Plants For A Sub-tropical Tank

[minxfishy]

Hi, Im going to be setting up a sub tropical tank for some channa's in a couple of weeks and would like to know what would be the best plants.

Temp 18-21c. 2 x 45w T5's lights. Gravel substrate.

Also do sub tropical plants require less or more lighting time?

Any help appreciated, thanks

 

[aaronnorth]

anubias, elodea densa, sagittara?, microsorum?, cabomba,

They survive in colder water, but just check on the '?' plants

Also take a look at the tropica website or plantgeek as they tell you the temperatures

 

[england]

hmmm intresting also do you have to provide other thing's for these plant's or will they survive just being planted and left

 

[aaronnorth]

it depends on lighting levels.

 

[england]

Not sure bout lighting level's but all my salvinia minima/ duckweed / frogbit have grown soooooo quick and totally covered my tank from corner to corner, and the duckweed is very thick, love it look's great and provide's shelter but that would be bad for live plant's???

 

[Miah002]

How did you get your duckweed to grow so fast?

 

[aaronnorth]

Not sure bout lighting level's but all my salvinia minima/ duckweed / frogbit have grown soooooo quick and totally covered my tank from corner to corner, and the duckweed is very thick, love it look's great and provide's shelter but that would be bad for live plant's???

They get the most light at the surface and they also have an unlimited supply of CO2 hence why floating plants grow so quickly!

As long as enough light penetrates into the water for the plants to grow it will be fine.

 

[Miah002]

Do you have to feed them because i have some duckweed and they have been growing at a very slow pace.

How long do you leave your lights on for?

I feed mine flora boost. What do you feed yours?

 

[aaronnorth]

8-10hrs a day.
i dont have it but i use tropica plant nutrition+

I am surprised as to why it is growing slow. Are you sure it is duckweed?

 

[england]

ha mine only get fed on nitate's....it has grown like wild fire, got it just after christmas, all i got was a pinch worth....
the salvinia minima i got about 3weeks ago and that's also grown like wild fire

 

[Miah002]

I think it's because i only have my lights on for four hours.

 

[Truck]

I think it's because i only have my lights on for four hours.

get pics up for an ID, and is this in a biorb? because a halogen lamp isnt providing much light.

 

[Miah002]

Yeah it's in a biorb and it's floating.

Should a take a pic of one of them?

 

[Truck]

Yeah it's in a biorb and it's floating.

Should a take a pic of one of them?

yeh get a macro shot of the leaves

 

[Miah002]

Whats a macro shot?

I'll have the pics up around at 9 as i'm going out in 10 minutes.