Easy, low tech planting suggestions for sand substrate?

[asukawashere]

Setting aside the fact that the OP didn't specifically mention a biotope for this tank, neither crypts nor vals hail from South America—Crypts are all from Asia, and while there is one species of val (V. americana) whose distribution ranges into northernmost parts of South America, to the best of my knowledge it doesn't occur anywhere in the Amazon—that aside, actual V. americana is fairly rare in the hobby. Most of what we see in the trade are Asian/European/Australian species.

As the OP hinted at, there really aren't any submersed plants growing in the Amazon, for that matter—the light is so diminished by the blackwater that all of the aquatic plants are either floaters or seasonally-inundated emersed species that grow on the floodplains.

On a mossy note, there are Fissidens species that occur in S.A.—not the F. fontanus common to the hobby, but nonetheless very similar plants.

You mentioned an amozonian biotope. If you want to be specific and use plabts and fish from that river system you should probably stay away from java moss. All mosses for that matter. I was doing research and every source i found couldnt identify the origins of any mosses.

All other suggestions are great. Swords( green leave swords), crypts, and vals( though im not sure of the origins of these). I noticed floating plants werent mentioned. I could name a few but i have a thread( called floating plants) that you could look up and use for reference.

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[ktrom13]

Jeez. I need to review what i write before i post.

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[nikirushka]

Indeed, I mentioned doing amazon biotopes usually to illustrate that I've no idea about planted tanks! I've had plants in the past before I went down the biotope route - vallis and water wisteria in the main as the fish I had trashed everything else (lemon fin barbs), so in the end I never bothered learning more about growing/maintaining plants and started doing the plantless biotopes. So now I'd like to try something different

So, thanks very much for all the suggestions guys - I wasn't going to replace the bulb but as the bulb on my other 30g went just the day after I posted, I had to put this one on that tank so I will go get a better one for this tank

 

[20cc]

get a couple swords...uruguansis or martii and some anubais nana or coffeliolia and your 3/4 way there. those plants are simple and easy and look georgeous. throw in some jungle vals and your good to go