Good Plants for Low Tech 20gal long

BioHazard

BioHazard

Here and There
Mar 15, 2009
2,414
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PA
I'm going to be setting up my 20 gal long this summer, and I'm deciding on good plants to add. I will not be adding CO2, but I will be adding liqued ferts and the substrate will be SeaChem laterite black sand. I don't have lighting yet, but I hope to have 1-2.5 wpg.
The plants I have in mind are...
Flame moss
Melon Sword
Dwarf Hairgrass
Hornwort(Myrio)
Spiral Val
Java Fern
Anacharis (Elodea)
Crypt wendtii
Anubias nana
Anubias coffeefolia

Are these all good, hardy beginner plants for low tech tanks? Do you have any other suggestions?
Also, how many plants should I have in the tank?
 
1-2.5w/g - pretty large range. At the low end, no ferts are needed.

Melon Sword<---gets huge, will shade out other plants
Dwarf Hairgrass<---*might* grow at 2.5wpg, probably needs more light to do well
rest of choices would probably work.

Also, how many plants should I have in the tank? - probably just 3-5 species, assuming it's a 20L. In low light tanks, less is more.
 
I highly recommend anubias, crypts, and mosses. They grow so very well without a ton of fussing. Granted, there are lots of moss species, so some might be more demanding. However, I've had great success with Java moss, and I just got flame moss. Anubias in particular can take just about anything and keep on living, and there are lots of sizes to choose from (www.bayleesfishees.com is a great source for anubias, and they often have awesome auction deals).
 
Is there another grassy looking, short plant that would be easier than Dwarf hairgrass?
 
Just wondering, why do you have "myrio" in parentheses after hornwort? Hornwort is ceratophyllum, myriophyllums are usually foxtails unless I'm mistaken (very good possibility of that).
 
Look for "Tropica" sword, they stay smaller, crypts, dwarf sag, java fern "Windelov" (lace java), anubias & probably most mosses will also work.. I think mgamer & maybe others had some tropica etc in the classified ads.
 
paperdragon said:
Just wondering, why do you have "myrio" in parentheses after hornwort? Hornwort is ceratophyllum, myriophyllums are usually foxtails unless I'm mistaken (very good possibility of that).
Click to expand...
Mmm, you're probably right. I still get a lot of this confused. Obviously I'm not a botany major! :D Well, which of the long, fluffy type plants would be easiest? I think Ive seen at least three kinds.
 
biomajorstudent said:
Mmm, you're probably right. I still get a lot of this confused. Obviously I'm not a botany major! :D Well, which of the long, fluffy type plants would be easiest? I think Ive seen at least three kinds.
Click to expand...

Well, the larger variety of hornwort, ceratophyllum demersum, is extremely easy. But it kind of grows like a weed and it has to be tied down to something to get it anchored in the substrate.
My red foxtail, myriophyllum heterophyllum, grew pretty well under similar lighting to yours even though it's supposed to be a high light plant. The only trouble I had was the root system was very extensive and kind of tangled up my other plants.
Cabomba carolina might work in your lighting, but I'm not sure. Never tried that one before. Maybe someone else can think of some other options.
 
How about this?
1 Anubias coffeefolia, 2 Anubias nana petites, 2 golfballs Christmas Tree Moss, 2 Corkscrew Vallisnerias, 1 Cryptocoryne undulata, 1 Cryptocoryne wendtii, 1 Foxtail (Myrio), 2 Java Ferns and 1 Tropica Sword.
 
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