Carpet or VERY low growing plants - LFS says NO

[GinnyFinny]

I have a 20-long, which is obviously 12" deep and a Stingray Razor Thin Light 30", therefore basically a medium to low light growing tank. Since the tank is only 3 weeks old the background plants are coming along s-l-o-w-l-y. I've been told that there are no small foreground plants (that he sells) I can have. I found in one of my books a Pygmy Chain Swordplant.

There must be some other slow-growing, low to medium light ground covering plants out there. My substrate is a little laterite below coarse sand.

If I strike out at the LFS's here in the Seattle area, does anyone recommend buying plants online? My only success so far was through Amazon buying 4 Moss balls that are great (and way cheaper than LFS) - however, they are not plants.

Please offer your advice, you who know infinitely more than me

 

[azmodan]

I have a 20-long, which is obviously 12" deep and a Stingray Razor Thin Light 30", therefore basically a medium to low light growing tank. Since the tank is only 3 weeks old the background plants are coming along s-l-o-w-l-y. I've been told that there are no small foreground plants (that he sells) I can have. I found in one of my books a Pygmy Chain Swordplant.

There must be some other slow-growing, low to medium light ground covering plants out there. My substrate is a little laterite below coarse sand.

If I strike out at the LFS's here in the Seattle area, does anyone recommend buying plants online? My only success so far was through Amazon buying 4 Moss balls that are great (and way cheaper than LFS) - however, they are not plants.

Please offer your advice, you who know infinitely more than me

Crypt parva and marsilea minuta would likely work although both are very slow growing. Pygmy chain sword and the similar dwarf sag get large enough that they would likely be more of a mid ground sort of plant in a tank that shallow, although they are both good low tech plants to try. Lilaeopsis Chinensis Maryland could possibly be worth trying but could be a little hit or miss. Ferts and carbon supplementation will play a role in how well these plants grow for you.

There are plenty of great places to buy plants online. Peabody's Paradise, AA's classified section, and ThePlantedTank's (TPT) classifieds are all good sources. I buy almost all of my plants from sellers on TPT.

 

[Mattfinn]

I would reccomend something like crypt parva. In a tank that deep something like dwarf sag wouldn't look like a foreground plant. There are always moss mats too.

 

[GinnyFinny]

Low Light Foreground Plant Search

Thanks you guys for your suggestions. I ended up buying an Anubias Nana & a Crypt Parva. Perfect for the foreground.

When I first started my tank on February 8th, I stuck in a manzanita branch & attached an Anubias midway up to the surface. Healthy!

No more plants for now. If and when one of my background plants dies, I'll be more educated thanks to AA.

p.s. see pic of new plants

 

[Fresh2o]

Starogynes repens should work. Not really fast growth but should be faster than the ones mentioned. And it is not a true carpet but can be trimmed low for that carpet effect. Propogate but trimming and replanting. It grows side shoots for additional "fullness".


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