BW plants

[Lady G]

Are there any plants that would work in a low lights BW tank?

Thanks Gin

[TKOS]

What level of brackish water (SG?) are you looking at?

[reiverix]

I've not had much luck with plants in BW but I always hear about people that do. I keep my tank at SG 1.005 and the one thing I dislike is the silk plants.

Vals lasted the longest for me and they did not die but they didn't grow either. I think my problem was trying to adjust them too quick (couple of weeks). Lately I've been thinking about giving it another shot with vals, java fern and java moss. Maybe anubias. If I do, I'll be keeping the plants in a separate tank and will slowly acclimatize them by rasing the SG by less than 1.001 per week.

I would lower the SG in my tank (f8 puffer and knight gobies) but really don't know the minimum range for those fish, and the fish do come first in terms of tank health.

If you really want to try something fancy, a suspended light with mangroves growing out is an option. But these need higher light.

[TKOS]

I think that 1.004 SG is generally listed as the highest some the hardiest freshwater plants will do, things liek Java Fern and Water Sprite should make that. Otherwise head out to a brackish location and pick some plants I guess. There unfortunatly isn't much available in the trade, at least that I have seen.

[Lady G]

What level of brackish water (SG?) are you looking at?

I really am not sure yet on this level thing, what I have right now that has to go to a BW is a violet goby, he is the whole reason I am setting up a BW tank, not sure what his tank mates are going to be. I am still learning the level of brackish water stuff so I'm not sure yet about this, will research some more and get back to you on this, unless someone already know what his level should be?

Thanks,

Gin

[Lady G]

Ok I found out the salinity of the water only has to be about 1.005 so are there any plants that could work in this water?

Thanks,
Gin

[reiverix]

It's borderline success at that SG. I tried, I failed. Sometimes I wish I was nearer the coast so I could collect my own brackish plants.

[Lady G]

It's borderline success at that SG. I tried, I failed. Sometimes I wish I was nearer the coast so I could collect my own brackish plants.

Wouldn't that be nice!! So does anyone know of any plant sites (online) that maybe specialize in BW plants?

[reiverix]

I've never heard of a place that sells true brackish plants (except mangrove) probably because the demand for them doesn't make it worthwhile.

[Lady G]

I've never heard of a place that sells true brackish plants (except mangrove) probably because the demand for them doesn't make it worthwhile.
Ok I was just wondering how sad a tank without real plants? Oh well what can ya do!

[Roan Art]

LiveAquaria.com has a new section with marine plants:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=490

I saw a site with brackish plants somewhere. I'll dig it up and post it for you.

Roan

[Roan Art]

AquariumPlants.com

http://www.aquariumplants.com/cgi-bin/cart/scan/fi=products/st=db/co=yes/sf=prod_group/se=AQUARIUM%20PLANTS/op=eq/sf=category/se=Brackish%20Water%20Plants/op=eq/ml=25/tf=description.html?id=8hQG45Mq

PlantGeek.net has a list of brackish adaptable plants:

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=8

There's actually quite a few that will go brackish. Cryptocoryne ciliata is a PNG plant and can be hard to find. Lemme know if you want it and I'll post where I got mine from.


Roan

[TKOS]

Wetwebmedia and the krib also have info. Though the plants they seems to suggest are all freshwater plants that have the ability to survive in low level brackish. I woudl suggest experimenting with cheap plants or cuttings from friends tanks of things like Water Sprite, Java Fern / Moss, Crypts, Hair Grass.

Stay away from Marine plants unless you are high end brackish as these are mainly in the same family as seaweed.

[Roan Art]

. . .Stay away from Marine plants unless you are high end brackish as these are mainly in the same family as seaweed.Right, but the dragon is high end brackish, no? I'm not sure if it was high end or high end at the end or what :)

Gin,
Send me a PM with your address and I'll send you an extra ciliata that I have. I bought too many because everytime I ordered one, I would get an email at shipping time telling me they didn't get them in :rolleyes:

Roan

[RTR]

I have very poor results with FW plants beyond 1.003, which to me is barely brackish. Some have "held" (read as: have not died) at 1.005, such as Val when adapted very slowly (>2 months), but growth effectively was arrested. Considering what the same plants do in my other tanks, it was an embarrassment.

[Roan Art]

RTR,

Did you try the plants on the PlantGeek list? Or just vals and stuff?

Gin --

I also have a few more plants on that list that I'm not going to use. I'll send those too.

Roan

[RTR]

A couple of Crypts, V. spiralis and americana, E. bleheri (sp?) swords, Anubias B. nana, Java Fern, Java Moss, Crinum thaianum, and likely a few more that I don't remember trying off the top of my head.

[Roan Art]

Thanks, RTR.

Well, doesn't hurt to try and they are extra plants that I don't have space for, so it's no big deal :)

Roan

[Lady G]

Plus if they start to look like they are not going to make it I can just rinse them good and throw them in the 55!

Thanks Roan!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lady G]

Plus if they start to look like they are not going to make it I can just rinse them good and throw them in the 55!

Thanks Roan!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I never did answer your salinity question a few post's back, from what I have read they are low end brackish 1.005, so maybe I will have more luck with them. Guess I'm going to have to pick up another bag of eco-complete or something for that tank, that one web site wetwebmedia had alot of suggestions! Have to check out the other sites now!

[Roan Art]

You're welcome :)

The onions look good right now, dunno how the crypt will be. Have to see about those ones :)

They've been bleach dipped and dechlorinated and are floating in my 75g right now.

Roan

[Lady G]

BTW, I was wondering did you pay alot for that rock on your avatar? I was looking into getting one for my 55!

Gin