Plant Recommendations

[FishGuest5123]

With all the talk of benefits of heavily planted tanks, I’d like to add more to my tanks. I have corkscrew amazon swords, regular swords, Moss balls, and anubias. Any recommendations of easy plants that do well in sand substrate? I do NOT have a green thumb. Thanks in advance.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Cryptocorynes, there are lots of varieties easily available, and are pretty easy to grow, addition of root tabs are good as these feed though the roots, root tabs will help the sword you have as well.

If you don't want crypts, vallisernia, elodeas and bacopa are normally fairly easy to grow as well. Quite a few plants actually.

I find this is quite a good site for plants and information -

The right aquarium plants - Tropica Aquarium Plants

The right aquarium plants

tropica.com

As for sand or gravel substrate, makes little difference imho as plant roots will find a way to get through.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

IME, crypt wendtii is one of the easiest plants to grow. For biological benefits, floating plants are hard to beat. I'm partial to amazon frogbit, water lettuce, and Asian water grass.

 

[AilyNC]

Water Wisteria, Hygrophila difformis, is a great plant & has done really well in my tank. And Limnophila sessiliflora is super easy and fast growing too.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Cryptocorynes, there are lots of varieties easily available, and are pretty easy to grow, addition of root tabs are good as these feed though the roots, root tabs will help the sword you have as well.

If you don't want crypts, vallisernia, elodeas and bacopa are normally fairly easy to grow as well. Quite a few plants actually.

I find this is quite a good site for plants and information -

The right aquarium plants - Tropica Aquarium Plants

The right aquarium plants

tropica.com

As for sand or gravel substrate, makes little difference imho as plant roots will find a way to get through.

Perfect! I’ve honestly killed most of the above named when in gravel but Illini to try again. I tell you I have a black thumb.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Perfect! I’ve honestly killed most of the above named when in gravel but Illini to try again. I tell you I have a black thumb.

I can grow aquatic plants, and I'm decent with garden veggies and grains, but when it comes to house plants? Right there with you. Kill 'em dead every time.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I can grow aquatic plants, and I'm decent with garden veggies and grains, but when it comes to house plants? Right there with you. Kill 'em dead every time.

Bad thing is that I was raised in a Floral shop. Lol!

 

[FishGuest5123]

IME, crypt wendtii is one of the easiest plants to grow. For biological benefits, floating plants are hard to beat. I'm partial to amazon frogbit, water lettuce, and Asian water grass.

Yeah, I’m ok on floating plants. Just substrate plants that I have problems with.

 

[Essjay]

How are you with plants grown on decor? Java fern, anubias, bolbitis, bucephalandra......

 

[mbsqw1d]

Is there one of your tanks in particular you're looking to plant? Just thought maybe we could consider which tank might have the best lighting system to give the plants the best chance?

 

[FishGuest5123]

How are you with plants grown on decor? Java fern, anubias, bolbitis, bucephalandra......

Do good with anubias. It grows like a weed. In fact, most of my anubias all came from one plants. I killed java fern.

 

[FishGuest5123]

OK. I just bought 2 crypts. One brown and one green. Pray I don’t kill them.

 

[itiwhetu]

Just a note. A lot of plants are grown terrestrially and when we put them in our tanks their leaves will fall off. With crypts keep the root stock it will come back. With any stemmed plant keep the stems the aquatic leaves will appear. Many people think that their fish have eaten the plants when in fact it has just been leaf fall.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

See, I've never been able to get anubias to grow, but substrate plants usually grow like weeds. Sometimes I think it has more to do with one's setup and water chemistry than one's abilities.

That's what I'm gonna keep telling myself.

 

[Ch4rlie]

How are you with plants grown on decor? Java fern, anubias, bolbitis, bucephalandra......

Had to look up bucephalandra, ooh, quite a nice plant, might get some of those for my new tank.

Not heard of this one before so that a nice tip!