plant suggestions

[deeleywoman]

i'm looking like i'm going to need some sort of floating plant to keep the fish i've decided on stocking happy... i have a tall 16-gal bowfront, so not a whole lot of surface space. i don't want to cover the whole surface with plants, just about a third to half of it. i'm also trying to keep my tank focused on south/south east asia. any ideas?

planned stock:
harlequin rasboras
white cloud mountain minnows
red flame dwarf gourami
kuhli loaches
amano/ghost shrimp

existing plants:
corkscrew val
marimo
kyoto grass (which, despite supposedly not being aquatic, is still alive, somehow....)
and fake ambulia, fake bamboo, and fake red ludwigia (i know; not asian... it came with the ambulia and my tank looked empty and colorless without it >.>)

[Nolapete]

I'd be concerned about the dwarf gourami with the shrimp. You may not have any trouble, but it would suck for the gourami to think they are appetizers.

I had some indian fern a while back and the tiny plantlets did well floating.

[leeser28]

I know you're asking about plants, and please forgive me for not answering that question, but I don't think Kuhli's will work. You need at least 3 and they get to be 3-4 inches long, so a 16 gal tall really isn't large enough.

As for floaters - duckweed?

[Nolapete]

While you should have more than one kuhli loach, they are fine in a 16 gallon tank. They are narrow-bodied and not the same thing at 4" as another type of fish, like a cichlid, would be.

[tanker]

Water Sprite.

[mr.key]

riccia

[rocker92]

hornwort

[Kashta]

Water wisteria makes a beautiful floating plant when it's not planted. Anacharis, if permitted where you live.. also nice. Duckweed would be okay as long as it's the Giant Duckweed, not Common. That will require scooping it out on a fairly regular basis, though... which is easy enough to do. Amazon Frogbit looks nicer and is easier to keep under control. Water Lettuce is even prettier, but would be too large for this tank. While Hornwort works well as a floater, it would be better to plant a clump of that growing from the substrate and using another plant as the floater. Having an extra nutrient hog is always good.

[deeleywoman]

ooooh, i like the look of the frogbit and giant duckweed... which is funny, since i wasn't too impressed with the look of normal duckweed...

[Kashta]

The smaller Common Duckweed is a real pain. The only reason I'm keeping that with the others is the small size makes it easier for my goldfish to eat it. So it serves as a supplementary food crop for them.

[deeleywoman]

i'll agree, about it being plain... i wonder how hard it would be to find either of these, seeing as most states have prohibited it... (mine hasn't, but i imagine that would make finding it and getting it shipped to me... fun...)

[Kashta]

A lot of us have it. I could send you some.. there's always plenty of that growing.

[deeleywoman]

i swear, i don't think i'll ever have to set foot in a pet store ever again, now that i've found this place lol

(well, i would have to, or the furry ones might revolt... >.>)

[jmhart]

While you should have more than one kuhli loach, they are fine in a 16 gallon tank. They are narrow-bodied and not the same thing at 4" as another type of fish, like a cichlid, would be.


Agreed


And as far as plants: Riccia or Water Lettuce

[deeleywoman]

definitely don't think riccia will work, as my hood and light are only about two inches or so above the surface.... i really like the look of the frogbit; i'm trying to glean every bit of research i can on it before i decide. just wish it was from the right region. =( oh, well; i'll live.

[leeser28]

I had some frogbit and really liked it. (I killed most of it by leaving it in a tank that I was cycling with ammonia -- serious malting, but I have a few bits left that are growing).

[deeleywoman]

lol then, in that case, maybe i'll hold off until my cycle's just about done! :grinyes:

[leeser28]

lol then, in that case, maybe i'll hold off until my cycle's just about done! :grinyes:

Good Idea :)

If you've decided on this contact BK828 (a member on this site) that's who I got mine from and it was really lovely (until I ruined it). He also has red root floater, I don't know how Asian it is, but it's stunning. Here are a couple of pics of some that I got from him. The shot that's from the top also has some frog bit - it has the smoother waxier looking leaf.

[deeleywoman]

O.o man, those are some long roots....

[petluvr]

I throw away handfuls of water lettuce almost weekly and am in Va. if you decide you want some let me know and I will send it to you for shipping.

[deeleywoman]

i appreciate that, petluvr, but i'm pretty sure water lettuce would make quick work of my limited surface area lol.... i'm sure i'll have enough work to do with the frogbit as it is...

(btw, i've been meaning to tell you this: i love your sig. i've also been meaning to ask exactly where "podunk" is, cuz i know it ain't on the map lol)

[petluvr]

"Podunk" is in the foothills of NoVa it's actually called Luray (you may have heard of the famous cave system we have under the entire county). I am about a half hour North of James Madison University, in the hills my little town just got it's third traffic light...LOL.

[deeleywoman]

:o

i've been there! ^_^

[petluvr]

^^Guess you know why I call it "Podunk" :)

[angelfishlover]

Water Wisteri,Red Leaved Hygro Amazon plants as they tolerate low lights without CO2 being injected.But i supplied ferts for em.

[deeleywoman]

yeah, i'd like to avoid things like CO2... at least for now, i need as low-maintenance as possible lol