are plants hard to keep?

[Fishfiles1]

ok i have the typical fishtank lide only room for one light here is a picture

 

[rich311k]

For the 20. Get a glass lid. Should not cost much and a double strip light and you will be able to grow many low light plants quite nicely.

 

[bellazeus]

I try and try and I cant grow the simplest of plants. I have 2wpg. Ive tried java , vals etc and i havnt been able to grow any of them. I use liquid ferts and excel.

 

[Danyal]

i haven't had luck with java fern either, i've tried dwarf vals and they did well but died after being uprooted and replanted. try cryptocornes, java moss and anubias, very easy ime.

 

[stasia8756]

I've got a 28g heavily planted tank with no CO2 and a 65w light. Every now and then I'll toss in a capful of flourish but beyond that fish poop and light are what make these plants thrive. I have another tank that I couldn't grow plants in because I could never get the nitrate level high enough(one tiny dwarf puffer in a 20g isn't much of a bioload). All the plants turned brown and rotted away. Your plants should do fine with the right light and enough fish to raise the nitrate levels.

 

[kj5kb]

Think low-light plants. (Java fern, Java moss, Crypts, Anubias)

ditto.

if you just want 'something cheap, green, and alive', try some hornwort or anacharis. both should grow OK in there, especially floating...and may surprise you. Typically cheaper at a place that sells pond plants (larger 'bunch' for ~same $$)

I would avoid cabomba...even tho it looks kinda similar to hornwort it's a lot more fussy.

I haven't found it possible to kill Java Fern with insufficient light yet, tho it is an extremely slow grower. I think it would almost grow with a night light bulb.

Java moss makes a great hiding place for guppy fry.