rajs

I have a 5 gallon hex tank with 2 guppies now with artifical plants. I am looking for some live plants which i could use.Any advice.

obusweetT

What kind of lighting and substrate do you have?

chickadee

I use Anubias nana and a couple of the other Anubias in mine. Sword plants are great and Java Fern (either plain or Wendelov) and my favorite plant is the Anubias barteri petite.

I also have Ludwegia and Aponogetons in the tanks.

Rose

rajs

Thanks. I went to petsmart yesterday to buy Java fern, but they did not have any. They gave me something called 4" Tropical Fern Plants(Microsorium pteropus) , it is from Top Fin and it says snail free. Any ideas. Can i use them or should i return those. I will also check what you suggested. Which is the best place to buy these plants for cheap/good price.

chickadee

My substrate is plain Kordon's gravel. I use the Kordon's as it is epoxy coated and not sharp on my catfish and loaches. I use plant fertilizer tablets and I got a CarboPlus unit that I installed today in the big tank and if it works well I may be getting bars for the other tanks.

My lighting is: The Coralife COLORMAX not the 50/50 as the 50/50 promotes algae. (found out the hard way)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113346

Rose

rajs

rose , was your reply answer to my question on plant i bought

chickadee

No just about the substrate and lighting I use (question by obusweetT) further down in posts.

You, rajs, can use the plants in the tank if you wish and they sound fine. A good source of information for different plants and their needs is: http://www.plantgeek.net

Rose

atmmachine816

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...pc=1&N=0&Nty=1 is that what you use Rose?

Most any plant can grow in a five gallon tank as long as you trim it, you just need the right requirements to grow the plants.

chickadee

Yes that is it. I bought the one unit and am getting carbon blocks and holders for all the tanks. That way all I have to do is leave the connector hang out the back of the tank and plug it in to the main unit one tank at a time and I can use the one unit to treat all 4 tanks. I used it for the first time in the 12 gallon today and my plants are so GREEN and pretty already, it is hard to believe. They say that using a CO2 producer will cut down on the algae in the tank too, I will have to wait and see. Loving it so far.

Rose

atmmachine816

You spent 160$ wow, you could have done DIY co2 much cheaper you know. Ya it does cut down on algae sometimes, depends on the plants and how many. My plants grow so fast with co2, I have to trim plants weekly it's so sweet, I love the planted tank thing, especially hornwort, I have over 2.5 foot strand along with another foot strand. If you want to see your plants grow faster get some tetra florapride, cheap and I see a great growth in plants in it, with faster growers not crypts though. Sorry to intrude rajs, maybe this will be of some help to you too. I know plants that I have that I LOVE are hornwort, crypts, anarchis, rotala, most do best in high light but will grow in low light just slower. Rotala is great looking too.