Need help selecting plants

[2tank]

In the pictures below are all the plants available at my local shop.
They each cost around 2usd, I have a 80 usd budget.

Which plants and how many of them.

The plants in order from the pics are.
Amazon sword and acharis grass for pic 2.
Pic 3 shows anubiuses, and jumbo java fern.
Pic 4 shows assorted plants.
Pic 5 im not sure of name of the plants.
Pic 8 shows lilaelplis
Pic 9 shows dwarf baby tears
Pic 10 shows dwarf hair grass

 

[AilyNC]

What size tank?

I like java Fern, limnophila sessiliflora, Lagenandra meeboldii red, Echinodorus Bleherae, Echinodorus'Reni', Vallisneria Nana or Giant (depending on tank height), Cryptocoryne crispatula, Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green.

 

[2tank]

@AilyNC its a 260L with divided substrates I made a thread about the tank tank setup
im thinking 2 or 3 different cover plants.

I keep getting the size mixed up.
its 122cm by 46cm by 47cm

 

[AilyNC]

Floating plants are great for cover & water quality. I found Salvinia grows crazy fast but I like the long floating roots of Limnobium laevigatum. I also like red of Phyllanthus Fluitans, the Red Root Floater.

For driftwood or rocks I like Java Fern, Anubis Nana and mosses like Christmas Moss & Java Moss.

I like mixing shades of green so go for lighter Greens like Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green & Cryptocoryne Beckettii mixed with darker Greens like Cryptocoryne crispatula & tall broad leaves like Echinodorus Bleherae & Amazon Sword. I also mixed some brown/red with Echinodorus'Reni' & Lagenandra meeboldii red.

At the back I went for fast growing Limnophila sessiliflora & some Vallisneria Nana.

Note the plants you like the look of in your local shop - then check their care guide. Tropica website https://tropica.com/en has a good summary. Because I'm not adding CO2 I wanted low tech tank and look for easy care, se fast growing, and low CO2 plants.

 

[2tank]

thanks for the advice

 

[AilyNC]

thanks for the advice

It's your tank so make sure you like the looks of any plants full grown.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I definitely suggest the plants listed above. (Java moss, java fern, Anacharis, Anubias, etc.)

You can do a lot with these plants! If you need inspiration, maybe look around the forum a bit. There are a lot of awesome tanks that people have worked hard on, and posted here to show us. Good luck!

 

[Colin_T]

Most aquarium plants like a bit of light and if you only have the light on for a couple of hours a day, they struggle. If the light doesn't have a high enough wattage they also struggle. Try having the tank lights on for 10-12 hours a day.

If you get lots of green algae then reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor the algae over the next 2 weeks.
If you don't get any green algae on the glass then increase the lighting period by an hour and monitor it.
If you get a small amount of algae then the lighting time is about right.

Some plants will close their leaves up when they have had sufficient light. Ambulia, Hygrophilas and a few others close their top set of leaves first, then the next set and so on down the stem. When you see this happening, wait an hour after the leaves have closed up against the stem and then turn lights off.

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Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, H. ruba/ rubra, Elodia (during summer, but don't buy it in winter because it falls apart), Hydrilla, common Amazon sword plant, narrow Vallis, Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).
The Water Sprite normally floats on the surface but can also be planted in the substrate. The other plants should be planted in the gravel.

If you add an iron based aquarium plant fertiliser, it will help most aquarium plants do well. The liquid iron based aquarium plant fertilisers tend to be better than the tablet forms, although you can push the tablets under the roots of plants and that works well.
I use Sera Florena liquid plant fertiliser but there are other brands too.

Do not bother adding carbon fertiliser to the tank because they are not necessary.

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LIGHTS
Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

 

[AilyNC]

I've really be following your light advice regarding the time for fish to adjust. Thanks!