any suggestions for easy plants to raise for an idiot? I have a 65 I'm setting up for a group of rainbows, congo tetras, rams and an angel and am wanting to try some plants. I think it's a 4'x18"x21" tall tank with a single 48" bulb (not sure what it is but it's an older setup). I've had plenty of success getting hornwort to grow in my community tanks but I think you could grow that stuff in a toilet. I have bought some amazon swords from petsmart and such and had about a 70% or so success rate at keeping them alive. I think adding salt was what killed the ones that died now that I know salt isn't good for them. Last night I set up the 65 and put pool filter sand about 2-3" deep across 2/3 of the floor and used some gravel I had leftover for the other 1/3 to try and make different areas and possibly make territories for any fish that might have a problem (rams). I am wanting to plant the sandy area and now I'm reading that I should have probably put some peat under the sand but it's a little late now, I think (I may still be able to do this if it is worth the trouble?). I've read a lot that java fern is easy to grow and hard to kill. I really don't have the money or the will to invest in the proper lighting, co2 injection or expensive fertilizer/food and maintenance so any plants requiring this are probably not for me right now, maybe later. what I'm wanting is some plants that will grow in my "not-so-plant-friendly" environment. I've seen a lot of these "mossy balls" on ebay and they sound good in theory but is there any basis for them? I figure maybe the rainbows would be willing to spawn on them or at least add some different looks to the tank. I have room for tall plants or short plants and would like a little of both. is there anything that will work for me? I will probably tie some hornwort to rocks and bury the rocks to plant them in the sand and will look at java fern here in a while when I run to my LFS at lunch. I'm not sure what all they have available but I figure I can have some shipped if necessary. thanks for any advice, Kyle
plants for an idiot?
- Thread starter snakeskinner
- Start date
Well, this idiot has had decent luck with java fern, various anubias species and some cryptocorynes in tanks with low light and no supplementation.
Yes, I would call that low light. Right now, I have an anubias barteri and some java fern growing steadily, if slowly, under 40 watts of NO fluorescent in a 29 gallon tank.
I have java fern and java moss and an amazon sowrd ina 10 gallon (lots of pruning needed on that last one). I have 2.8 watts per gallon but the lights are only 3500 kelvin so not super great. The growth is good and I usually just add a little bottled fertilizer each week. Since I don't test I don't add very much. Growth is good.
Sounds like you've got 40 watts over a 65 gal. tank that's 21" tall.
This is a tough environment in which to grow most plants.
Normally, you want to shoot for 1.5 watts(minimum at that depth)
for much success.
You might give Java Ferns or Moss, Anubia(both can be attached to driftwood and elevated toward the light) and Cryptocorynes.
Pennywort will grow in very dim light as well.
Let us know how you make out.
Len
This is a tough environment in which to grow most plants.
Normally, you want to shoot for 1.5 watts(minimum at that depth)
for much success.
You might give Java Ferns or Moss, Anubia(both can be attached to driftwood and elevated toward the light) and Cryptocorynes.
Pennywort will grow in very dim light as well.
Let us know how you make out.
Len
I have crypts, anubias, and java ferns growing very well in a 55 with one 20W strip light on it. The tank looks bright (sand substrate), the plants are always putting on new leaves and such. The crypts aren't doing as well, but they are stil growing. I don't fertilize, do small weekly water changes. The tank is fed every other day, and has about 20 inches of fish in it (well, plus a ton of kuhli loaches--more than I can count).
thanks guys. I just stopped by my LFS a while ago and she recommended the anubias and java moss as well. I liked the anubias, not positive on the java moss yet. I'll keep my eyes open for java fern. the moss looks nice in a small quantity but I'm afraid it will overrun the tank. havn't noticed any crypt before but I'll look for some when I go to stock up. another question: I see some people talking about how to stock the tank, plants first, fish first, etc. I bought some "gimmick" bacteria starter I'm anxious to try and I have 3 fullgrown giant danio's I can swap over to the 65 to cycle so that's no problem. What would be a good way to set it up? should I add the plants and fish at the same time? let the plants root for a while and suplement them with some sort of plant food for a while? I wouldn't have a problem with cycling the tank with the danio's and then remove them and plant the tank and add the rainbows, rams and angel at that time. what do you think? thanks again, kyle
another tank = no cycle time needed
If you have another fish tank, you can skip the worrying about establishing the cycle. Just dump that nasty water from cleaning the filter into the new tank, witht heaters and filters running, tomorrow the water will be clear and the filter fully cycled.
Rooted plants are best added before the fish, let them get going before you introduce fish and the wastes that could otherwise go to feeding algae. Ideally, set up plants and wait 3 or 4 weeks. Add some algea eaters at the 2nd or 3rd week, like shrimp and otos. Then add the filter wastes and the next day the fish.
That is how I set up my last tank. I did have CO2 on this tank and added Flourish in about the 3rd week I think. I suppliment NO3 and phosphates once a week if the plants seem to be a bit pale, but this tank has much higher light than yours.
If you have another fish tank, you can skip the worrying about establishing the cycle. Just dump that nasty water from cleaning the filter into the new tank, witht heaters and filters running, tomorrow the water will be clear and the filter fully cycled.
Rooted plants are best added before the fish, let them get going before you introduce fish and the wastes that could otherwise go to feeding algae. Ideally, set up plants and wait 3 or 4 weeks. Add some algea eaters at the 2nd or 3rd week, like shrimp and otos. Then add the filter wastes and the next day the fish.
That is how I set up my last tank. I did have CO2 on this tank and added Flourish in about the 3rd week I think. I suppliment NO3 and phosphates once a week if the plants seem to be a bit pale, but this tank has much higher light than yours.