Water sprite and hygrophila polysperma info please **beginner alert**

[Byron]

You wouldn’t mind giving me a list of those plants you have found that have thrived please if you don’t mind?

I have found Amazon Swords to do well. The green leaf species/varieties; the red leaf do not do well because they require more light, and I haven't had much luck with the artificial varieties (spotted leaves, and such) which tend to last for a few weeks, sometimes a couple months, but not much beyond. My sword plants are all adventitious plants from older parent plants. The pygmy chain swords are daughter plants stretching back to the original plant purchased in the 1990's.

I have floating plants in all my tanks because I consider it mandatory to provide shade for the fish, so obviously that will reduce light reaching the lower level. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta) is about the best floating plants, and there is Amazon Frogbit and Water Lettuce.

I have had crypts do very well for some time, years actually. Pennywort seems good. Anubias and Java Fern. Java Moss.

A couple of red tiger lotus did quite well for months; I even got a plantlet or two. But rather suddenly these just melted, something happened in that tank that I never could track down.

 

[Neon1977]

I have found Amazon Swords to do well. The green leaf species/varieties; the red leaf do not do well because they require more light, and I haven't had much luck with the artificial varieties (spotted leaves, and such) which tend to last for a few weeks, sometimes a couple months, but not much beyond. My sword plants are all adventitious plants from older parent plants. The pygmy chain swords are daughter plants stretching back to the original plant purchased in the 1990's.

I have floating plants in all my tanks because I consider it mandatory to provide shade for the fish, so obviously that will reduce light reaching the lower level. Water Sprite (Ceratopteris cornuta) is about the best floating plants, and there is Amazon Frogbit and Water Lettuce.

I have had crypts do very well for some time, years actually. Pennywort seems good. Anubias and Java Fern. Java Moss.

A couple of red tiger lotus did quite well for months; I even got a plantlet or two. But rather suddenly these just melted, something happened in that tank that I never could track down.

This list is amazing thanks so much! Just looked through all the pictures of each of these and they are perfect for what I wanted/needed for my tank! Amazon Swords definitely for me because of how tall they grow and I love the big leaves on them! Definitely will have those at the back of the aquarium! Love the Anubias! Il place that in front of the swords and a couple placed here and there! Frogbit is defo my favourite looking plant to be my floater! And I LOVE the look of the pennywort! This has to be one of my favourite looking live plants so far! Can see it growing so nice around my log and Buddha etc it just looks really natural! I may brave it then and get a couple red tiger lotus’s if these green plants do well ! thanks a lot for that you have created my plant shopping list for this week!

 

[Essjay]

Don't forget anubias has to be grown attached to something rather than planted in the substrate

 

[Neon1977]

Don't forget anubias has to be grown attached to something rather than planted in the substrate

Oh really! Thank you for that I would of been planting it in the sand!! Is there another easy green plant that’s smallish to plant in the sand?? I know I’m getting pennywort but don’t want just this all around the bottom area ideally!

 

[utahfish]

Noticed no one has mentioned lighting requirements so i though id throw my hat in
For fluorescent or CFL its 2 watts/ gallon for low light plants. For LED bulbs or strips it 10-20 lumens per litre for low light plants 20-40 lumens/ litre for medium. For fluorescent get 5000K-6500 K bulbs same with LED with LED make sure it has a CRI rating of 90+
Good luck welcome to the beautiful world of keeping plants in a box of water in your basement

 

[Neon1977]

Noticed no one has mentioned lighting requirements so i though id throw my hat in
For fluorescent or CFL its 2 watts/ gallon for low light plants. For LED bulbs or strips it 10-20 lumens per litre for low light plants 20-40 lumens/ litre for medium. For fluorescent get 5000K-6500 K bulbs same with LED with LED make sure it has a CRI rating of 90+
Good luck welcome to the beautiful world of keeping plants in a box of water in your basement

Brilliant thanks very much for all the info! Going plant shopping tomorrow

 

[utahfish]

Brilliant thanks very much for all the info! Going plant shopping tomorrow

Good luck dont be shocked if some of them melt when first introduced its common but as long as the roots are intact theyll be ok.

 

[Neon1977]

Good luck dont be shocked if some of them melt when first introduced its common but as long as the roots are intact theyll be ok.

At my LFS they have them in little pots already in the water lights on and fertiliser on the go etc , will that be better than buying shop bought dya think?

This is on their own by the way just plants in the tanks, no fish.

 

[utahfish]

At my LFS they have them in little pots already in the water lights on and fertiliser on the go etc , will that be better than buying shop bought dya think?

This is on their own by the way just plants in the tanks, no fish.

I dont think you can go wrong with either. If you get ones already in water check them for snails and snail eggs. Give them a good rinse before tossing them in.

 

[Neon1977]

I dont think you can go wrong with either. If you get ones already in water check them for snails and snail eggs. Give them a good rinse before tossing them in.

Thanks for that tip will double check them over before planting/placing

 

[Essjay]

In the UK there are two types of plant - those imported from outside the EU and those grown inside the EU.

Non-EU imports must have been treated with a snail killer. This is only a problem if the tank has, or is intended to have, shrimps and ornamental snails. Plants grown inside the EU do not have to be treated with snails killer, so may well have pest snails or their eggs. These are safe for tanks with shrimps and ornamental snails.

Actually there is a third type - in-vitro plants, but shops don't usually sell those, just on-line shops. In-vitro plants do not have snails/eggs and are not treated with chemicals.




And yes, the UK may have left the EU but the legislation still stands until it is repealed.

 

[seangee]

Actually there is a third type - in-vitro plants, but shops don't usually sell those, just on-line shops. In-vitro plants do not have snails/eggs and are not treated with chemicals.

I buy in-vitro (tissue cultured) whenever I can. Costs a bit more but IMO well worth it. Always received good healthy plants that I know can go straight into the shrimp tank. Noticed that pets@home near my office is now stocking some.

 

[Neon1977]

I buy in-vitro (tissue cultured) whenever I can. Costs a bit more but IMO well worth it. Always received good healthy plants that I know can go straight into the shrimp tank. Noticed that pets@home near my office is now stocking some.

This is where iv ordered mine from, they are the tropica make

 

[Neon1977]

I buy in-vitro (tissue cultured) whenever I can. Costs a bit more but IMO well worth it. Always received good healthy plants that I know can go straight into the shrimp tank. Noticed that pets@home near my office is now stocking some.

Lovey tank!!

 

[Naughts]

This list is amazing thanks so much! Just looked through all the pictures of each of these and they are perfect for what I wanted/needed for my tank! Amazon Swords definitely for me because of how tall they grow and I love the big leaves on them! Definitely will have those at the back of the aquarium! Love the Anubias! Il place that in front of the swords and a couple placed here and there! Frogbit is defo my favourite looking plant to be my floater! And I LOVE the look of the pennywort! This has to be one of my favourite looking live plants so far! Can see it growing so nice around my log and Buddha etc it just looks really natural! I may brave it then and get a couple red tiger lotus’s if these green plants do well ! thanks a lot for that you have created my plant shopping list for this week!

Not sure if pennywort is available in the UK as it is a non-native invasive species.