My new mystery plants...

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Strmwrng

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These are plants that I rcvd from an EBay order...the long ones are about 12” roots and all, and the little round ones are about 1/4” in diameter. Thanks for any response!
 

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First looks like jungle val. 2nd looks familiar although I can't think of a name.
 
Agree that the ones on the left are vallisneria, They get extremely tall, so you want to put those at the back of the tank. I'm not sure if they're going to work in the long term in a five gallon tank, they get so tall they might quickly overwhelm such a small tank if they take off, and I'm not sure how they cope if you cut the leaves.

I thought bacopa when I saw the one on the right too, but it's hard to tell, could also be a rotala or pennywort, it doesn't look in the best shape.

If these don't work out, we can suggest some easy low maintenance plants that would likely work better in a five gallon tank!

@mbsqw1d , any thoughts?
 
More likely one of the Rotalas
Yeh rotala rotundifolia on the right i think

Whenever ive cut vallis back the cut leaves tend to become an algae magnet. The cut part leaks gas from within the leaf and it'll die off eventually. If you like the look of vallis then might be better getting vallis nana
 
I wish I had read these replies sooner!! I won’t order plants in this way again! I’m agreeing, Val too big for little tank and the other just looks poorly☹️ AdoraBelle Dearheart? I’ll take you up on your offer of suggestions, just need to get some more $ in the budget. Thank you so much all for your replies!! Livin and learnin!!
 
I wish I had read these replies sooner!! I won’t order plants in this way again! I’m agreeing, Val too big for little tank and the other just looks poorly☹ AdoraBelle Dearheart? I’ll take you up on your offer of suggestions, just need to get some more $ in the budget. Thank you so much all for your replies!! Livin and learnin!!
Are you in the UK by any chance? Can recommend a couple of places for cheaper plants if you're in the UK or US.

Good beginner plants that stay fairly small are any of the mosses - Java moss, christmas moss, spiky moss etc, java fern, anubius of any of the smaller types. These are slow growing, remain fairly small with trimming where needed so won't be overwhelming in a small tank like vallis would.

Hornwort, elodea, water sprite and water wysteria are fast growing stem plants so would need trimming back more often, but they're low maintenance and not demanding plants otherwise, great for absorbing ammonia and nitrates so good for water quality, and you can either plant them in the substrate or leave them to float, and fish enjoy them for the shelter and shade they provide.

Any of the cryptocoryne plants are great beginner plants, easy to grow and undemanding, and can be split and spread out as they grow and produce baby plants.

In your shoes, I would get a couple of different cryptocoryne plants, just plant those in the substrate, and see how you go. They appreciate root tabs if you want to get some, it'll give them some extra nutrients that fish waste doesn't provide so they'd grow faster and healthier, but they'll also almost certainly survive and grow without them. Pro-shrimp is a pretty good UK site for plants , you don't have to buy the in-vitro ones that are slightly more expensive, about £4 each for a couple of crypts, and you'll have dipped your toe into having live plants without a lot of expense, hassle or disappointment, and you're likely to succeed and not have any troubles with them.

I only recommend this place since I've used them and I know their plants are shrimp safe. Not a concern for you since you don't have shrimp, but something I had to worry about and so might others who read along here.

Start small with a couple of easy to grow, no hassle crypts, and you can always add something else you like the look of later if you see a plant you like at a good price, but will have succeeded with a beginner friendly plant that should grow nicely but not overwhelm the tank or grow so fast that it needs constant trimming. You can't really go wrong with crypts :) If you get a crypt from another source though, google "crypt melt" too. Not something to panic about, it's just where some plants are grown out of water then are submerged, they have to go through a process to convert to underwater leaves, so the old above water leaves die back, and people understandably panic and think the plant is dying. It isn't, even if it dies right back to the roots, it'll come back, just have to give it time, and crypt melt only happens when a plant was grown emersed then has to switch to its submersed form.
 
Are you in the UK by any chance? Can recommend a couple of places for cheaper plants if you're in the UK or US.

Good beginner plants that stay fairly small are any of the mosses - Java moss, christmas moss, spiky moss etc, java fern, anubius of any of the smaller types. These are slow growing, remain fairly small with trimming where needed so won't be overwhelming in a small tank like vallis would.

Hornwort, elodea, water sprite and water wysteria are fast growing stem plants so would need trimming back more often, but they're low maintenance and not demanding plants otherwise, great for absorbing ammonia and nitrates so good for water quality, and you can either plant them in the substrate or leave them to float, and fish enjoy them for the shelter and shade they provide.

Any of the cryptocoryne plants are great beginner plants, easy to grow and undemanding, and can be split and spread out as they grow and produce baby plants.

In your shoes, I would get a couple of different cryptocoryne plants, just plant those in the substrate, and see how you go. They appreciate root tabs if you want to get some, it'll give them some extra nutrients that fish waste doesn't provide so they'd grow faster and healthier, but they'll also almost certainly survive and grow without them. Pro-shrimp is a pretty good UK site for plants , you don't have to buy the in-vitro ones that are slightly more expensive, about £4 each for a couple of crypts, and you'll have dipped your toe into having live plants without a lot of expense, hassle or disappointment, and you're likely to succeed and not have any troubles with them.

I only recommend this place since I've used them and I know their plants are shrimp safe. Not a concern for you since you don't have shrimp, but something I had to worry about and so might others who read along here.

Start small with a couple of easy to grow, no hassle crypts, and you can always add something else you like the look of later if you see a plant you like at a good price, but will have succeeded with a beginner friendly plant that should grow nicely but not overwhelm the tank or grow so fast that it needs constant trimming. You can't really go wrong with crypts :) If you get a crypt from another source though, google "crypt melt" too. Not something to panic about, it's just where some plants are grown out of water then are submerged, they have to go through a process to convert to underwater leaves, so the old above water leaves die back, and people understandably panic and think the plant is dying. It isn't, even if it dies right back to the roots, it'll come back, just have to give it time, and crypt melt only happens when a plant was grown emersed then has to switch to its submersed form.
Like this, very good, and helpful
 
Are you in the UK by any chance? Can recommend a couple of places for cheaper plants if you're in the UK or US.

Good beginner plants that stay fairly small are any of the mosses - Java moss, christmas moss, spiky moss etc, java fern, anubius of any of the smaller types. These are slow growing, remain fairly small with trimming where needed so won't be overwhelming in a small tank like vallis would.

Hornwort, elodea, water sprite and water wysteria are fast growing stem plants so would need trimming back more often, but they're low maintenance and not demanding plants otherwise, great for absorbing ammonia and nitrates so good for water quality, and you can either plant them in the substrate or leave them to float, and fish enjoy them for the shelter and shade they provide.

Any of the cryptocoryne plants are great beginner plants, easy to grow and undemanding, and can be split and spread out as they grow and produce baby plants.

In your shoes, I would get a couple of different cryptocoryne plants, just plant those in the substrate, and see how you go. They appreciate root tabs if you want to get some, it'll give them some extra nutrients that fish waste doesn't provide so they'd grow faster and healthier, but they'll also almost certainly survive and grow without them. Pro-shrimp is a pretty good UK site for plants , you don't have to buy the in-vitro ones that are slightly more expensive, about £4 each for a couple of crypts, and you'll have dipped your toe into having live plants without a lot of expense, hassle or disappointment, and you're likely to succeed and not have any troubles with them.

I only recommend this place since I've used them and I know their plants are shrimp safe. Not a concern for you since you don't have shrimp, but something I had to worry about and so might others who read along here.

Start small with a couple of easy to grow, no hassle crypts, and you can always add something else you like the look of later if you see a plant you like at a good price, but will have succeeded with a beginner friendly plant that should grow nicely but not overwhelm the tank or grow so fast that it needs constant trimming. You can't really go wrong with crypts :) If you get a crypt from another source though, google "crypt melt" too. Not something to panic about, it's just where some plants are grown out of water then are submerged, they have to go through a process to convert to underwater leaves, so the old above water leaves die back, and people understandably panic and think the plant is dying. It isn't, even if it dies right back to the roots, it'll come back, just have to give it time, and crypt melt only happens when a plant was grown emersed then has to switch to its submersed form.
Hi, thanks so much for such wonderful info!! I’m in the U.S. in such a small town that it’s an hour and a half to nearest pet/fish store. The details you included are so valuable to me, I so appreciate the time you are giving. I’ll look up the crypts, mosses and other items that you mentioned...was wondering about guppy grass too; I love the delicate soft look of it and read that it can float or be planted so thought it might be easy? I’m definitely going to go with your recommendations though as I have so much to learn. Thanks so much!
 

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