Probably stupid questions.

[evalmore]

Tomorrow I will try and list out all the plants I think are low light and pretty easy to take care of.

Thank you ! That'd be nice.

 

[Jkeating8]

Some low light plants are Anubias, Java Fern varieties, crypts, bacopa (to a certain extent), Java Moss, and amazon swords. There are others, but I find these to be the easiest. Crypts will need root tabs, also.

 

[evalmore]

Some low light plants are Anubias, Java Fern varieties, crypts, bacopa (to a certain extent), Java Moss, and amazon swords. There are others, but I find these to be the easiest. Crypts will need root tabs, also.

I think I'm definitely getting some Java moss. Maybe some Anubias as well. Do I need more than that?

 

[FishCr8zy]

Amazon swords DO need root tabs, and I find floramax to be a great investment. It doesn't contain many nutrients as is, but with it having a high CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) it enables fish waste to be absorbed from the water column and turned into food for the plants. Especially since its only 9$ at Petco/Petsmart. I use it in my high tech tanks and I love it. If I were you, I would also get Flourish Excel for a source of carbon, but it is notorious for melting Elodea/Anacharis. Along with excel, to start with a low tech tank, you should get Flourish Comprehensive and API Leaf Zone. Flourish is a micro nutrient supplement, and Leaf Zone contains Potassium and Iron.

I use leaf zone as well. It works great on my plants. From the amazon swords I've had, they didn't need root tabs and only needed liquid ferts. My lfs sell the flora max at a much more expensive amount. And anyways, I'll need a lot of it for a 1" layer in a 55 gal. I got 50 lb of sand for less than $9. Everyone has their opinions on that kind of substrate and I'm one of the people who don't think it's worth it. .

 

[FishCr8zy]

I think I'm definitely getting some Java moss. Maybe some Anubias as well. Do I need more than that?

More than that for your tank? You don't NEED it but I would put more to make the tank look more natural. Anubias are great plants and so is java moss.

 

[FishCr8zy]

Some low light plants are Anubias, Java Fern varieties, crypts, bacopa (to a certain extent), Java Moss, and amazon swords. There are others, but I find these to be the easiest. Crypts will need root tabs, also.

I don't think most crypts need root tabs either. But some will need them. I'm pretty sure crypt wendetti doesn't need it and along with a few others.

 

[evalmore]

More than that for your tank? You don't NEED it but I would put more to make the tank look more natural. Anubias are great plants.

I can see what you're saying . I'll look into maybe one more type of plant as well. I just don't want my tank to be overrun with vegetation. Although I guess I can't exactly judge how much is too much since this'll be my first tank.

 

[George9]

I don't think most crypts need root tabs either. But some will need them. I'm pretty sure crypt wendetti doesn't need it and along with a few others.

I've always found with mine they did better when I slipped one by them.

 

[FishCr8zy]

Ah, yes! I forgot. With the coralife, I had to change out the actinic (blue) bulb for a pink one, or a 10 k or 6k

Yeah. And most coralifes are more expensive than the aquaticlifes so I'll prob go with aquaticlife.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Jkeating8]

I don't doubt that swords can do ok without them, but they truly won't be thriving without them. After adding rootabs to swords in my tank (it was low tech at the time), the swords were throwing out 3-4 new leaves a week. Before that I was dosing its leaf zone and flourish alone.

 

[FishCr8zy]

I've always found with mine they did better when I slipped one by them.

All plants will do better with root tabs but I'm just saying they don't actually need them to survive. Ferts ( liquid or tabs ) are always helpful but not always necessary.

 

[Jkeating8]

Same goes with crypts. Swords and Crypts absorb almost All of their nutrients from the substrate, unlike stem plants which absorb their nutrients from the water column.

 

[FishCr8zy]

I don't doubt that swords can do ok without them, but they truly won't be thriving without them. After adding rootabs to swords in my tank (it was low tech at the time), the swords were throwing out 3-4 new leaves a week. Before that I was dosing its leaf zone and flourish alone.

Huh. I dunno. Mine did fine with just leaf zone and some flourish. Maybe I had more fish which meant there was more natural ferts or something?

 

[Jkeating8]

All plants will do better with root tabs but I'm just saying they don't actually need them to survive. Ferts ( liquid or tabs ) are always helpful but not always necessary.

I agree that they can survive without them.

 

[FishCr8zy]

Same goes with crypts. Swords and Crypts absorb almost All of their nutrients from the substrate, unlike stem plants which absorb their nutrients from the water column.

That's true. Maybe my mts had lots of waste down in the substrate.

 

[Jkeating8]

Sorry to hijack evalmore! (;

 

[FishCr8zy]

Sorry to hijack evalmore! (;

Same here. I'll try to stay on topic more.

 

[George9]

I agree that they can survive without them.

Yes all plants can "survive"without them, but merely surviving what most aquarists go for, I'd always do root tabs along with a liquid fertilizer or dry ferts to get my plants growing like weeds

I totally forgot, I'm totally derailing this thread, I'm sorry too!

 

[evalmore]

Sorry to hijack evalmore! (;

Quite alright! Lol you guys are actually helping me with plant advice too, so continue ! Just one more question for whoever wants to answer, how many fertilizers and things of that nature do I absolutely need? Some people tell me that plants do best on their own growing naturally and then some say I need lots of different ferts and things. Help? Lol.

 

[George9]

Quite alright! Lol you guys are actually helping me with plant advice too, so continue ! Just one more question for whoever wants to answer, how many fertilizers and things of that nature do I absolutely need? Some people tell me that plants do best on their own growing naturally and then some say I need lots of different ferts and things. Help? Lol.

It depends on the types of plants you get, but I used root tabs under all my plants along with flourish and they grew like weeds!

You don't need too much at all.