Bulletproof non-invasive no C02 Background plant!!!

[MeCasa]

My grand-kids talked me into pulling out my old 150 and setting it up. We were having all kinds of fun (and spending all kinds of money) setting up and decorating the tank and then I came up with the brilliant idea of live plants.

I'm no quitter and I'm very good with plants



Hehe, that's snow on the Texas Coast

But learning aquarium plants has been a frustrating and costly lesson. I'm not backing out (yet) but my grand-kids want fish, they are frustrated with the time spent studying, purchasing and getting plants and I'm still a long way from ready.

I'm getting uninvolved, no more looking at C02, no more gijillion watt light system. I want some background plants for my tank that are bulletproof.

My tank is 24" from substrate to top of tank, my ph is 8.2, I have a 2" organic potting soil substrate with 2" of quartz sand on top, I'll have adjustable PAR out the yang but I'm drawing the line at the C02. This is primarily a fish tank.

I want some 24" +/- tall background plants that are non-invasive, easy to grow, that I can trim with weedwhacker and that I can buy in bulk and inexpensively from someplace like aquariumplants. $100 more and that's it!!! Oh ya, it can't take over my tank.

NO MORE $20 ITSY BITSY STEMS OR $25 1/1/4" TALL TROPICA PLANTS!!!

I'll keep the ones I bought alive but I'm not waiting a year for them to grow.

The kids want fish and so do I so I want plants that I can buy and plant.

It's either bulk bulletproof live or as much as I hate it I'll buy silk/plastic

Any suggestions

MeCasa

 

[fireman731]

Amazon swords. Java ferns.

 

[Mebbid]

What are you using to fertilize the tank and are you using liquid carbon as a supplement?

All the adjustable par in the world isn't going to help plants any if you aren't giving it nutrients and a carbon source.

offhandedly, I would agree that an amazon sword is a good choice. Another good choice for a fast growing plant is a temple leaf hygro.

Some others:
Cabomba
Ludwigia repens
Vesuvius


There's plenty more but those are all fairly easy to care for plants.

Following that, if you're paying more than $2.00 for a small stem you're searching in the wrong spot. Also, if it takes you a year to grow a plant from a small stem then you have some kinks to work out of your tank.

 

[emilygupps]

You really can get some nice silk plants and slowly work on planting the rest of the tank in the mean time. We started out will silk and a betta moss ball and got a plant or two a week until we are satisfied. Not yet done.

Why are you against co2? It was pretty pricy but we got a small canister for $55 and tried it out. The growth in just one month was awesome.

 

[MeCasa]

I'm already burning my candle at both end and the middle.

When a hobby becomes work it is no longer a hobby.

I already own a lot of silk, I wanted live plants but I made the mistake into overreaching and buying difficult plants, I'm simply downgrading to easier plants because I want to install them before I fill the tank, a 28" deep tank is difficult to work in when it's full.

And the poor kids have grown impatient as well they should have.

 

[MeCasa]

What are you using to fertilize the tank and are you using liquid carbon as a supplement?

All the adjustable par in the world isn't going to help plants any if you aren't giving it nutrients and a carbon source.

offhandedly, I would agree that an amazon sword is a good choice. Another good choice for a fast growing plant is a temple leaf hygro.

Some others:
Cabomba
Ludwigia repens
Vesuvius


There's plenty more but those are all fairly easy to care for plants.

Following that, if you're paying more than $2.00 for a small stem you're searching in the wrong spot. Also, if it takes you a year to grow a plant from a small stem then you have some kinks to work out of your tank.

When is the last time you bought 1 stem? You buy 5 or 6 @ $2 and then you pay $7.50 shipping, you're correct, that is not $20, it's $19.50

Take that scrawny little stem and plant it, how long before it roots? how long before it gets 24" tall. How long before it thickens up and fills a large area. My tank is 72" long, at that size, how long before you fill large areas with rare difficult plants?

Thanks for the suggestions, I think a couple of them will pan out

 

[Old Scales]

Try Limnophilia sassiliflora. Easy to grow, grows really fast and can get pretty tall. Makes lots of side stems you can keep replanting and makes good cover for fish. Common name is giant ambulia. OS.

 

[MeCasa]

Amazon swords. Java ferns.

Thank you sir, the swords are in

 

[MeCasa]

Try Limnophilia sassiliflora. Easy to grow, grows really fast and can get pretty tall. Makes lots of side stems you can keep replanting and makes good cover for fish. Common name is giant ambulia. OS.

I read up on this a bit just now and EVERYBODY said big and fast One lady said she wass afraid to go to bed because it might take over her tank when she was sleeping

I like the look, looks a lot like Pogo Erectus, the kids will like the pink version

Thanks

 

[fireman731]

I just planted my first tank as well. No special light. No co2. I bought the seachem flourish tabs and pushed them into my substrate. That's it. The sword grow tall so they're good in the back. The fern can get really thick so I put it to the front middle side kinda to fill a corner. They're hardy plants. They will grow slow in low light, so I take them and pluck them in my 5 gal beta tank and they grow faster cause it's not as deep and they're closer to the light. The roots grew really fast, the swords can be planted in the gravel but the java fern needs to be tied to a rock with the roots exposed and not buried. I used fishing line. None of the fish bother the plants my plecos don't even eat them. Yet. Neither so my snails. I also dropped a few moss balls in for another easy "plant"

 

[Old Scales]

LOL Well, you said you didn't want any wimpy plants. Os.

 

[azmodan]

Most bacopas would probably work, and I've always found hygrophila augustifolia a great lowtech grower provided your ferts and carbon source are solid. As already mentioned java fern is as bulletproof as they come and looks incredible in large groups.

 

[jetajockey]

Good no fuss space fillers - dwarf lilies and tiger lotus. And as mentioned, swords are always good. Amazons can get massive with enough ferts. For stuff that's going to fill in relatively quickly, try hygrophila, whether it's one of the big hygro corymbosa variants, wisteria, or one of the polysperma-esque variants, they all grow like crazy when they are happy.

 

[MeCasa]

I have to admit I was fairly frustrated when I made this post but everybody was a big help and I feel pretty good about my list so far. I've tried to stick to rooted plants which means I had to pass on some great plants like the Java Fern. I would rather fertilize with tabs and substrate injections as I've always hated messing with my water chemistry if I don't have to. I also wanted a Lotus pretty bad but I'm short background plants and the center is already used.

Hard to read but here's my list. No little stems here, this is a serious batch of seriously rooted plants for $70. I feel better. Thank you very much!!!

 

[Jev12]

Java ferns actually shouldn't require you to add anything to the water to help them grow they will grow in pretty much any condition you would be surprised...however that looks like a good list of plants it will be a pretty nice tank

 

[Mebbid]

I have to admit I was fairly frustrated when I made this post but everybody was a big help and I feel pretty good about my list so far. I've tried to stick to rooted plants which means I had to pass on some great plants like the Java Fern. I would rather fertilize with tabs and substrate injections as I've always hated messing with my water chemistry if I don't have to. I also wanted a Lotus pretty bad but I'm short background plants and the center is already used.

Hard to read but here's my list. No little stems here, this is a serious batch of seriously rooted plants for $70. I feel better. Thank you very much!!!

That looks like an awesome list! Be careful with the hippuroides, I tried buying some and it doesn't ship well at all.

I also hate to break it to you, but a lot of those are water column feeders. The hygro, ludwigia, pogostemon, limnophila, ammania, and the bacopa are all fairly big water column feeders. You may not like the idea of fertilizing your tanks but it's really not difficult or dangerous to your plants or fish at all.

Take a look at Green Leaf Aquariums for either the EI or PPS Pro Packs. Some excel would be a good addition as well.

 

[MeCasa]

I always start out saying what I'm not going to do and "I'm not going to add water ferts" is no doubt one of those meaningless lines in the sand. But I won't do it until I have to.

Look at this

170 Gallon All Glass Aquarium

 

[BillD]

I am surprised no one has mentioned Valisneria. Either americana or spiralis, which grow to around 24" and aren't demanding of light or ferts. They will possibly take over the tank eventually, but you just need to pull the extras as needed. Other plants are the various Crptocorynes which don't require a lot of light and don't grow too fast. Anubias is another low light tough low requirement plant. Fore ground plants besides the crypts are assorted chain swords. I have grown thousands of them in plain gravel with no ferts.

 

[Coryluv]

Try Limnophilia sassiliflora. Easy to grow, grows really fast and can get pretty tall. Makes lots of side stems you can keep replanting and makes good cover for fish. Common name is giant ambulia. OS.

FYI that's on the the federal noxious weeds list. If you don't want invasive, stay away from it. It is totally banned in my state, but ymmv.

I like bacopa australis. Tall and vigorous in low light, low tech.

 

[Old Scales]

In my area and surrounding states it is not banned and is sold and shipped commercially. I guess it depends where you live. OS.