Absolute Easiest Idiot Proof plants

[Cooperman411]

My first rule in this hobby is "Know thy limits!" And I want to keep it simple (KIS,S). Therefore I was wondering what is the most idiot proof (low to medium low light) green plant (not moss) and the most idiot proof red plant. I'm only using liquid CO2 and liquid fertilizer and root tabs. If you think there are 3 or 4 that are equally easy, feel free!

 

[mang0]

anubias by far. these things can hold up to an insane amount of conditions and are regarded as bulletproof. java fern is a tad more sensitive but is hardy too. floaters like frogbit or salvinia are easy too but they require low flow so if your water movement is fast they will rot and are not the plant for you. marimo moss balls too are easy (technically an algae)

edit: for anubias and java fern do NOT bury them. attach to a decoration or rock, if you bury the rhizome (where the stems/leaves come out of) it will rot and die. otherwise you should be good

 

[jkkgron2]

Anubias, water wisteria, and I’ve found crypts to be hardy after the initial melt. Java fern and Marimo moss balls are also great, I’ve had a moss ball in a little jar with no water changes for a year and it’s still doing great! Those things are bulletproof.

 

[kallililly1973]

Anubis, java fern, anacharis, bacopa, and water wisteria. Those 5 will grow with the ferts your using but will grow even better with a single bottle of Nilog ThriveC.

 

[jkkgron2]

Anubis, java fern, anacharis, bacopa, and water wisteria. Those 5 will grow with the ferts your using but will grow even better with a single bottle of Nilog ThriveC.

Agreed! For me ThriveC has been able to grow everything from Java ferns to dwarf hairgrass.

 

[Cooperman411]

Any good red plants?

 

[StarGirl]

Not red but Vals. Easiest ever!

 

[Pfrozen]

I'm not sure if my selections are the absolute safest but Rotala Colorata is low light no CO2 needed and it'll maintain at least some red if your lights are even halfway good. Only turns green under low light

Hygrophilas are all mostly super easy, low light no CO2 necessary. Hygrophila Polysperma is often recommended to be planted without CO2 because using CO2 makes it grow way too fast. You would be fine with liquid CO2 tho. Hygrophila Siamensis 53B is nearly the same, just a lot thicker.

Cardamine lyrata is like a Pennywort, some sites report it as Pennywort but I've seen a few different plants called "Pennywort" as slang. It'll grow low light no CO2 easy and its nice looking. That being said, pretty much every "Pennywort" or "moneywort" out there will be bulletproof.. Brazilian Pennywort is another that's nice

Marsilea crenata is a carpeting plant, it'll grow well and even carpet without trouble without CO2. It's also called dwarf water clover

Alternanthera Reineckii is pretty easy too, it's hardy and looks amazing, it'll also grow red for you under decent lighting no CO2 needed

Limnophilla sessiflora looks like a bit like green camboba but it's a beautiful plant that'll grow in anything low CO2 low light


Remember that high light is usually fine for "low light" plants, most low light plants will thrive under high light. It's the no CO2 and fast growth that makes these plants easy

My attempts at growing plants have failed so far because I was using stock LEDs and those have gotten dim to the point where they won't grow anything but anubias. So you still need decent lights

 

[Pfrozen]

Many other mosses like flame moss, Christmas moss, weeping moss all have low light requirements... and subwassertang is one that I forgot above

 

[Cooperman411]

Thank you all! This is great. I just wish my LFS carried more of these. I have a bunch of Alternanthera Reineckii (sold as Cardinalis in a tiny bag with gel at Petsmart - I guess it could be Alternanthera Cardinalis). I planted it when I first started the aquarium and it thrived. I then bought some more about 2 weeks ago and about 1/2 of the 2nd batch melted - I had to vacuum it out today. Maybe it was on the shelf too long. My experience with Rotala (Indica I beleive) is that it depends on where I planted it. I noticed in one corner it thrived, and in the other side of the tank it dies. No clue how that's even possible as it'll literally look beautiful, grow, send off branches, and then die. As plants die, I'll replace them with the suggestions you all made. Wish me luck! (I really want to try the Rotala Colorata. But I'm not putting it in the "corner of death".)

 

[Cooperman411]

Not red but Vals. Easiest ever!

Are you sure? Don't tease me! I wanted to do a tank with only Vals. Get some nice black/gray sand, and Vals, spaced apart so you can see through the tank but lots of them from front to back and side to side. Like this photo but add in a piece of drift wood and a rock or two:

 

[Sputnik]

For red plants I like Alternanthera reineckii
I only keep low tech and it does great with niloc thrive c , root tabs and excel!

 

[ProudPapa]

Any good red plants?

I have some red crypts that do well for me. Rotala is reddish toward the top, and seems to be bullet proof.

 

[ayeayeron]

Hornwort grows like a WEED. Java fern is like impossible to kill. For me Amazon Swords grow really well, even with no ferts.

 

[ProudPapa]

Hornwort grows like a WEED. Java fern is like impossible to kill. For me Amazon Swords grow really well, even with no ferts.

Not for me. I've tried several times, and it always dies a horrible screaming death. Maybe it doesn't like my 8.2 pH water?

 

[Dennis57]

Red Tiger Lotus is a very easy plant to grow. I get all mine from Dustinsfishtank

 

[kansas]

Thank you all! This is great. I just wish my LFS carried more of these. I have a bunch of Alternanthera Reineckii (sold as Cardinalis in a tiny bag with gel at Petsmart - I guess it could be Alternanthera Cardinalis). I planted it when I first started the aquarium and it thrived. I then bought some more about 2 weeks ago and about 1/2 of the 2nd batch melted - I had to vacuum it out today. Maybe it was on the shelf too long. My experience with Rotala (Indica I beleive) is that it depends on where I planted it. I noticed in one corner it thrived, and in the other side of the tank it dies. No clue how that's even possible as it'll literally look beautiful, grow, send off branches, and then die. As plants die, I'll replace them with the suggestions you all made. Wish me luck! (I really want to try the Rotala Colorata. But I'm not putting it in the "corner of death".)

I've had good luck with mail order plants.

 

[jkkgron2]

Red Tiger Lotus is a very easy plant to grow. I get all mine from Dustinsfishtank

Doesn’t it emit something that stops other plants growth?

 

[ayeayeron]

Not for me. I've tried several times, and it always dies a horrible screaming death. Maybe it doesn't like my 8.2 pH water?

Really? I had it for 2 months and it grew 3 feet long.

 

[ProudPapa]

Really? I had it for 2 months and it grew 3 feet long.

Yes, really. Is your water high pH also?

 

[ayeayeron]

Yes, really. Is your water high pH also?

Nope, mine comes out at 6.0. That might be what it is then

 

[Dennis57]

Doesn’t it emit something that stops other plants growth?

If you let them get overgrow. But then again alot of plants that get big will kill smaller plants. I have these in my 4 tanks for over 5 years, every week when I do water changes I trim all my plants back.

 

[jkkgron2]

If you let them get overgrow. But then again alot of plants that get big will kill smaller plants. I have these in my 4 tanks for over 5 years, every week when I do water changes I trim all my plants back.

Can I see a picture of yours? Also, how well would this work in a 40g? Sorry for all the questions, I almost ordered it a few days ago but decided against it because it can harm other plants (just didn’t know it had to be big to do that. Thanks!).

 

[Cooperman411]

I have one red tiger lily that I grew from a cheap set I got from Petsmart or Petco. It's absolutely beautiful and though it took almost 2 weeks to even sprout - maybe more - but once it did it took off. I should have bought more. And yes, Dennis57 - photos please.

 

[Dennis57]

I have one red tiger lily that I grew from a cheap set I got from Petsmart or Petco. It's absolutely beautiful and though it took almost 2 weeks to even sprout - maybe more - but once it did it took off. I should have bought more. And yes, Dennis57 - photos please.

 

[Dennis57]

Can I see a picture of yours? Also, how well would this work in a 40g? Sorry for all the questions, I almost ordered it a few days ago but decided against it because it can harm other plants (just didn’t know it had to be big to do that. Thanks!).

 

[jkkgron2]

Wow! I’m definitely getting one!

 

[Dennis57]

Wow! I’m definitely getting one!

It takes about 2 weeks from when you plant them but then they take off. I use root tabs, iron, and nilocg thrive

 

[Cody]

I love Crypts. With an all in one Fert and okay or better lighting they grow nice with a lot of variety of shapes and colors

 

[Cooperman411]

So I started having some algae issues. Nothing major but enough to bother me. Anyway, I turned my lighting down from 10 hours to 8 hours a day and down to 80% brightness. I then noticed after a few weeks my new alternatnthera was melting. I had some that I'd planted a month earlier and it was always fine and never melted but grew well. Now even some of it is melting but much slower and not as severely as the new plants. Could the lower lighting cause the melting?