Plant for minimalist tank

[kc2ped]

I just got a 5 gal Fluval Chi. I think it is too small for fish so plan to put some shrimp in it. I want to keep it minimalist so will probably cover the bottom with small pebbles and fill the plant box with fluorite from my established tank. What one plant can I put in that plant box that will keep the shrimp happy and survive under what I assume will be low light?

 

[tyspot1000]

You could do possibly a Java Fern or a Crypt, both are low light plants and should do Fine in a small aquarium. Im not really sure about what the lights can support, so wait for more answers.

 

[BigJim]

Good call on keeping shrimp in your tank. A 5g is suitable for a betta, but that's about it.

I see the Chi is advertised as having a "powerful LED lighting system." If it's truly a high-power LED, you could potentially grow a variety of plants. Looking at the tank, I think I'd go with a stem plant. Vals would be a good choice.

 

[kc2ped]

Good call on keeping shrimp in your tank. A 5g is suitable for a betta, but that's about it.

The sales clerk at PetSmart points to the picture on the box showing three goldfish swimming around in a tank. I noticed that there was no power cord running to the filter/lights in that picture and all three goldfish are in profile. I wonder how long you would have to sit in front of the camera waiting for those three fish to spread out in the tank and all be in profile at the same time. I think I smell PhotoShop.

I see the Chi is advertised as having a "powerful LED lighting system." If it's truly a high-power LED, you could potentially grow a variety of plants.

It has a 1"x1" array of 11 LEDs. I turned them on briefly and with the room lights on can see a spot of blue-white light on the ceiling from the light that points up through the fountain. Even without water in the tank it doesn't look like much light shining down into the tank and that is mostly concentrated on the plant box so any overhanging leaves won't get much illumination.

Vals would be a good choice.

Is the Val a high, medium or low light plant. I will have to search for pictures so I know what I am looking for.

Thanks for taking the time to research the tank.

 

[BigJim]

I really hate it when i see 3g "goldfish starter kits". It really misleads people.

If they fit 11 LEDs in one square inch, they're not high-power LEDs. However, I did see a couple Chi tanks that people had planted with mosses, crypts, and even some microsword. The microsword was outside the plant box, but it was alive. I'm actually kind of impressed with this tank.

Vals are generally considered low-light plants. Look at Italian vals or Spiral vals.

 

[fort384]

I would go with a crypt in the middle, and some java moss tied to some stone or driftwood outside the plant box, assuming you want to keep it low light. Vals are also a good choice. Stay away from swords, they may look good when you buy 'em, but most will grow too big for a tank like that.

Anubias in the middle is also an option.

Of course if you bumped the lighting up a bit, you could get into some more demanding carpet/compact growth plants.

 

[kc2ped]

Crypts is what my local Petland had so that is what Ihave
And a moss ball
And a banana plant

 

[mudraker]

Those will definately be fine in very lowlight. The Banana will stay very small with the lowlight, but shouldn't die.

I have one in almost no light, it hasn't grown much, but its still very green.

 

[kc2ped]

Those will definately be fine in very lowlight. The Banana will stay very small with the lowlight, but shouldn't die.

I have one in almost no light, it hasn't grown much, but its still very green.

That is good to know. I have one in my BioCube that has one submerged leaf and has sent up five lily pads since I got it two weeks ago. The lily pad stems snake all over the tank before the leaf opens out on the surface and are probably twice as long as they need to be.

 

[mudraker]

They are neat plants.

When I find the time, I've been planning to show a comparison like you describe on how these plants behave. I got two last summer. One is in a hightech tank, one I just left in a really lowlight tank.

Both are thriving, but in different ways. The lowlight one is the same size, the highlight one is huge, growing all over the surface like you described and the leaves are turning all kinds of interesting colors.

 

[kc2ped]

Mine are all green above but the bottom sides look like they are a base yellow to green with an upper, granular layer that is maroon to brown.

I had one stem get caught in the filter intake and start to melt away. I pinched it off above the melting section and tried to plant it but it wouldn't stay down. I gave up on it and left it floating with the rest hoping something would happen. The remaining stem melted away and the leaf got several holes in it but tonight I noticed that after several weeks protrusions are starting to grow out of the leaf where the stem was attached on both sides, surface and water so maybe I am going to grow a new plant after all.

 

[mudraker]

Hmmm, that is interesting to hear.

I know they propogate when the bananas - which are actually corms - kind of burst apart with new roots. This happened on my big plant.

I tossed the corms in the lowlight, as I haven't had time to figure out where to put them yet.

 

[kc2ped]

I was having trouble with mine moving around the tank in the water current. I loosely wrapped a piece of bunch plant lead around it just above the corms. After a week or so it had put down a couple of thick roots that held it in place when I took the lead off. Now there are four of those roots all coming out of the same side of the plant just above the corms that go all the way to the bottom of the tank along the glass. There is another thinner one going off on it's own along the surface that looks kinda like a runner.

 

[mudraker]

Yeah, I had trouble keeping them down at first too. Did a similar thing, now the root structure is tight.

 

[kc2ped]

Are Cryptus bulb plants? I opened up the gray stuff it was packed in and there were four individual plants in there. Since they came out of the shipping material nicely I didn't get too fussy about removing the material that remained but did notice on a couple of them that it looks like there is a brown or white solid thing in there about the size of a cherry pit, maybe a bit smaller.

 

[mudraker]

If you are referring to something in the cryptocoryne family, they are root division plants, no bulb or corm.

Great lowlight plants that come in a lot of varieties as far as color, leaf structure and size.

I like them a lot.

 

[kc2ped]

If you are referring to something in the cryptocoryne family, they are root division plants, no bulb or corm.

Great lowlight plants that come in a lot of varieties as far as color, leaf structure and size.

I like them a lot.

i don't have the little tag with me so am probably butchering the latin but it is Apongeton Cryptus

 

[mudraker]

That is a actually a corm plant.

I'm not sure about the variety you mentioned, but the type I am familiar with you can bury the corm for sure. Mine have a straight, thin leaf rather than the curvy, crinkly type that you have.

I looked it up to make sure they are the same family.

The one's I have grow faster in lower light. They get really tall too.

 

[kc2ped]

that confirms what I thought I observed
I like these plants
the leaves are wavy at the edges and the leaves grow in translucent with a little pinkish tinge at the top end
they are a nice contrast to the darker straight edged swords

 

[kc2ped]

I guess the light in my Chi isn't as low as I thought
My Crispus is already breaking the surface and the LEDs crust over with algae within three days to the point that the entire has a yellow then green color cast