Which Plants Are Suitable For My Lighting?

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

soybean

Fish Gatherer
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
2,556
Reaction score
0
Location
GB
I'm at my wits end with plants. Everything was growing ok but I'm now I'm being plagued with black brush algae all over the plants, it's unsightly and I'm planning to replace all the few remaining plants in my tank with new ones in the new year.

There must be some more suitable to my set up rather than the basic ones I usually end up with. I'm not going to get into the CO2 set-up as I haven't the money to spare on it - I just want healthy looking plants, I don't really mind what they are.

So can anyone please tell me what would be suitable for my tank based on the following:

2 x 45w T5 tubes
Sand substrate
Large bottles of EasyCarbo and TNC at my disposal

Ph is neutral-high. Fairly hard water. Lots of bogwood.

I have corys, rams, neons, otos.

I basically would like to know what to plant, how long the lights should be on (currently 8 hours, happy to reduce), how much liquid ferts/carbon to add and how often.

Any suggestions?
 
I'm at my wits end with plants. Everything was growing ok but I'm now I'm being plagued with black brush algae all over the plants, it's unsightly and I'm planning to replace all the few remaining plants in my tank with new ones in the new year.

There must be some more suitable to my set up rather than the basic ones I usually end up with. I'm not going to get into the CO2 set-up as I haven't the money to spare on it - I just want healthy looking plants, I don't really mind what they are.

So can anyone please tell me what would be suitable for my tank based on the following:

2 x 45w T5 tubes
Sand substrate
Large bottles of EasyCarbo and TNC at my disposal

Ph is neutral-high. Fairly hard water. Lots of bogwood.

I have corys, rams, neons, otos.

I basically would like to know what to plant, how long the lights should be on (currently 8 hours, happy to reduce), how much liquid ferts/carbon to add and how often.

Any suggestions?

Anubias, java fern, and moss balls could thrive in a closet. I have one T8, which im guessing is equivilant to two T5s.

In my tank, I have water wisteria (which could survive in a radioactive closet) green cabomba (very nice, cool texture) Red and Green Tiger Lotus is also very sturdy. If you're looking for grassy plants, dwarf sag and any kind of val. Red Ludwigia is also hardy. Can't think of anymore, sorry.

Edit: Just remembered, when i was researching my tank i had a word document with a huge list of hardy plants :p Here ya go:

Java Fern - Microsorum pteropus
(All Variants of Java Fern)

“Windelov” Java Fern
“Narrow Leaf”

Java Moss
Green Hygro
Sunset Hygro
Ceylon Hygro
Moneywort
Crypt Wendtii
Crypt Balansae
Anubias Barteri (All Anubias Variants)
“Marble”
“Glabra”
“Nana"
Crypt Spiralis
Golden Nana
Philippine Java Fern
Pelia
Tropica Sword
Tiger Lotus
American Waterweed
Red Ludwigia
Marimo Ball
Dwarf Baby Tears
Dwarf Sag
 
I have wisteria, anubias nana, java fern, bacopa and a large amazon sword already. All are suffering, esp the java fern and more recently the sword. I had cabomba and it just fell apart.
 
whilst not an expert, i will offer my opinion.Looking at it you've got a Rio 180 with T5 lighing?

This was my set up till i downgraded to T8's.At the moment you've got somewhere around 2 WPG of T5 lighting which probably will mean your going to need co2.Start with the dose on the bottle of easycarbo

but you'll probably need to up that dose to 1.5x, or even 2x if heavily planted.Your ferts are going to need Nitrate & Phosphate which TNC complete has, but TNC lite does not.

Personally i'd start your lighting at 6 hours then work my way up slowly over time.Water changes have to be 50% weekly if using Easycarbo to remove metabolic waste produced by increased plant growth.

Dose wise i was using 4ml of easycarbo, 8ml TPN+ daily.But this was with T8 lighting and i don't know how TNC compares to TPN+

Plant wise the above list is pretty good.Can't really go wrong with most Crypts, Wisteria, Baccopa and various Anubias.I also like Hygrophila's, such as Polysperma.There's also a list here

Hope this helps.Good luck

If you've got Bolivians then i'm guessing your water temp is >25° ? My Cabomba melted when i went from 23° to 26°
 
Yeah, I use ferts and liquid co2 and I have the light on for 12 hours...that probably why they're growing so much :p
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top