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Here is another annual update of the growth my tank has experienced using the Marineland Double-bright LED fixture. I'm sure there's even better LED technology available now, but as far as I'm concerned, these work fine for growing easy to moderate level plants. This tank contains Amazon...

My melon sword had tall green rounded oval-shaped leaves on long stems when I got it at the store. Looked pretty cool. After a few months, those leaves died off. The new crop of leaves coming was very dark, almost blackish purple, when they came up. Now they are a purplish-rose color and the...

Thanks, I've been pleased with the results so far. Another side note: I think all the plants except the Crypt in this 2013 photo are those infamous Petsmart "Plants in the Tube." I know some folks are sketchy on those, but I think they provide some decent specimens. In my part of the...

Okay folks, I am posting pics almost exactly one year apart of how my tank looks after a year of the Marineland LED "Double-Bright" 48" hood on a 55 gallon tank. Obviously, there are some additional plants visible in the 2013 pic. Left to Right you will see an Anubias congensis variety, the...

My wife got one of those small 5 - 6 gallon desktop tanks as a gift. We set it up at her workplace with just two flame gouramis and a couple of live plants, might add some corys later. The filtration on it is surprisingly decent for a mini-tank: multi-stage with foam, carbon, phospate (I...

This is an interesting thread and something I was just reflecting on last night. We have a small local pet store that is part of a chain in our area. The people who work there know a lot about all kings of animals, not just fish. They are kind of dorky, but they grow on you and recognize...

Thanks for the info. I just commented on your great-looking tank on somebody else's post. I figured anything in the java fern family would be a no-brainer but I guess it is a little more temperamental.

Rivercats, your tank looks fantastic.

Betta, I have also been using Excel lately and my mostly low-light plants are generally thriving in it. I had used CO2 in the past, but sometimes had similar experiences where the system would go haywire and my fish would literally "crash" to the bottom of the tank due to too much CO2. You...

I have what is probably considered a "low light" (Marineland Double-bright LEDs) tank. I have Amazon and Melon sword, Java fern, two kinds of anubias, some hair grass, and an onion plant that are all doing pretty well. Oddly, my Windelov Java is not doing much at all. It is just kind of a...

Scouser, I have had similar result to yours with this plant, though no flowers (yet). I bought a couple Anubias in those clear plastic tubes from our local chain store (Petsmart) here in the U.S. and they have thrived, added many new leaves, etc. They don't grow "tall," but they have...

Aquachem, do you think if I use some Seachem Flourish Phosphorous it will help with that? I can buy some online and start dosing it in a couple of days. I'm always a little leery of getting too crazy with the chemical soup in the tank though. My lights are not particularly bright as I'm using...

Joe, Java Fern is truly the plant that keeps on giving. I had a girlfriend give me a Java for my tank way back in the early `90s, and 15 years later I still had plants in my tank that were descendants of that original fern. Even if you think you've gotten rid of them, you'll find one...

My two anubias are growing well, but I've noticed that some of the leaves are speckled with what I am calling "spot" or "dot" algae...looks like lot of green specks like the plants have chicken pox or freckles? I have a couple of SAE in there who I guess aren't eating this stuff. Is it...

Thanks, glad to hear they will develop more.

Glenn, I'm attaching a recent photo of my 55 gallon with the Marineland Double-brights to give you a feel for what it might look like. My plants are doing well, but these are all low to moderate light plants. I can't say the LEDs are super bright, but the cost of the reef light was...

I just bought what is represented to be "Wisteria" from Petsmart in one of those little clear gel tubes. Out of four plant strands in the tube, 3 appeared viable and one I tossed because the root stock had turned brown and it looked wilty. I've seen pictures of Water Wisteria with long, pointy...

That's a great post! I had a African synodontis catfish that stayed behind a huge piece of driftwood in my cichlid tank at all times. Years went by, and I went to move the tank and I literally had FORGOTTEN that I even owned this fish, but he sure came charging out when I moved that driftwood...

That's too bad. Seems like the best answer here is for the parents to get their own tank- they seem pretty interested in the hobby! I really hope you can turn it into a positive connection with your folks instead of a source of friction. That said, some parents just have to put their two...

I rotate Sally's San Francisco Bay brand frozen brine cubes with flake food for my Rainbows and Congo tetras. They also sell this product called "Emerald Entree" which they represent as being ideal for tetras and rainbowfish because of the high vegetable content. But man, you put that stuff in...

I have had four good-sized Congos in my 55 gallon for about two years now. I think I have three males and only one female. I really haven't noticed any problems with the group. I don't see much aggressive behavior like you describe. Then again, I have a handful of large rainbowfish in...

I love Rainbowfish, but in my part of the US, there are only a few select locations where you can get some of more colorful varieties and they usually cost about $10 - $15 apiece. Usually you have to buy juveniles and raise `em up right to get fantastic specimens like the attached Millennium...

I have seen some folks doing freshwater plant set-ups with what appears to be sand or very fine gravel as the substrate. If you get an algae invasion and it starts covering the sand, how the heck do you clean that? Just scoop off the top layer and toss it out? I am envisioning big ugly...

Those are pretty cool. I like the Wisteria in the back too. I have been considering trying to grow some of that. Looks like it is thriving in the LED set up.

I've got a 55 gallon with just one of those Marineland Double-bright LED set ups. Not sure of what kind of wattage per gallon those equate to, but I'm sure it's considered on the low end. Aqua-chem, good question. I'd love to get a red plant, but I'd be interested in hearing what you've got...