New to planted tanks — substrate suggestions/opinions?

You'll need to get a small type of sword like "Tropica" (dougall knows different 1s) most will outgrow your small tank pretty fast. The little spiral val or nana are the only 1s that won't get super tall (like 2 or 3 feet!). Hairgrass is hard/impossible without co2. Do some more research...
 
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And before I forget .

Here's a link to a Spec being setup.. might be good for a few ideas .


Nobody's gonna force you to put a betta into it.
 
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Like they say, you have to match the plants to the size of the tank as well. Doug's link is a good suggestion. I would start with something like that.
 
Sorry dougall, all I could remember was A? & purple? but you've mentioned it more than once. It's pretty! I had Vesuvius & wasn't a fan of the high weird plantlets that formed, to each their own :) Regifting is the joy of plants clubs!

Thre's also a dwarf, not chain, sword but it's only 2 inches or so tall. Probably not the look you want if you like the big 1s.

Did you look at cryptocorynes? There are tons! In just the wendtii group there are quite a few different colors & leaf textures 4-6 inches tall. Mi oya is a maroon color with puckery leaves (bullation)...OK, I have crypt collectoritis, I want them all!

Monte carlo is worth a try, I have not yet kept it or killed it, lol. I don't know anyone who's done low tech with it too long, but that's not to say you can't.
 
helanthium are cool, as long as planted deeply enough, all the runners should stay under the substrate.

I'm really not sure of any dwarf species, but that's likely my shortcoming.

I'm mostly familiar with Purple Knight because it was used in an aquascaping competition by a friend, and nobody knew what it was. :)
 
Oh, sure blame my planting technique, or lack of 1, for disliking Vesuvius? Ha!

The dwarf sword I'm thinking of is parvifolia or something similar & there might be another or 2 species...it's an old kind...maybe you're just too young to remember, lol, but they are cute in their minisword way. Never a ground cover, the clump just gets wider, but not like crypts' spread either...
 
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Too young ???
 
And before I forget .

Here's a link to a Spec being setup.. might be good for a few ideas .


Nobody's gonna force you to put a betta into it.

Ahh that is perfect! THANK YOU! Plus I was thinking about putting a betta in the tank anyways. ;)
 
Did you look at cryptocorynes? There are tons! In just the wendtii group there are quite a few different colors & leaf textures 4-6 inches tall. Mi oya is a maroon color with puckery leaves (bullation)...OK, I have crypt collectoritis, I want them all!

I've briefly checked them out, but not in detail yet! I will definitely take a peak at some more (especially the wendtii ones like you said because 6 inches seems like the perfect height!) I really appreciate all the suggestions! It is so much easier having a place to start looking instead of wandering the plant world for AGES. ?
 
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