Any suggestions for beginner's plants?

I want a planted tank like Akari's 10 gallon. My tank has no live plants right now and I'm not sure what the light wattage is. It came in a Top Fin 10 gallon kit.

I want something that is hardy, isn't picky about lighting, and fairly common (common enough to see it at a chain LFS like PetSmart).


I got on my list Java Fern and Anubias but I noticed there are a lot of subspecies of it and I was wondering if it was all the same.

Thanks in advance!

 

Its funny I should be the first one to click on this

All my plants are listed in my info (just click on my username!). I find that they all do well for me, without much extra help

 

I just read through like all 20 pages of your 10 gallon planted thread! That's where my inspiration came from

Thanks! I'm also on a student budget but it doesn't help that it seems like live plants are super expensive :-X

 

I use coupons! You can use Pet Supermarket and PetCo coupons at PetSmart I think I spent like $200 at least on that tank XD Don't tell my mom But that was before I started using coupons lol I bet I could have done it at less than 1/2 the price >=3

I'll see if I can find a few good coupons for you...

 

Does the tank have florectent or incandecent lighting? The incandecent bulbs are easily replaced with aquarium CFLs.

Here is what I have in my 10gal:

Thelanthera rosefolia
Marimo moss
Java fern
Java moss
Cryptocoryne wendtiI green
Cryptocoryne wendtiI red
Anubias nana
Aponogeton

Just added last week:
Corkscrew val
Anacharis
Dwarf sag
2 baby swords ( 1 amozon, 1 ozelot will later be moved when they get too big)
Micro sword ( this one does need higher lighting)

 

seattle wa! awesome! welcome to the site and its great to see another washingtonian on here haha. yeah plants tend to be on the spendy side. you can get them for around 5 bucks a pop at your lfs, I know I payed like 14 dollars for 2 micro sword plants and 1 brazilian sword at petco here locally. best of luck with your tank can't wait to see how it turns out. you may also want to look into DIY co2 systems for your plants, even though your plants can do without it (I don't have it) but if your heavily planted they will definantly benefit from supplementry CO2.

 

Plants





If you click on my inventory you will see all the plants that I have listed. All of them were purchased at either Petco or Petsmart. I never had grown an aquatic plant before, and the plants are doing great. So, I would consider them beginner plants.

Wendy

 

Coupons:

PetCo

Pet Supermarket




If you use these together on a $25 order, you can save $9 off of it I always print out a few of them so I can go shopping more than once LOL

 

I use coupons! You can use Pet Supermarket and PetCo coupons at PetSmart I think I spent like $200 at least on that tank XD Don't tell my mom But that was before I started using coupons lol I bet I could have done it at less than 1/2 the price >=3
I'll see if I can find a few good coupons for you...

That would be awesome! I probably spent around $200 on my 10 gallon itself too and people think that dogs are expensive... LOL!

Does the tank have florectent or incandecent lighting? The incandecent bulbs are easily replaced with aquarium CFLs.

I got this tank in a Top Fin Kit so I think it is incandescant.

seattle wa! awesome! welcome to the site and its great to see another washingtonian on here haha. yeah plants tend to be on the spendy side. you can get them for around 5 bucks a pop at your lfs, I know I payed like 14 dollars for 2 micro sword plants and 1 brazilian sword at petco here locally. best of luck with your tank can't wait to see how it turns out. you may also want to look into DIY co2 systems for your plants, even though your plants can do without it (I don't have it) but if your heavily planted they will definantly benefit from supplementry CO2.

It's hard to find Washington-ers on here! Would fish be affected by co2? Also I have double filtration and an air pump, would that exhaust all the co2 in the water?

 

Would PetSmart allow you to use both on the same transaction? Also, we don't have a Pet Supermarket here (I think) would they still accept it?

 

I have read about lots of people running CO2 with fish in their tanks and haven't heard of any negative consequences and to be honest I'm not sure about the CO2 being filtered out. I'm a noob as well so I can't answer all the questions but I hope somebody can! I will have double filtration and a pump on my tank as well here in a week or so. so I would like to know the answer as well lol

 

also have you looked into aquabid.com before? I've been looking into it and they have a lot of great deals on there. (kinda like ebay for aquariums) feel free to check it out have bulk plant deals on there as well.

here is an example

 

Yep, they will! You just can't use two of the same competitor stores coupons $'s off coupons on the same order.

Like say you had a $25 order. You could use a PetCo $5 off $25 order coupon, a Pet SuperMarket $4 off a $20 order, a PetLand $5 off $25 order, and so on. YOu could even go as far to use coupons that are for specific items as well. Like say I had a free Greenies coupon, too. I could get that free Greenies, an well as spend $25 on other stuff and use my $'s off an order coupons.

Just ask them first. I forget that Pet SuperMarket is still a southern-type store lol

 

I would order all my fish stuff online but I find that total cost of shipping and the actual product makes up for the cheap prices


That PetCo coupon is only valid on 4/14 and 4/15. Hmm, I wonder if Petco would still take it

 

When I say "order" I don't mean online lol I'm a cashier, so I'm used to saying that lol

 

No lol I was replying to ivonko when I said order. Sorry too lazy to quote = confusion to others.

 

Actually, sometimes it's cheaper ordering from an online seller... like me... Except you have longer wait periods.

Frogbit is a really easy floating plant and helps control algae by stealing nutrients.

 

No lol I was replying to ivonko when I said order. Sorry too lazy to quote = confusion to others.

Oh, my bad! LOL

 

Java moss and lacefern are good plants too, they might even decide to take over your tank. The lacefern is a really fast growing plant which is perfect for filling up any extra space in your aquarium and will need to be trimmed quite often, and the moss can easily be attached to decorations.

 

yeah sometimes online order+shipping= greater than in store, I usually just keep my eyes open on aquabid though sometimes you can get an awesome deal with free shipping, you can also look into the guys here on the site like zeez for example I'm sure some of them would be willing to hook you up for a fair deal.
good luck!

 

I have ordered plants from aquabid a feww times, there is a seller I always buy from his prices are reasonable. While I did spend
More on shipping than the plants, the last order was around $14 for three plants, plus I got a free plant ( one reason I like this seller) if you order online like that, I suggest ordering as many as you can at one time from the same person, you can fit quite a few plants in 1 package, so shipping usually is pretty much the same for 1 plant or 10.

 

I wouldn't even suffer the brain damage of CO2 unless you are interested in seriously upgraded lighting and running a regime of fertilizers. Without those other 2 aspects CO2 really won't get you much.

You are getting really good advice. All of the java ferns, all of the anubias, and crypts will be good.

Careful of crypts because they often "melt" when transplanted into your tank. They will come back in short order.

Another cool, low light, easy care plant I'm having tons of luck with is hydrocotyle leucocephala (Brazilian pennywort).

Mosses won't do you wrong either.

Finally, I've had really good luck with the anubias and java fern you can buy in tubes at the PetCo/Smart stores. Outside of those two plants most of the other varieties sold in tubes ARE NOT aquatic plants even though they are sold as such. Just do a quick google search on anything you buy...before you buy. Just a cautionary note.

You are gonna love your planted tank. I'd love to see pictures of your bowl! I'm planning a set of planted bowls right now
Cheers!

 

I've also bought my Amazon and Argentine Swords from those tubes. If you have a smart phone, you can look up the scientific name right in the store, and see if its something that will work. PetSmart I have no problems with buying bog plants, because they actually mark what is aquatic and what is semi-aquatic, but PetCo are jerks and just like your money

 

I've also bought my Amazon and Argentine Swords from those tubes. If you have a smart phone, you can look up the scientific name right in the store, and see if its something that will work. PetSmart I have no problems with buying bog plants, because they actually mark what is aquatic and what is semi-aquatic, but PetCo are jerks like your money

That's right, they do sell swords in tubes. So it must be PetCo that mislabels.

My smart phone has helped me a BUNCH with fish and plants in the LFS

PS, why is my money a jerk?

 

PetCo *doesn't* label, that's the problem lol

Oh, whoops lol Forgot a word XD

 

sometimes you can play on a lfs employee's lack of knowledge, example:

Me: *buying the fish I came to get, spot a nub of anachris in a tank* "Can you throw in that little dead leaf so it has something to nibble on the way home?" *bats eyelashes*
Bumbling Employee: "Sure"

A month later, I have a little forest of anachris in my tank

~Note, this method works best with a low cut shirt

 

....

~Note, this method works best with a low cut shirt

 

Thanks for all the responses. I would order things online but I don't have a paypal either


I returned something at PetSmart and got some Java fern in a tube with the returned money. It looks real but it was in really bad condition. There about about 10 leaves and I split it in two. Basically all of the leaves have some little thing wrong with it so I can't really prune all of them. The roots are really short and almost all the way gone.
I rubber-banded the plant onto my driftwood. I have some leaves that fell off during the process. They have no connection to any root at all. I included it in the bunch anyways. I also split a tab of fert and I placed it in the bunch.

Should I just throw away the unconnected leaves? Will be java survive? SIDE NOTE: Since the ferts have a bunch of minerals like iron, will my snail be affected by it?

 

so I must have the worst Petsmart ever because I have never seen tubes with plants! All they have is bamboo (not aquatic) mondo grass, and anacharis. None of these seem like they would be good for a beginner plant guy so I haven't been able to get any yet.

 

~Note, this method works best with a low cut shirt

So not fair!!! If I batted my eyelashes and wore a low cut shirt, they would just call security!

 

Thanks for all the responses. I would order things online but I don't have a paypal either


I returned something at PetSmart and got some Java fern in a tube with the returned money. It looks real but it was in really bad condition. There about about 10 leaves and I split it in two. Basically all of the leaves have some little thing wrong with it so I can't really prune all of them. The roots are really short and almost all the way gone.
I rubber-banded the plant onto my driftwood. I have some leaves that fell off during the process. They have no connection to any root at all. I included it in the bunch anyways. I also split a tab of fert and I placed it in the bunch.

Should I just throw away the unconnected leaves? Will be java survive? SIDE NOTE: Since the ferts have a bunch of minerals like iron, will my snail be affected by it?

I find the tubey Java Ferns don't do too well. I have three (two of the regular ones, and one Windelov), and of three, only one is very happy. Since all the leaves have damage, it's gunna be hard getting back to being healthy, and since these plants are super slow growing, it'll take a long time. Hopefully the plant is smart enough to send up new leaves rather than waste its energy on the dead leaves...

Jave fern takes its nutrients from the water column, so roots tabs do nothing for it You'll want some Flourish Comprehensive, or API Leaf Zone, or something.

 

I would go ahead and attach the stem end of the leaves because the java ferns that come in the tubes usually don't have much rhizome once you split them out of the bundle. They should be fine. If not, just pitch em later.

I would skip the fert tabs, don't need em. If you would like, look at my tanks, I don't use ferts of any kind.

 

PS if weird brown fuzzy spider things start to grow out of your java ferns....run for your life.

 

Thanks for all the responses!

I'll take the tabs out tomorrow morning (unless it dissolved and already made a mess). I do have liquid fert from a couple of years ago. I'm not sure if it's still effective. It's one of the tetra brand ones. I'll check the name tomorrow

When I first got it there was like 3 of the fuzzy spider like things and I was legit scared to touch it. Lol how nooby of me. But it is a "baby" fern right?

 

Once the leaves are damaged, it'll stay that way, the plant can't repair them but it doesn't mean the plant will die. Baby java ferns will grow on the older leaves, starts off as brown strings (roots) and then tiny leaves form.

 

Exactly as mosaic guppy said. Even ugly leaves can sprout new ferns and start a rhizome that will grow new leaves, personally I would just attach them and worse case scenario, throw them away after a few weeks if they don't show any signs of rhizome growth or sproutlets.

I would also be very careful with ferts and low light plants. Java ferns are slow growers and it is pretty easy to make a playground for fast growing algae with high nutrient levels in the water column.

 

HI everyone, newbie here with the same question as OP.
I have incandescent bulbs as well- is it impossible to grow even the low light plants under incandescent? And it it is, about how much is it to get appropriate lighting? Thanks

 

HI everyone, newbie here with the same question as OP.
I have incandescent bulbs as well- is it impossible to grow even the low light plants under incandescent? And it it is, about how much is it to get appropriate lighting? Thanks

First thing you should do is create your own topic

 

I figured since my question was exactly the same, I'd continue reading this thread rather than clutter the forum with several like minded threads. I'll apologize to Legures if he felt his toes were stepped on.

 

Its ok Theres also a search feature at the top of the page.

But typically, low light plants don't care what kind of light it is, as long as they get some.