Recommendations For Stocking My 23l Fluval Edge

[TimFok]

Hey guys,

My tank is now successfully completely the nitrogen cycle inside 12 hours, so I'm ready to stock it with plants and fish!

My tank is a 23L/5G Fluval Edge, with the standard 2X 10w LED bulbs, standard HOB filter with carbon insert removed and replaced with 50g of purigen.

My substrate is fine black gravel.
I have no CO2 setup, and have no plans to add any (as this is my first tank!).
I plan to stock my tank with a halfmoon betta and 2-3 cherry shrimp

I'm looking for two types of plants. One for the foreground, and one for the back.
Both must be able to strive without a CO2 setup, and without huge amounts of light.
If required, I am happy to upgrade my lighting, providing it does not alter the appearance of the tank (i.e can use the existing fixtures and/or fit under the plastic lid)

I'd like the foreground to have grass-like features, I love the lawn look (dense well pruned blades of grass). And can achieve this without a huge lighting rig and/or CO2, I'd love to do it.
I have looked at Lilaeopsis brasiliensis for this. Research suggests I may need to upgrade my lighting to get a consistent lawn look, but will I need CO2 for it? (I've found contradictory views on this).
Any other recommendations are welcome. I haven't got my heart set on the lawn look (as I know it can be hard to maintain), so anything low lying, easy to maintain that fits my above criteria will be considered.

For the background I want a plant that will stretch across the back of the tank, so I can't see the back wall, and will disguise the down pipe of the filter. Completely open to suggestions on this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[greenmumma141]

For the background, I would suggest a vallis, there are different types that grow to dif heights but I think most do well with co2 (lets hope bc I just ordered some hehe) and a good medium height plant is a sword. Java fern and anubias don't need any co2 but they have to be attached to something (no roots in the substrate) but these are easy to care for as well. Can't think of any shorter stuff for the front yet, still workin on the fist cup of coffee! GL with your tank and you should post pics!!

 

[mike455555]

Lilaeopsis brasiliensis should be fine iv had it growing in a tank with hardly and light and no co2, and another tank with hardly any water and no heater, its a tough plant to kill in my opinion, other options for the back could be, star grass , eldoea combodia and other stem plants, for the front you could try riccia although its not a grass it can have a nice carpeting effect, vaills will eaither love you or hate you, it loves me without co2 or a lot of light

 

[Zikofski]

going up from the lawn but still foreground i would highly recommend some kind of crypt, beckettii and nevelli i have in my tank ones a more redish colour and ones green stays low and very lovely easy to grow in a low tech low light too but if you add some substrate it will with what i can only describe is as a BOOM

 

[tribalbrit]

You are a bit limited in the edge because of the height. Swords and vallis are to big. Crypts and anubias do well under the led lighting supplied with the tank and perhaps some moss.
I would also add a lighter coloured sand as the black sand makes the tank look a bit dark, again because of the height.

 

[TimFok]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I actually had some vallis in there a few weeks ago.

I bought some shortly after starting my cycle (not knowing it was a bad idea to have plants whilst initially cycling the tank). They lasted one day before looking like crud. I'm not sure I'd risk them again, and as mentioned above, maybe a little tall? They were maxing out in height when I bought them. I do like the shape of them though, almost like a longer blade of grass. Does anyone know of a similar plant that maybe suitable for the back? but not so tall?

I like the look of a crypts, I hadn't imagined the background taking a lower more bushy appearance like this (in my head I was aiming for long and tall like a Vallis), but it could look nice. [background=rgb(250, 255, 249)]Crypt Wendtii look good![/background]

If Lilaeopsis brasiliensis really does need no CO2 then I'll go with that for the foreground.

More recommendations are warmly welcomed!

Thanks

 

[mike455555]

dwarf sag is shorter than vaills with the same effect.

 

[TimFok]

I'll look into that, thanks very much!