What Plants Are Best?

[allaboutthefish]

I'm thinking of getting some new plants for my 20g tank, i have alreadt got some but i got told the other day that some of the plants i have got are not for use underswater, i have got a black background that i used a bin bag and it looks great, i just want to know of some pretty plants other than green, i have got catfish, guppys, kuhlii loaches, platys, danios, them kind of fish, any advice will be apreciated.

 

[phlawed]

I'm thinking of getting some new plants for my 20g tank, i have alreadt got some but i got told the other day that some of the plants i have got are not for use underswater, i have got a black background that i used a bin bag and it looks great, i just want to know of some pretty plants other than green, i have got catfish, guppys, kuhlii loaches, platys, danios, them kind of fish, any advice will be apreciated.

probably will have to upgrade your lights somewhat for a better variety of plants you can get. You also have to look at Co2 if you are getting plants for better growth. From there you can pretty much do what you want.

 

[nmonks]

Broadly speaking, dark green plants need the least light, light green plants bright light, and red plants huge amounts of light. If you have one or two light tubes the full length of the aquarium hood, you have "poor" to "middling" lighting and would do best to stick with low-light plants. In my experience, these are among the most reliable:

[1 lighting tube]

Java fern
Java moss
Hornwort
Cryptocoryne wendtii (and in fact most, but not all, Cryptocorynes)
Anubias spp.

[2 lighting tubes]

Vallisneria spp.
Cabomba caroliniana
Nymphaea stellata "red tiger" (this is a red-leaved plant that actually does well in mediocre lighting).

Other things -- like CO2, fancy substrates, etc. -- will only make a difference if you already have good lighting. Extending the length of time the lights are on will not compensate for having poor or mediocre lighting. Aluminium reflectors behind the lighting tubes does make a difference. Get good quality tubes (e.g. Triton, Life-Glo) and change them every 6 to 12 months. Read this pinned topic. Lighting is easily the single biggest problem people have with aquarium plant; get the lighting right, and most everything else falls into place.

Cheers,

Neale