All ready to go and buy some plants...

[ambodmai]

Hi everyone

My first post with aquarium advice and my first real venture into fishkeeping. So far I've done well from advice on internet articles on how to get set up but would benefit from some advice on what plants to buy.

I have my brand new Fluval 240 set up in it's first day of the fishless cycle. Heater, 306 canister filter and driftwood all set up and good to go. Just that agonising wait to see my nitrites and nitrates come through over the nextfew weeks now.

I have a 2cm Tetra Complete Substrate topped off with a layer of gravel which is ideal for planting I'm led t4o believe. I have one 'Power-GLO' T8 42" 40W set up on the foreground ballast and a 'Power-GLO' T842" 40W set up on the rear ballast. I have no CO2 equipment and would like to get started without at first with some easy to care for plants.

Being where I live, I'm rather limited on LFS' but despite some research, am none the wiser as to what plants would be ideal to start with. My intention over time is to have a heavy planted tank.

Should I start as I mean to go on or should I get a few only for now?
What are the differences between potted non potted plants (besides the obvious pot of course!)
Any easy to care for foreground and background plant names to recommend?

Any help would be really useful! Thanks in advance. Iwan

 

[Delapool]

Hi, welcome to the forum Do you remember what the lfs carried?

Also are you going to be dosing any liquid carbon at all?

 

[Tropical Aquarist]

Welcome!

Great that you researched that will safe you a LOT of frustration!

There really is no difference between potted and the loose ones, it's just the way they grow them in the greenhouses, and some plants will grow big root systems if not in a pot.

The other difference is cost!

All my tanks have easy plants, here's what I have:

Tall, background plants:
Val's, Amazon Swords(These produce runners)

Mid to tall(depending on how high you let them grow):
Wisteria, rotala, ludwigia and watersprite (These are all "Stem plants" which means they grow and grow and grow! You can cut them on any part of the stem, and replant the cutting)

Mid ground:

Saggitaria (Also produces runners) Anubis (slow growing but EXTREMELY hardy!), Java Ferns, and crypts (My favorite! These will usually loose all there leaves when you get them, but they regrow very fast and are very pretty).

That should give you some ideas!

There are also floating plants, but these grow fast and suck out all the nutrients so the other plants will not grow very fast. They also block out light. I personally do either or, as both together doesn't really work for me. For fry tanks/breeding tanks, or quarantines, floaters are great.

Hornwort, Dwarf Water lettuce, duckweed and Frogbit are the common ones.