Plant Advice Needed

[BettaGal]

My grandma and I have been talking about my tank, and since it's brand new and uncycled, we both agree that a plant would be a good idea to help stabilize things and use up some of the nutrients that I would have to take out with multiple water changes. I have never had a live plant. Later on, after I do some things for studying that I need to do, I plan to go and look into a live plant. I have a 10 with three albino corys, one flame dwarf gourami, and one olive nerite snail. Are there any suggestions for a plant that wouldn't be too overly difficult to care for and is attractive? Moss, to me, isn't really attractive. Like a plant plant. And if anyone has any pointers for caring for an aquarium plant with these fish in the tank, that would be most appreciated.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

First off maybe one of the moderators could move your thread to the planted tanks forum. You would get better responses there. Secondly, i myself would look into anubias plants or java ferns. They're both extremely easy to grow in low to medium light setups. Just be sure that when planting them to avoid burying their rhizomes which need to be kept on top of the substrate.

 

[Athaocity]

I think anubias nana looks good too. easy to keep and maintain.

 

[BettaGal]

Lol. I didn't even see the planted tank section of the forums. Shows how stressful this past week and a half has been, doesn't it? I'll start a thread there, too. I would definitely go to Petco for my plants, since Walmart doesn't have any other than the bulbs to start them in a dried out, plastic, glued-on-paper package thing. Do anubias or java ferns require any special treatment or care, or do you pretty much stick them and leave them?

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I agree and also an added benefit with either of these plants is you can pretty much put them anywhere. They will attach and grow on any decor or substrate.

 

[BettaGal]

Plant Advice

I have a 10 with three corys, one flame dwarf gourami, and one olive nerite snail. My grandma and I have been discussing how to take care of the tank while I'm on breaks, and have decided on a couple of things. We both agree that I need to get a plant to help with the cycle. It's a brand new tank, just bought and completely set up Sunday evening, and so is uncycled. I have a fake plant in it, but that doesn't really help take up nutrients let out by fish that cause some of the problems. My test kit is at home, and I will be returning in about two weeks, so I'm not gonna go out and buy another one right now. I'm at college and am under a lot of stress lately with everything. I need some advice on what plant to get and how to care for it. I would like a plant that's attractive and not overly demanding in terms of caring for it. A little extra TLC is fine, but constant watching and tending to are pretty much out of the picture for now. Moss, to me, really isn't all that attractive, and it freaks me out when I touch it (don't ask, I'm weird, and there's witnesses to my last freak-out when I was swimming in a lake and had moss touch my toe). Any suggestions or advice?

 

[BettaGal]

Do you just plant them and leave them, or do they require a little TLC? I'm fine with a little bit, being in a stressful college predicament, it could give me a break from endless hours of studying and political ads everywhere I look. I don't really have time for constant caring and tending to a plant in my tank. During summer break, I have the time, but during fall and spring semesters when I'm under pressure from everywhere, I don't. Are these minimal TLC plants?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Moved the thread into the planted section and then merged them. For what its worth, it makes life much easier for everybody if we don't have multiple threads on the same topic going at the same time.

Also, if you notice a thread that needs to be moved, hitting the little red outlined exclaimation mark in the left hand corner of the post and reporting that the thread needs moved actually draws the mods attention whereas simply posting to that effect in the thread doesn't not. It helps us a lot more if you let us know. Thanks all.

 

[BettaGal]

Oh! Learn something new every day. I'll pay more attention next time. At least I'll try to.

 

[BettaGal]

Do anubias and java ferns require much TLC, or do you just about plant them and leave them? Is there anything special I should get when I go buy a plant? Are those about the only plants there are to choose from with my requirements?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

For both java fern and anubias you can just use some cotton thread or fishing line to tie them loosely to either rocks or driftwood. They are very easy plants to keep. You can add some liquid ferts (like Seachem comprehensive) to the water once a week to help them stay healthy.

 

[BettaGal]

I currently do not own any rocks or driftwood. I have a skull cave, a moonrock glowing cave, and a plant. Are they expensive to get? Is there any other options that work with sand substrate that wouldn't be too difficult to keep?

 

[Wy Renegade]

I currently do not own any rocks or driftwood. I have a skull cave, a moonrock glowing cave, and a plant. Are they expensive to get? Is there any other options that work with sand substrate that wouldn't be too difficult to keep?

I would think you could go ahead and place them on your caves, assuming that you want them covered in plants at some point. If not gather some rocks, clean them thoroughly, give them the viniger test, and if they pass you can place them in the aquarium

 

[BettaGal]

The vinegar test?

 

[Athaocity]

thats where you drop a few droplets of vinegar onto, the rocks to see if they start to fizz/bubble/acid up. if they do, they are not aquarium safe. if nothing happens when you pour vinegar on it, then it should be safe.

 

[BettaGal]

Ah. Okay. Not too difficult. I'll see what I can conjure up. I might have to buy a rock, since the ones at the river that runs through campus are near a highly polluted river. Don't exactly trust them.

 

[BettaGal]

So, went to Petco, and got curly bamboo. It's planted, and the woman helping me had just fed the plants that day, and said I could come back next Wednesday to get the plant food that's cheaper. They were out of stock of it. I'm debating getting another snail if they get some of the pretty ones in. They sell tiger nerites and zebra nerites there.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Bamboo will only live if the top is exposed to air. Just position it so part of the plant is above the water and it should be fine.