I do not want it to require much extra work, if any at all. I've got a 29 gal. aquarium with gravel as the substrate. The lighting is standard aquarium, 20 watts. I'd prefer not to have to add things like fertilizer but if that's the one thing I have to do, fine. The water is kept at high 60s to low 70s.. room temp. The actual water level(not including the gravel..) is 12 inches, so obviously something smaller than that, unless it's fine to "gather" at the surface. My filter is not on 24/7(I keep frogs, not fish) and there is no other air supply.. But if I have to keep filter on that is fine. Are there any plants that meet that criteria? I'd rather not get a fake plant, but if I have to.. lol
What kind of aquarium plant should I get?
As posted above, that's not much lighting. There are a few plants that could do well though.
Have a look at this link. Loads of plants that do well in low light. Some of them NEED low lighting. http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list...
The plants will need a little fertilizer every now and again. I tend to add it only if I notice a lack of normal growth.
ADDED: The thing that holds the bulb HAS to be the same watt as the bulb. So if you get a brighter bulb, you'd need to replace the fitting too.
Reply:sorry but i would say go with fake changes in tank can also kill plants, plant's don't maintain there self just cuz they are in water . that's my feeling, but i did real plants and i maintained them more than my fish someday's
Reply:I have no fancy lighting in my 29 gallon tank... No Co2 system... No special dirt or anything.. Just small gravel and my plants do well. I do keep my light on for about 13 hours a day though. The only thing I added to my tank recently that actually made my plants grow a little faster was an air bubble volcano. The bubbles are so tiny that it distributes oxygen through out the tank now. I also have a bubble wand on the other end of my tank. I prune my plants about every 5-6 weeks.. And I do a 25% water change once a week..
I have Wysteria in my tank and it does very well.. Have some others, but I'm not sure what they are called... It's all the common stuff you can get at pet stores.
The only thing I suggest is... If your tank is new, you don't have enough "yuck" in the tank for them. Make sure the tank is at least 4-5 months old before adding live plants.
Reply:You have very low light. I think you should go with Java fern. There are a couple different varieties, some are harder to find than others.
Java fern grows very slowly but is super easy to care for. It shouldn't be planted in the substrate or the roots will rot. What you do is tie it down to pebbles or driftwood. You can get some river rock to tie it to which isn't expensive.
EDIT: The more wattage you have over your tank the more work you'll have to do. Right now you have a low tech tank.
You may be able to just get a new bulb and put it in the hood you already have.
If you get two watts per gallon over your tank it'll be a medium tech tank. You won't need CO2 injection but you may need some ferts. You'll be able to have a lot more plants. If you avoid plants that are heavy root feeders like crypts, you should only need to add carbon in liquid form by adding Seachem's Flourish Excel.
When/if you upgrade your lighting you'll probably have an algae bloom. If you decide to upgrade, buy as many plants as you can when you're actually going to put the new bulb in, and start dosing with Flourish Excel at the same time too. You want to do this to balance light and carbon and nitrates so you won't get algae.
It sounds more complicated than it actually is.
Reply:You don't even have enough light for even a low light tank set up. I would advise you to upgrade your lights to at least 30 watts. When you get that sorted you can proceed to get plants that require low light, such as Anubias, Java fern, java moss etc. Other plants like anacharis do well in low light and don't require much fertz or CO2. In fact, a low light tank (1-2 watts per gallon) doesn't require extra CO2. Check out this blog for more useful info on low light tanks:
http://lowlightlowtechplanted.blogspot.c...
Also there is this good site that provides you a list of plants based on light requirements and overall easiness.
http://www.plantgeek.net/
augmon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Why do rocks come to the surface?
I planted a small garden last year, and removed all of the rocks in the first 8 inches down. It took some time. This year...I find more...lots more. Anyone know why?
Why do rocks come to the surface?
Frost upheaval or, as Ozark farmers say - "rock heaving " - can be as common as the growth of weeds each spring. It’s a natural upward movement of rocks from lower soil depth. The process of freezing and thawing of soil provides the hydraulic force which lies at the bottom of this phenomenon.
Why do rocks come to the surface?
Frost upheaval or, as Ozark farmers say - "rock heaving " - can be as common as the growth of weeds each spring. It’s a natural upward movement of rocks from lower soil depth. The process of freezing and thawing of soil provides the hydraulic force which lies at the bottom of this phenomenon.
Lucky bamboo? How to change water?
I got a lucky bamboo plant in a 15oz pot yesterday for a gift.
I looked up the plant and what I found was that you're supposed to change the water every few days. How do you change the water when the gravel is glued to and around the plant and the saucer is glued at the bottom of the pot?
How often should you water it? I heard that you should only water it about 1 inch water(which is 3/4 cup)
Do you need to water it everyday?
Lucky bamboo? How to change water?
ive had my bamboo for over a year now and ive never changed the water. the water doesnt look green or bad in anyway so i dont think you have to worry about it if you cant change the water
Reply:Please change water if/when it is smelly, otherwise just add some river stones for nutrition and add filtered water at room temp. When changing water it is helpful to use strainer with the small holes or a mesh stainer. I hope it helps.
Reply:I watered mine and kept it nice and it still died, i'm in a good way jealous of all you who kept yours alive.
Reply:poor the old water out put new water in you should do this often the plants roots could get algae and slimy if you don't. mine has never seemed adversely effected by the chlorine so I think tap would be fine
Reply:bamboos love water but not loads of it make sure the roots are covered in water, because if they dry out the bamboo will die if its a hot day check the water level if you can't see it water everyother day i never change the water on mine just keep adding when its needed and only feed about once a year as they don't need it and will grow to big to fast
Reply:I've had mine for sev. years %26amp; never change the water. I just add it straight from the sink when it gets low, maybe once a week. And during the spring thru fall I add 1 drop of liquid miracle grow food to the water every 2 weeks or so.
I looked up the plant and what I found was that you're supposed to change the water every few days. How do you change the water when the gravel is glued to and around the plant and the saucer is glued at the bottom of the pot?
How often should you water it? I heard that you should only water it about 1 inch water(which is 3/4 cup)
Do you need to water it everyday?
Lucky bamboo? How to change water?
ive had my bamboo for over a year now and ive never changed the water. the water doesnt look green or bad in anyway so i dont think you have to worry about it if you cant change the water
Reply:Please change water if/when it is smelly, otherwise just add some river stones for nutrition and add filtered water at room temp. When changing water it is helpful to use strainer with the small holes or a mesh stainer. I hope it helps.
Reply:I watered mine and kept it nice and it still died, i'm in a good way jealous of all you who kept yours alive.
Reply:poor the old water out put new water in you should do this often the plants roots could get algae and slimy if you don't. mine has never seemed adversely effected by the chlorine so I think tap would be fine
Reply:bamboos love water but not loads of it make sure the roots are covered in water, because if they dry out the bamboo will die if its a hot day check the water level if you can't see it water everyother day i never change the water on mine just keep adding when its needed and only feed about once a year as they don't need it and will grow to big to fast
Reply:I've had mine for sev. years %26amp; never change the water. I just add it straight from the sink when it gets low, maybe once a week. And during the spring thru fall I add 1 drop of liquid miracle grow food to the water every 2 weeks or so.
I have an onion that is growing a new plant?
A few weeks ago, I discovered that I had an onion at the bottom of my refrigerator, towards the back. The onion itself was actually starting to rot, but there was a new plant starting to grow up out of the onion. So, I decided to go ahead and put it in some water and give it sunlight and it has grown about 5 inches. Now, the top parts of the leaves are starting to dry and brown. Is the plant withering away? Is there anyway I can do to save it?... and... What exactly is it going to grow into anyway? A new onion, or what?
There is a plant growing up out of a totally rotten onion
I have an onion that is growing a new plant?
It will grow a new onion but it must be planted in soil, not water. It may already be too late but give it a try.
Bert
Reply:An onion is nothing more than a bulb that grows into more onions. Yours is too far gone however so best to just pitch it out.
There is a plant growing up out of a totally rotten onion
I have an onion that is growing a new plant?
It will grow a new onion but it must be planted in soil, not water. It may already be too late but give it a try.
Bert
Reply:An onion is nothing more than a bulb that grows into more onions. Yours is too far gone however so best to just pitch it out.
My plant is dying!?
I recently planted a flower seed in a clump of dirt near the tap in my garden, it was growing okay for a little while then it started shriveling up and turning yellow. it's stuck at a perpetual inch in height now and I don't know how to fix it. help?
My plant is dying!?
Turning yellow is a sign of either too much or too little water. I know, great lot of help that is, but you know about how much water the plant is getting. Under the tap, it may be too much.
Depending on the species, it may or may not need direct sunlight. If its shriveling, it may be too much sun if it prefers indirect, partial light, or shade. If you know the species, either look it up on the Internet, or go down to your local nursery and ask them.
NEVER fertilizer seedlings, unless you're sure you won't do harm. It can burn them as they are very susceptible now. Wait until the plant is at least 3 - 6 inches tall.
Reply:cover it in mircle whip
Reply:take it to a professional pruner im sure they can coat it down in some healthy vitamins for a reasonable price
Reply:cant help it unless you try moving it to a drier location and there isnt a guarantee that will help it...sounds like damping off which does result in death
Reply:There are any number of things that can cause what you describe . . .
too much/little moisture
not enuf consistent lite or warmth
bug infestation (under/and/or/above ground)
Reply:Try urinating on it....The vitamins in Your urin is great for making plants grow :-)
Reply:If you tell us what the plant is perhaps we can help you.
Reply:Turning yellow? Try giving it more sunlight!
Reply:give it some compost or plant food, make sure that it has plentty of sunlight and water
Reply:Could you give more info? What kind of flower is it? What kind of sun does that location get? Is the area it's in generally very wet or very dry? What is the temperature like right now where you live? Have you fed the plant since you planted it? I love %26amp; grow lots of plants. I also work in the turf care industry. But more information would be needed to determine your plants problem. It could be as simple as too much water or sun. Or it could be the season if you have climate changes. Try digging it up, since it is still small, and put it in a pot and give it special attention for a while. If it is very wet then try not to water so much. If you haven't fed it then try some plant food. Move it to different places in your yard to see if it likes it better somewhere else. Good luck to you and if you need anymore advice please feel free to email me.
Reply:that happened to my moms plant, im not much of a plant person but the plant was SO CUTE!! then it started wilting and shriveling then it just went BROWN...we didnt know wut to do because we KEPT it watered an in the window.
my step dad had the idea to cut off the brown leafs...then it just started GROWING LIKE KRAYZEE!!!it looked even better than b4!!
u should trim the dead parts off DEFINITELY!!
Reply:Ok stay calm. It either makes it or it doesn't.
God can take care of it just fine, so you find something else to occupy your mind. : )
Reply:are you over watering it? is it too dry? Does it get too much sun? Is it too shady? Sometimes it's best to start seeds in doors....what kind of flower is it? Also, Miracle Grow plant food helps!
Reply:Its probably getting too much water
Try potting it in a small pot with good soil and alittle super phosphate( good for root growth) the you need to find out if it is a shade loving or sun loving plant
There is more to growing plants than just sticking a seed in the ground and thinking its gonna grow by itself'
do some research on the type of flower you planted
Reply:Need more info,what kind of flower?
Reply:It could be getting cold.
There could be bugs.
What happened.
Reply:Catepillars are always a problem in fall along with aphid infestations in Arizona. Some of my current seedlings are getting hit hard with tiny catepillars and hosts of aphids and other plant loving bugs. You may have to bring it inside and give it some isolation from the rest of the world.
It is a hard life, being a seedling. . .
Reply:What type of flower seed. If its near the tap it may be it does not like to much water and you are drowning it. Dig it up and pot it. Take care with the winter months. It would help if I knew what it was.
Reply:plenty of sunlight and water, maybe try feeding it sugar water too, that should help
and if your really desperate the best way is to blend mushrooms with water and feed it that the mushrooms have heaps of nutrients in them
php hosting
My plant is dying!?
Turning yellow is a sign of either too much or too little water. I know, great lot of help that is, but you know about how much water the plant is getting. Under the tap, it may be too much.
Depending on the species, it may or may not need direct sunlight. If its shriveling, it may be too much sun if it prefers indirect, partial light, or shade. If you know the species, either look it up on the Internet, or go down to your local nursery and ask them.
NEVER fertilizer seedlings, unless you're sure you won't do harm. It can burn them as they are very susceptible now. Wait until the plant is at least 3 - 6 inches tall.
Reply:cover it in mircle whip
Reply:take it to a professional pruner im sure they can coat it down in some healthy vitamins for a reasonable price
Reply:cant help it unless you try moving it to a drier location and there isnt a guarantee that will help it...sounds like damping off which does result in death
Reply:There are any number of things that can cause what you describe . . .
too much/little moisture
not enuf consistent lite or warmth
bug infestation (under/and/or/above ground)
Reply:Try urinating on it....The vitamins in Your urin is great for making plants grow :-)
Reply:If you tell us what the plant is perhaps we can help you.
Reply:Turning yellow? Try giving it more sunlight!
Reply:give it some compost or plant food, make sure that it has plentty of sunlight and water
Reply:Could you give more info? What kind of flower is it? What kind of sun does that location get? Is the area it's in generally very wet or very dry? What is the temperature like right now where you live? Have you fed the plant since you planted it? I love %26amp; grow lots of plants. I also work in the turf care industry. But more information would be needed to determine your plants problem. It could be as simple as too much water or sun. Or it could be the season if you have climate changes. Try digging it up, since it is still small, and put it in a pot and give it special attention for a while. If it is very wet then try not to water so much. If you haven't fed it then try some plant food. Move it to different places in your yard to see if it likes it better somewhere else. Good luck to you and if you need anymore advice please feel free to email me.
Reply:that happened to my moms plant, im not much of a plant person but the plant was SO CUTE!! then it started wilting and shriveling then it just went BROWN...we didnt know wut to do because we KEPT it watered an in the window.
my step dad had the idea to cut off the brown leafs...then it just started GROWING LIKE KRAYZEE!!!it looked even better than b4!!
u should trim the dead parts off DEFINITELY!!
Reply:Ok stay calm. It either makes it or it doesn't.
God can take care of it just fine, so you find something else to occupy your mind. : )
Reply:are you over watering it? is it too dry? Does it get too much sun? Is it too shady? Sometimes it's best to start seeds in doors....what kind of flower is it? Also, Miracle Grow plant food helps!
Reply:Its probably getting too much water
Try potting it in a small pot with good soil and alittle super phosphate( good for root growth) the you need to find out if it is a shade loving or sun loving plant
There is more to growing plants than just sticking a seed in the ground and thinking its gonna grow by itself'
do some research on the type of flower you planted
Reply:Need more info,what kind of flower?
Reply:It could be getting cold.
There could be bugs.
What happened.
Reply:Catepillars are always a problem in fall along with aphid infestations in Arizona. Some of my current seedlings are getting hit hard with tiny catepillars and hosts of aphids and other plant loving bugs. You may have to bring it inside and give it some isolation from the rest of the world.
It is a hard life, being a seedling. . .
Reply:What type of flower seed. If its near the tap it may be it does not like to much water and you are drowning it. Dig it up and pot it. Take care with the winter months. It would help if I knew what it was.
Reply:plenty of sunlight and water, maybe try feeding it sugar water too, that should help
and if your really desperate the best way is to blend mushrooms with water and feed it that the mushrooms have heaps of nutrients in them
php hosting
Nice medium sized plant for small aquarium?
I have a 5 gallon aquarium with a 10 watt flourescent bulb.
Currently, I have some crypts (2) Java Fern (1) and a Hornwort (1) in there....The hornwort has managed to take over the tank in two weeks, so I want to take that out...Tried an Amazon Sword, and that croaked....
So I guess I would like a suggestion for an easy to grow plant that can withstand medium light, and 74 degree water....
Something about 8 to 10 inches would be great.....
Any Ideas?
Thanks a bunch
Here is a pic of the type of tank, if that helps....
http://www.aquariumguys.com/eclipse3.htm...
Nice medium sized plant for small aquarium?
You could have hydrilla plants. They are very easy to grow.
CC
Reply:There can be a lot of plants offered at your local fish store or on line sales. But they all have different requirements. Some can be quite easy to grow in your aquarium while others can be very difficult with out CO2 and high lighting. Unfortunately there are also several plants that are regularly sold in aquarium shops that are terrestrial plants and will never survive in the aquarium long term.
So what can you do to avoid the disappointment of filling your aquarium with plants that likely won't survive in your set up or even worse that no matter what you do will never live? You have to do your research first. It's no use wasting your money on plants that won't live. You want to get the plants that are most likely to thrive in your aquarium and the best way to do that is know what you're buying before you hand your money to the cashier.
Which plants are the easiest to grow? In part that will depend on your set up and the make up of the water you use in your aquarium, but I have made a list of some of the plants that usually do quite well even in moderate lighting and without too many extra needs.
One of my favorite plants that's easily found is the Amazon sword. The sword plants you purchase in the store has most likely been grown emersed, with the leaves out of the water. Those leaves will probably not last in your tank, so don't panic if you loose the original leaves as long as new ones are growing in. As the old leaves start dying off clip them off near the base of the stem so they don't start decomposing in your tank. Amazon swords can get quite large. They can easily totally fill a 10 or even 20 gallon tank.
Mellon swords are also regularly sold. These can also be grown fairly easily in your aquarium, though the leaves will usually take on a different shape once in your tank, depending on the species, water quality, and lighting.
Swords are known for liking nutrients through their roots. I've found that it will help them along by placing fertilizer tablets or sticks in the substrate near them. Be sure when planting your swords that you don't cover the crown of the plant, where the leaves come out, with gravel. Just cover the roots, it's better to leave a little too much out of the gravel than put too much under it. Sword plants can also have huge root systems that cover the entire bottom of the tank. If you later pull one out, and aren't careful, you may find most of the rest of the tank can come out with it.
Another plant in the same genus that I'll mention on its own is the pygmy chain sword. The great thing about the pygmy chain sword is it's a low growing plant. It will work great in small tanks and as a carpeting plant in any tank. They reproduce quickly and will soon look like a nice lawn in your aquarium. These are also usually grown emersed so the original leaves will die off and new ones will replace them in your aquarium.
Two other rather similar grass looking types of plants are also regularly available and are easy to grow, Vallisneria (val) and Sagitteria (sag). There are several species of both offered. The largest is jungle val. These can grow extremely long leaves, over 6 feet, and are really only suitable for large tall tanks. Most Vallisneria tend to get long leaves and you can trim them so they don't cover the top of your tank, otherwise they can block light from the other plants in your aquarium. Twisted val is an interesting plant. The leaves have the same shape as other Vallisneria plants but are twisted. I've found that these also don't tend to grow as tall as some of the other val and are more controlled in their growth. Most val can grow very well and can take over an aquarium. Vallisneria are true aquatic plants so you shouldn't experience heavy leaf loss when placing in your own aquarium.
Saggiteria usually has somewhat stiffer darker leaves but looks quite similar to val. The best way to tell them apart is the tips of the leaves. You have to look very closely but in Vallisneria the leaves are serrated on the top and in Saggiteria they are smooth. Saggiteria is often preferable to val in most tanks particularly smaller ones. It usually doesn't grow as tall as val and doesn't seem to reproduce as quickly, making it easier to maintain.
Java fern is another popular plant that's usually easy to grow. There are several very attractive varieties available. Don't plant your Java ferns. These plants do well growing on natural wood in the aquarium. It's easy to tie them on to a piece of aquarium driftwood with dark cotton sewing thread. Your Java ferns will eventually attach to the wood itself and the cotton thread will rot away.
Water sprite is another fern for the aquarium. It can be planted in the substrate or left to float with the roots trailing below. These are very attractive plants with bright green leaves. There are 2 species of water sprite most often encountered in the hobby, though others are sometimes seen. The 2 most commonly found are Ceratopteris thalictroides and C. cornuta. They are both lovely plants and differ in their leaf shape. Water sprite has an interesting trait in that baby plants form on the older leaves of the adult plant. They can easily cover the top of your tank so you will have to thin them regularly.
Hornwort is a floating plant that is also a truly aquatic plant. Hornwort is rather interesting in that it never develops roots. This also means that it's useless to plant it in the gravel. Any part of the plant you put under the gravel will just die. Hornwort can grow quickly and will keep light from other plants below it. Another interesting thing about hornwort is that a small piece of the stem will grow into another plant, so it's easy to trim to the amount you need, though you may have to do it quite frequently.
There are several very nice Cryptocoryne species and cultivars that are easy to grow, and will also do well in both low and high lighting. You can usually find these in the potted plants at your local fish store. If they have a name tag they usually are listed as C. wendtii, walkeri or lutea, and come in green red and bronze. These are plants that may have been grown emersed so don't panic if you have leaf loss at first as long as long as new leaves are forming. Once established crypts can grow a bit more slowly than some of the other aquarium plants but they will eventually spread and if not thinned periodically, can eventually take over the whole tank.
Stemmed plants are often a bit harder to grow than some of the other plants available for the aquarium but there are a few that will generally grow easily even in moderate lighting. These plants include, Rotala rotundifolia, Bacopa monneiri, and Ludwigia repens.
Rotala has small leaves that can take on a red tint as they get more light. Often you'll see the bottom of the stems have green leaves but as they near the top of your tank they start getting more red in the color. If you let these plants grow to the surface of your tank they take on a bit different look. The leaves will grow on either side of the stem facing up. Roots will also form on these floating sections of stem.
Bacopa is a bright green plant with rubbery like leaves. It can grow rapidly and tends to like to grow up out of the tank if allowed. It should be trimmed regularly if you don't want it growing out of your tank. If you do have an open tank it can be quite attractive if left to grow out. The stems will start to drape down the sides of the tank. I had some I let go in my fish room once that started on the upper row of tanks and ended up growing into the tanks on the two shelves below it and down to the floor.
Ludwigia can sometimes be a bit more difficult but still is usually pretty easy going. It's a very attractive plant. The leaves can be dark green on top but the undersides take on a dark red color that can even be almost purple. Like Rotala if left to grow to the top of the tank the leaves will turn to the light and the upper stems will grow roots.
Mosses are some of my very favorite aquarium plants. They are beautiful and grow easily in low to high lighting. There are several different mosses available for the aquarium. The most common is Java moss but Christmas tree moss and occasionally Fontinalis can be found too. Mosses are pretty popular right now and there are even some new ones from the Orient that are sometimes becoming available. Some of these may be more difficult to grow.
Mosses are wonderful on branches or wood in the aquarium and can be attached with thread like the Java ferns. They also look great as ground covers or between your plants. I find they often will fill in all the empty spaces between stemmed plants in the tank and look like a mound of moss with the plants peeking out the top. If you don't trim them back eventually they can take over the whole aquarium, so it's good to trim your mosses occasionally. You can cut or pull out the parts you want removed. Mosses also should not be planted under the gravel.
My favorite of the more common mosses is Christmas tree. It seems to grab on to wood and gravel better, stays down better and has a more attractive appearance. It's also easier to control. Java moss is thinner and tends to grow up more and faster. It's just quite as attractive in my opinion. Fontinalis is a prettier moss than the Java but harder to find and a bit harder to grow.
Remember that each plant may react differently to your aquarium. The plants listed above are those that are often available and that through my own experience and talking with others over the years seem to be the most likely to grow easily and well. Your experiences may differ but these plants should give you a good chance for success.
Currently, I have some crypts (2) Java Fern (1) and a Hornwort (1) in there....The hornwort has managed to take over the tank in two weeks, so I want to take that out...Tried an Amazon Sword, and that croaked....
So I guess I would like a suggestion for an easy to grow plant that can withstand medium light, and 74 degree water....
Something about 8 to 10 inches would be great.....
Any Ideas?
Thanks a bunch
Here is a pic of the type of tank, if that helps....
http://www.aquariumguys.com/eclipse3.htm...
Nice medium sized plant for small aquarium?
You could have hydrilla plants. They are very easy to grow.
CC
Reply:There can be a lot of plants offered at your local fish store or on line sales. But they all have different requirements. Some can be quite easy to grow in your aquarium while others can be very difficult with out CO2 and high lighting. Unfortunately there are also several plants that are regularly sold in aquarium shops that are terrestrial plants and will never survive in the aquarium long term.
So what can you do to avoid the disappointment of filling your aquarium with plants that likely won't survive in your set up or even worse that no matter what you do will never live? You have to do your research first. It's no use wasting your money on plants that won't live. You want to get the plants that are most likely to thrive in your aquarium and the best way to do that is know what you're buying before you hand your money to the cashier.
Which plants are the easiest to grow? In part that will depend on your set up and the make up of the water you use in your aquarium, but I have made a list of some of the plants that usually do quite well even in moderate lighting and without too many extra needs.
One of my favorite plants that's easily found is the Amazon sword. The sword plants you purchase in the store has most likely been grown emersed, with the leaves out of the water. Those leaves will probably not last in your tank, so don't panic if you loose the original leaves as long as new ones are growing in. As the old leaves start dying off clip them off near the base of the stem so they don't start decomposing in your tank. Amazon swords can get quite large. They can easily totally fill a 10 or even 20 gallon tank.
Mellon swords are also regularly sold. These can also be grown fairly easily in your aquarium, though the leaves will usually take on a different shape once in your tank, depending on the species, water quality, and lighting.
Swords are known for liking nutrients through their roots. I've found that it will help them along by placing fertilizer tablets or sticks in the substrate near them. Be sure when planting your swords that you don't cover the crown of the plant, where the leaves come out, with gravel. Just cover the roots, it's better to leave a little too much out of the gravel than put too much under it. Sword plants can also have huge root systems that cover the entire bottom of the tank. If you later pull one out, and aren't careful, you may find most of the rest of the tank can come out with it.
Another plant in the same genus that I'll mention on its own is the pygmy chain sword. The great thing about the pygmy chain sword is it's a low growing plant. It will work great in small tanks and as a carpeting plant in any tank. They reproduce quickly and will soon look like a nice lawn in your aquarium. These are also usually grown emersed so the original leaves will die off and new ones will replace them in your aquarium.
Two other rather similar grass looking types of plants are also regularly available and are easy to grow, Vallisneria (val) and Sagitteria (sag). There are several species of both offered. The largest is jungle val. These can grow extremely long leaves, over 6 feet, and are really only suitable for large tall tanks. Most Vallisneria tend to get long leaves and you can trim them so they don't cover the top of your tank, otherwise they can block light from the other plants in your aquarium. Twisted val is an interesting plant. The leaves have the same shape as other Vallisneria plants but are twisted. I've found that these also don't tend to grow as tall as some of the other val and are more controlled in their growth. Most val can grow very well and can take over an aquarium. Vallisneria are true aquatic plants so you shouldn't experience heavy leaf loss when placing in your own aquarium.
Saggiteria usually has somewhat stiffer darker leaves but looks quite similar to val. The best way to tell them apart is the tips of the leaves. You have to look very closely but in Vallisneria the leaves are serrated on the top and in Saggiteria they are smooth. Saggiteria is often preferable to val in most tanks particularly smaller ones. It usually doesn't grow as tall as val and doesn't seem to reproduce as quickly, making it easier to maintain.
Java fern is another popular plant that's usually easy to grow. There are several very attractive varieties available. Don't plant your Java ferns. These plants do well growing on natural wood in the aquarium. It's easy to tie them on to a piece of aquarium driftwood with dark cotton sewing thread. Your Java ferns will eventually attach to the wood itself and the cotton thread will rot away.
Water sprite is another fern for the aquarium. It can be planted in the substrate or left to float with the roots trailing below. These are very attractive plants with bright green leaves. There are 2 species of water sprite most often encountered in the hobby, though others are sometimes seen. The 2 most commonly found are Ceratopteris thalictroides and C. cornuta. They are both lovely plants and differ in their leaf shape. Water sprite has an interesting trait in that baby plants form on the older leaves of the adult plant. They can easily cover the top of your tank so you will have to thin them regularly.
Hornwort is a floating plant that is also a truly aquatic plant. Hornwort is rather interesting in that it never develops roots. This also means that it's useless to plant it in the gravel. Any part of the plant you put under the gravel will just die. Hornwort can grow quickly and will keep light from other plants below it. Another interesting thing about hornwort is that a small piece of the stem will grow into another plant, so it's easy to trim to the amount you need, though you may have to do it quite frequently.
There are several very nice Cryptocoryne species and cultivars that are easy to grow, and will also do well in both low and high lighting. You can usually find these in the potted plants at your local fish store. If they have a name tag they usually are listed as C. wendtii, walkeri or lutea, and come in green red and bronze. These are plants that may have been grown emersed so don't panic if you have leaf loss at first as long as long as new leaves are forming. Once established crypts can grow a bit more slowly than some of the other aquarium plants but they will eventually spread and if not thinned periodically, can eventually take over the whole tank.
Stemmed plants are often a bit harder to grow than some of the other plants available for the aquarium but there are a few that will generally grow easily even in moderate lighting. These plants include, Rotala rotundifolia, Bacopa monneiri, and Ludwigia repens.
Rotala has small leaves that can take on a red tint as they get more light. Often you'll see the bottom of the stems have green leaves but as they near the top of your tank they start getting more red in the color. If you let these plants grow to the surface of your tank they take on a bit different look. The leaves will grow on either side of the stem facing up. Roots will also form on these floating sections of stem.
Bacopa is a bright green plant with rubbery like leaves. It can grow rapidly and tends to like to grow up out of the tank if allowed. It should be trimmed regularly if you don't want it growing out of your tank. If you do have an open tank it can be quite attractive if left to grow out. The stems will start to drape down the sides of the tank. I had some I let go in my fish room once that started on the upper row of tanks and ended up growing into the tanks on the two shelves below it and down to the floor.
Ludwigia can sometimes be a bit more difficult but still is usually pretty easy going. It's a very attractive plant. The leaves can be dark green on top but the undersides take on a dark red color that can even be almost purple. Like Rotala if left to grow to the top of the tank the leaves will turn to the light and the upper stems will grow roots.
Mosses are some of my very favorite aquarium plants. They are beautiful and grow easily in low to high lighting. There are several different mosses available for the aquarium. The most common is Java moss but Christmas tree moss and occasionally Fontinalis can be found too. Mosses are pretty popular right now and there are even some new ones from the Orient that are sometimes becoming available. Some of these may be more difficult to grow.
Mosses are wonderful on branches or wood in the aquarium and can be attached with thread like the Java ferns. They also look great as ground covers or between your plants. I find they often will fill in all the empty spaces between stemmed plants in the tank and look like a mound of moss with the plants peeking out the top. If you don't trim them back eventually they can take over the whole aquarium, so it's good to trim your mosses occasionally. You can cut or pull out the parts you want removed. Mosses also should not be planted under the gravel.
My favorite of the more common mosses is Christmas tree. It seems to grab on to wood and gravel better, stays down better and has a more attractive appearance. It's also easier to control. Java moss is thinner and tends to grow up more and faster. It's just quite as attractive in my opinion. Fontinalis is a prettier moss than the Java but harder to find and a bit harder to grow.
Remember that each plant may react differently to your aquarium. The plants listed above are those that are often available and that through my own experience and talking with others over the years seem to be the most likely to grow easily and well. Your experiences may differ but these plants should give you a good chance for success.
I have a 2.5 gallon tank. How many inches of sand should I put at the bottom to grow some Vallisneria Torti?
Vallisneria tortifolia or vallisneria corkscrew, there is a lot of diff names for the plant.
I have a 2.5 gallon tank. How many inches of sand should I put at the bottom to grow some Vallisneria Torti?
that's a tiny tank...maybe an inch
I have a 2.5 gallon tank. How many inches of sand should I put at the bottom to grow some Vallisneria Torti?
that's a tiny tank...maybe an inch
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