Plants Needed For An Amazonian Biotype (details Regarding Tank Below)

[eaglesaquarium]

Hello everyone

Its been a while since I've been here, but I've been fish keeping all the while.

My first tank is doing great, my panda cories have mated at least twice giving me some extra cories (my 3 surviving pandas have become 9!).


Anyway, with the influx of cories, I'm going to be moving my other species of corys to a new tank. I happen to have a 110 US GAL tank available. A friend of mine at my school and I are making it into an Amazonian tributary biotype tank. We are going fully natural as much as possible.


Here are the parameters we are working with:

Tank dimensions: 72 in (length) x 18 in (width) x 24 in (depth)

Tank lighting 4 x 32W daylight bulbs (industrial fluorescent fixture).

Sand substrate

Various rocks and driftwood (non-South American because its just too hard to find)



We are looking for low maintenance (read as NO fertilizers) and easy to deal with. Growth rate isn't important. Authenticity is important. Ease of finding them in a store is also very important.

Any help is welcome.

 

[SombreroBanana]

Amazon swords, dwarf swords, stargrass, hairgrass, cabomba, melon sword, and myriophyllum. The only one of those I haven't seen in stores is myriophyllum. I'd also highly recommend amazon frogbit (floating plant), but you'd probably have to order it. Some other harder-to-find plants I'm listing below.
Alternanthera reinecki "Red"
Lilaeopsis novae zelandiae
Echinodorus tenellus
Mayaca fluviatilis
Hydrocotyle leucophala
Echinodorus quadricostatus

Some of these are still pretty easy to find, but you won't find them in your local Petco.

Hope this helps!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks, it gives me a starting point. I've got experience with some basic plants - amazon swords, anubias and java ferns. These are working great in my low light set-up at home. This set-up will probably be a lot more light, so I figure I can go for some different options...


I've got some research to do now, thanks for the help.

 

[SombreroBanana]

If you don't want to add any ferts, I'd dirt the tank if I were you. That way the plants get some extra nutrients without you adding ferts.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

That's a great suggestion, but I suppose its a bit late. The sand is already in place, and I'd prefer not to have to remove it to add dirt. I could always add some basic ferts if necessary. I just don't want to be a slave to a fert regimen.

 

[SombreroBanana]

Yeah, I get what you mean. I dose Flourish on Mondays and Fridays, and my plants are doing great. That's really all I care to add.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Thanks. That's the kind of thing that I could do. But the folks who daily are dosing 6 different things, adding CO2, etc. That just isn't for me. This is a hobby, not an obsession for me.

 

[SombreroBanana]

Well be aware, if you want a lot of nice plants, I'd at least dose liquid carbon. Otherwise they'll just look raggedy. Another suggestion I have, if you really want an authentic Amazon biotope, you should look into blackwater. I personally love the look, but I'm not sure if you would.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Right now my tank is filling with tannins, which is nice. I've considered filtering with peat as well.

I have considered dosing liquid carbon, I don't dose anything with my plants in my tank at home and they look very good. They have much less light and are all slow growers. I suppose I'll need to play it by ear and adjust as necessary, either different plants or dosing carbon. Adding Flourish sounds like a nice compromise...