Easy plants for a newbie

[ndw]

I have a small 10 gallon tank. I only have a layer of gravel substrate. I am thinking about starting to add live plants instead of my silk ones. Can anyone give me advice on easy plants to use in gravel also easy to keep plants as it's a small tank.

 

[Hobbiest]

Java ferns are the easiest and all they need for fertilizer is leaf zone. Water sprite is another easy one, but my experience with it shows it doesn't take to liquid ferts well, I have it in my twenty gallon that I don't add ferts to and it is lush and full looking.

 

[ndw]

And have fern just sits in my gravel ? Will I need to upgrade my lighting or is it an adaptable plant as my tank is more cube like and the light is more in the middle of the tank

 

[Pseudomugil]

Anubis nana and hornwort are also good plants. They're very lowlight.

 

[ndw]

Would I need to put another substrate under my gravel for those ?

 

[Fresh2o]

Would I need to put another substrate under my gravel for those ?

No. None of the plants mentioned thus far need substrate. The Java Fern is better off tied to a rock or driftwood than planted in the substrate.


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[ndw]

I like the look of water sprite. Does that just plant straight into gravel then? And would I need a liquid fertiliser

 

[Hobbiest]

I have water sprite planted straight into gravel in my smaller twenty gal tank and as I mentioned earlier in previous post it has been my experience that it does not take well to liquid ferts. Just let it grow and do 50 pc wc weekly and it will be fine. Mine are getting huge and look great but the minute I put leaf zone in tank the entire plant will turn brown.