Mystery Plants

[NeonTetra97]

Hi everyone,
 
Can anyone help me identify these plants I picked up at my LFS on Sunday, unfortunately they don't have ID cards on their plants. Couldn't turn down the deal, just hope they are ok for my tank. Planning to use them on a re-scape this weekend! The images should be attached below.
 
Thanks

 
 

 

[GoldenRoses]

Hello,

I can't seem to find a match on your first two plants, although plants can look different from the species "standard" depending on how they were grown. The second one looks a bit like ludwigia repens under low light.

The last plant appears to be a type of sword... oriental sword perhaps?

 

[NeonTetra97]

Thanks for your help, I am looking at pictures of sword plants now to try and find an exact match

 

[attibones]

The second is ludwigia repens. The third looks like an ozelot sword. The first could also be a type of ludwigia. It looks a lot like one ludwigia species I've got in my tanks but haven't bothered to identify.

All of these should have medium to high light. The ozelot will appreciate root tabs. Liquid fertilizers at ebeneficial, but I don't think CO2 is necessary. Let me rephrase that: you don't need to add CO2 for the plants to grow. All plants need CO2 in some form though.

 

[NeonTetra97]

The second is ludwigia repens. The third looks like an ozelot sword. The first could also be a type of ludwigia. It looks a lot like one ludwigia species I've got in my tanks but haven't bothered to identify.

All of these should have medium to high light. The ozelot will appreciate root tabs. Liquid fertilizers at ebeneficial, but I don't think CO2 is necessary. Let me rephrase that: you don't need to add CO2 for the plants to grow. All plants need CO2 in some form though.

Ahh thanks for the help, unfortunately at the moment my setup definitely has low light, but I am looking for ways to upgrade to something a bit more powerful. The sword was in quite bad condition at the LFS and the gave me more of the repens to compensate, so won't be too upset if it doesn't make it. I would like a larger plant like that though. Just need to sort out better lights, and I already use root tabs and liquid ferts and carbon so all good with that.
 
Any suggestions on lights that could supplement my T8s? Im thinking something LED maybe? 

 

[attibones]

I use two t5s over my 3 footer. What is your wattage like? What temp are the bulbs? Also, what size is this tank? If it's 4 feet, you could easily get some shop lights. They are cheap and you can get some decent wattage on them. 

 

[daizeUK]

*deleted, didn't read properly

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

I agree with the 2nd one being Ludwigia and it looks like it needs a little more light to get their red coloration back. I've seen that 3rd plant before, they are not fully aquatic from what I've seen. They maybe rooted in water but they grow leaves out and can actually get to quite a size once out of water

 

[NeonTetra97]

Thanks for the help everyone  
 
The Ludwigia is doing well as is the first plant, the sword is doing okay, it has melted back a bit but time will tell if it will survive. Although I don't hold out much hope. I have picked up a few more plants from a more reputable LFS that came with name cards so they are all suited to my setup.
 

I use two t5s over my 3 footer. What is your wattage like? What temp are the bulbs? Also, what size is this tank? If it's 4 feet, you could easily get some shop lights. They are cheap and you can get some decent wattage on them. 

The tank is 75cm (2.4 feet?) in length, the total wattage is 40w if I remember correctly, I will check this though. The colour is towards the blue end of the spectrum, I will dig out the literature so I can tell you the exact K rating if thats what you mean? I have ordered a double strip 5w 24 bulb LED fixture to supplement the T8s in an effort to boost lighting, not sure how much of an affect this will have though.

 

[daizeUK]

A very cheap way to boost T8's is simply to buy reflectors

 

[attibones]

You won't get much plant growth with bluer lights. You're looking for daylight, 6500K. The wattage would be just fine for most plants (assuming your tank isn't super deep), but you have to make sure that your temp is right too.

 

[NeonTetra97]

A very cheap way to boost T8's is simply to buy reflectors

 
Are reflectors simply the white plastic things that are above the lights? If so then I have them already, but they aren't reflective like a mirror, juts glossy white plastic.

You won't get much plant growth with bluer lights. You're looking for daylight, 6500K. The wattage would be just fine for most plants (assuming your tank isn't super deep), but you have to make sure that your temp is right too.

My tank is definitely not deep, about 36cm (14") and I will get on Amazon now and look for some more appropriate bulbs. I have just checked on Fluval's site and both bulbs I have at the moment are 18,000k and are advertised as okay for plants! I will probably buy two of these, at 1,470 Lumen they are brighter than my current bulbs that are rated 750 and 555 lumen. Not sure how much of a difference the brightness makes though! The ones I am looking at getting are 6,700k.

 

[daizeUK]

Are reflectors simply the white plastic things that are above the lights? If so then I have them already, but they aren't reflective like a mirror, juts glossy white plastic.

 
I use Arcadia reflectors, they just clip on to the tube.
 

 

[NeonTetra97]

 

Are reflectors simply the white plastic things that are above the lights? If so then I have them already, but they aren't reflective like a mirror, juts glossy white plastic.

 
I use Arcadia reflectors, they just clip on to the tube.
 

 

Ahh okay, they look good, will definitely look into buying a couple