theme tank: Asian plants

[Lauren]

yeah... I'm getting into this whole theme tank thing. :) buying Asian fish, so I decided to get the plants to match. What are freshwater plants that will add an Asian flare to my tank? I have a 20g. When I say Asian flare, I simply mean plants from the Asian region.

Thanks,

Lauren

[Lauren]

oh, and the tank is low light :cool:

[Leopardess]

I've got a book called Aquarium Designs - Inspired by Nature. And it has the following.

For an asian mangrove type of feel: (naturally for brackish water though)

Hygrophila corymbosa - leaf shape similar to the mangrove
Anubias, Microsorium, Vallisneria, and Egeria - not truly rep. of the mangrove, but help achieve "the look"

It also suggests using lots of branchy wood/brushwood (obviously, if its a mangrove theme) as well as smooth, flat slate and silver sand (which is almost identical to that found in the mangroves.

I liek this one MUCH better:
Southeast Asian Swamp Aquarium
The plants are important in this one. "A number of bushly plants, some with a messy appearance, represent the randowm nature of the swamp's vegetative growth. It suggests:
Heteranthera zosterifolia (stargrass) - s. american species, "but is often used to represent typical swamp vegetation".
Myriophyllum sp.
Ludwigia repens
Cabomba
And pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) Or other floating plants

It suggests taking bamboo stalks, cutting them to the desired length, then coating them in polyurethane varnish (I imagine thats safe to use, if its in a fish book?) Then you place them verticaly here and there throughout the tank. It suggests siliconing rocks to the base to wieght it down since they're buoyant. It also suggests using dark pieces of wood placed vertically to emulate tree stumps. there are also some large pieces of slate in the picture they give...its very pretty.
And lots of Hydrocotyle.

The fish they list for this specific tank are: gouramis of all sorts, catfish, barbs, loaches , and rasboras (it suggests harlequins, slender rasboras (hengeli) and pygmy rasboras (hard to find - maculata - I believe it is the smallest tropical fish...or one of at least). Also bettas - but females, not males, rather obviously.

It also has Southeast Asian Stream
Plants:
Crypts - a mix of all, including wendtiis, balansae
Aponogentons - boivinianus, madagascariensis, crispus
java fern


Fish suggested: cherry barbs, false SAE/true SAE, five banded-barb (P. pentazona), Harlequins and scissortails, red tailed black sharks, ruby sharks, horse faced loach.

Their tank uses very large bambo pieces, much like the other tank. It uses many small pebbles and gravels to create the appearance of a streambed. It also contains "jati" driftwood.


Dont know if that helped some. I appologize in advance for how crappily I just put that post together lol...kind of in a hurry. I have suggestions for a lot of different regions too:) cool book.


PS. A really cool thing...go to tropica.com (page has moved I think it will direct you) go to advanced search...then click asia and low light...it comes up with a list

[Lauren]

WOW! thanks a bunch! Sounds like a great book, that bamboo idea is great, that would be so inexpensive and work great to theme the tank.

Fish store got in their shipment of plants today; unfortunately I can't swing by until tomorrow, but now I have an idea of what to look for.

I'll be checking out tropica.com as well. I can't thank you enough; you were a lot of help.

[Slappy*McFish]

Great post, Leopardess!
Lauren, here is a link that I'm sure you'll find interesting and helpful, as well.
http://www.mongabay.com/fish/biotope.htm

[carpguy]

A lot of the plants mentioned in that book aren't Asian. And a lot of them aren't low light.

Java fern, java moss, most crypts are all good bets.

Hygro difformis or rotala indica may be ok with low light…

Depends on how strict you want to be with the regional thing…

How low is low?

[Leopardess]

Yes, I know. I believe it, and I, mentioned that they were not true asian (some of them anyway) but that they were often used to replicate the region.

Also, she posted that second post while I was typing the other. sorry.

And, I linked to the tropica site which would give a true list;)

[Lauren]

low is well, stock. Honestly, I don't know the wattage of my lighting system, its the bulb that came with the head unit to the tank.

I'll probably end up going and buying that book. I went to that link Slappy posted, which had some nice information, including what light I would need. Lucky for me, these seem to be pretty low light environments (can't do high-light).

[Leopardess]

Well..that is probably less than 1wpg...very limiting.

As far as the book, it really wasn't worth the 30$...you can find much better:) Or borrow it form the library:)