Shrimp, Snails and Plants?

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Llama_13

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 4, 2017
Messages
13
Location
None of your business :p (Southern hemisphere)
Hi all!

I'm considering getting some plants for my FW tank.
My tank currently only has fake plants.

I'm looking for hardy, low-maintenance species that would be suited to a beginner (me) that knows near nothing about plants.

I would like plants that stay small and near the bottom of tank (carpet plants?).
At the moment, my tank has gravel, so preferably plants that I can either plant between the gravel or ones that can grow on the gravel (<- if that makes sense?).
Plants also must not spread fast.

Also, they NEED to be easily sourced. I am very limited when it comes to aquarium shops near me, and they often have very standard stock.

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I am also interested in getting either shrimp/s or a snail/s for my tank.
I'm probably going to put the plants in first and see how it goes.

If I do get shrimps or snails, Which species would be recommended for beginners?

Requirements for shrimp or snails:
- I will probably only get one, as I don't want them to reproduce
- FW
- Low maintenance
- Hardy/adaptable
- Peaceful and will get along with my current fish
- Suited to temp. of 26-27°c
- Not potential food for my current fish

•MUST be Easily sourced, as I have few aquarium shops near me and they often have very standard/limited stock

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Thank you for all advice and recommendations given!
Is much appreciated! :thanks:

~~~

FW tank
38L / 10 Gal tank
26°-27° (Celsius)

5 Widow Fish
4 Danios (3 Leopard and 1 Golden <- may get 1 more Golden)
2 Zebra Loaches

Might get 2 Khuli Loaches soon

~~~
 
Carpet plants and low light don't mix. To get a plant to truly carpet, you need high light, co2, ferts, etc. Everything has to remain balanced and it's almost a full time job to keep it looking nice. You have to trim some plants back to get them to grow out instead of up. It's honestly not worth the time and effort, unless you have the time and effort to spend towards maintaining the look and appeal it gives off.

For low light plants that I have done well with:

Crypts are the best imo for low tech. They look really nice when they grow bigger and if you trim them and don't plant them super close together, they make a bushy look instead of growing straight up.
Anubias is another no brainer. It naturally has slow growth compared to some of the others but they have really nice look to them when they mature.
Waster Wisteria will grow like crazy and I stopped putting it in my tanks because it grew so fast and I ran out of places to put the trimmings.
I think Saggitaria is another beginner plant.

Low light tanks are easy to care for, less maintenance but slower growth. You don't have to baby your plants, less likely for a major algae outbreak. In high light tanks, if you get a outbreak, it's harder to correct and you have less margin for error.


I threw Ghost shrimp in my tank and forgot about them and had 4 pregnant females when I checked on them a month later. Keep in mind, some (idk if all) snails will reproduce without a partner. I had a monster Mystery Snail in one of my tanks and I'm pretty sure Bob was laying eggs every couple days. I gave about 10 of the babies away and had a clown loach clean the rest up after Bob died.
 
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