section, but thought that maybe this would be a better place. Just set up new (and first) tank, currently mid way through fishless cycle. Wish to get some fast growing, hardy species, good to help settle the tank and stop algea taking hold.

My list taken taken from differnt topics were mainly ludwigia, rotala and wisteria. Others noted were amazon sword, anacharis, elodea and giant valis.

Went down to lfs to look at these plants. One of the staff in the store, who seems genuine (and knowlegable) pointed me towards these:
Hygrophila polysperma, fast growing, easy to cut back. Amazon sword, slow growing but hardy and valis, but not giant, says that gets way too big.

Would people agree looks good plants to start with?

Thanks

 

[shmikuk]

hi from guildford! which lfs you been using? In a similar situation, we found www.plantgeek.net really helpful along with these forums. We did get sold some high light plants for our lowlight tank at first before we'd done some research by a local lfs.

 

[stackem evs]

hi from guildford! which lfs you been using? In a similar situation, we found www.plantgeek.net really helpful along with these forums. We did get sold some high light plants for our lowlight tank at first before we'd done some research by a local lfs.

Hi, we went to Maidenhead Aquatics, there is one at Mayford (the woking branch), one in guildford, (west horsley), but we go to the weybridge one, which is between new haw and addlestone. We have found the staff there very helpful and appear experienced. Unlike when we went to PetSmart near woking station. dead fish, staff who didn't know names of fish pointed out. Think just happy to sell you a tank and some fish at the same time.....

Check the maidenhead sites out, seem good to us.

 

[atmmachine816]

best place is to go to plantgeek.net I know anarchis, wisteria, some amazon swords are good plants not to sure on the others, best to look on plantgeek.net

 

[three-fingers]

Hygrophila Polysperma is possibly my favorite aquatic plant. It grows fast like a weed in my lowlight tank even though the fish love to munch on it, i've just got some again after stupidly replacing it with java fern a couple of years ago.
Oh and java fern is a excellent plant too, even for a low-light tank. Make sure you plant the java fern on something though(like wood) and its best to get a tropica variety of it too (tropica polysperma's great too). .