Plants for dirted nano

[Fishinfreak]

So I'm going to completely redo my 6.6 long (24"x7"x9"h). It will be dirt/sand, and have lots of shrimp and a few shrimp safe fish that are very small (CPDs and Gertrude's rainbows). With an 15watt/18000k zoomed Aquaglo bulb, what plants can i get without co2. Also I realize that maybe i should get a 6500k bulb since there is no co2. Should I get a lower bulb? For plants I'm basically looking for any plants that stay fairly small. So far i am thinking dwarf sags, crypts, java moss (and maybe other mosses) and maybe Anubias. Thanks so much!

Edit: also include guppy/Naja grass, water sprite, and a type of floater (frogbit?, dwarf water lettuce?)(open to suggestions, maybe something a little different than usual)

 

[Old Scales]

Yeah, get the 6500K bulb. 18,000K is too blue for plants. Look at dwarf hairgrass as shrimp love it. OS.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Ok, I know dhg is a good carpet plant, and I will probably use it. Would the dwarf sags even work as a carpet very well? Or more as just a patch in a fitting place.

 

[Old Scales]

Hmm. Dwarf Sag works better as an accent patch, IMO. Most carpet plants need high light because of them being way down on the substrate. You may have to add more light also. Then with more light comes the need for more ferts and carbon. Seems it's always something. LOL. OS.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Ok, I think I'm starting to get a picture of what I can do, so thanks for the help

 

[Fishinfreak]

Ideas for background plants? They only have to get about 8" for this tank. The water sprite should work, but I will need others. I also don't want anarchis. Vals maybe?

 

[Old Scales]

Water wisteria, Ambulia, Cabomba, Limnophilia hippodorus, some of the more common ones. Only way to keep most stem plants low is by trimming. OS.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Ok, thanks

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[Rivercats]

Small plants that work and look great in nano tanks are Rotala Butterfly, Rotala Sunset, Threadleaf Ludwigia, Anubia Nana Petite, UG, and many others. I personally wouldn't use water sprite as it will grow much too fast and get too large of a spread and will block light that the lower plants will need. When choosing plants try to stay away from plants with large leaves or large spreads. Reseach the different type of Rotala's and Ludwigia's as there are many types in this family that have small leaves that are more in scale to the size of the tank. If you want to use a moss try to choose something like Fissidens Fontanus, Phoenix moss, that has small delicate frond type leaves.

 

[Fishinfreak]

Thanks rivercats! I will look into those.