Are these plants good for a low tech tank?

Im going to buy some plants for my tank and ive decided on these. from my research they should be good but i want to check with some real people along with google. They all are listed at low light plants. i plan on using seachem flourish advance and seachem flourish tabs. thanks!
cryptocoryne wendtii green
cryptocoryne beckettii
dwarf sagittaria subulata
cryptocoryne wendtii brown
staurogyne repens
hornwort
crypocoryne costata

 

Yes, but expect all of those cryptocorynes to melt before and be be somewhat disappointing at first. Start with root tabs instead of liquid fertilizer.

 

ok thanks! When they melt will they eventually turn pretty again?

 

Don't think the S.repens is low light as far as I know.

 

Don't think the S.repens is low light as far as I know.

its a fairly easy plant. It may not spread and propagate in low tech like sag, but you will get a nice little bushy plant.

 

its a fairly easy plant. It may not spread and propagate in low tech like sag, but you will get a nice little bushy plant.

would glossostigma be a better choice?

 

I did a really good job of almost killing s Repens in my low light tank. I say almost because it’s still technically got two stems that are clinging to life lol

 

ok thanks! When they melt will they eventually turn pretty again?

Yes in the right substrate they will. I’m not sure what the size of the tank was, but be careful with Seachem advance in small low tech tanks. Initially products like Seachem advance, trace, potassium, iron, nitrogen, phosphorus, can lead to a horrific bloom of hair algae in a small tank, especially if you are using an air stone or sponge filter. I would use excel instead and your root tabs and see how things are going before you decide to use other products like advance. Advance is a great product for root development btw. All I’m trying to say is get to know your plant set up and your water before you pick and choose additives.

 

Yes in the right substrate they will. I’m not sure what the size of the tank was, but be careful with Seachem advance in small low tech tanks. Initially products like Seachem advance, trace, potassium, iron, nitrogen, phosphorus, can lead to a horrific bloom of hair algae in a small tank, especially if you are using an air stone or sponge filter. I would use excel instead and your root tabs and see how things are going before you decide to use other products like advance. Advance is a great product for root development btw. All I’m trying to say is get to know your plant set up and your water before you pick and choose additives.

Ok i will do that. i have snails in my tank and im worried that adding the root tabs will cause a nitrate spike and kill off my snails, is this a possibility? thank you for the help!

 

Also, my ph is pretty high at 8.2, will this pose a problem to my plants?

 

would glossostigma be a better choice?

not in my opinion. The majority of carpet plants are high tech. Lots of light and intensity and then you need CO2 for sure to combat algae. If the tank is deep this is more difficult than if the tanks is shallow. My opinion for what it’s is worth, is if you go low tech stay away from carpet plants. Sag is my recommendation if you want a spreading plant that can eventually carpet an aquarium.

 

not in my opinion. The majority of carpet plants are high tech. Lots of light and intensity and then you need CO2 for sure to combat algae. If the tank is deep this is more difficult than if the tanks is shallow. My opinion for what it’s is worth, is if you go low tech stay away from carpet plants. Sag is my recommendation if you want a spreading plant that can eventually carpet an aquarium.

ok, do you mean dwarf sagittaria?

 

Ok i will do that. i have snails in my tank and im worried that adding the root tabs will cause a nitrate spike and kill off my snails, is this a possibility? thank you for the help!

I’m not a snail guy, so I will reserve that for people who know better. I keep assassin snails because I hate snails generally and they have survived in all my treated planted tanks, thrived, and breed. I can’t speak for any other type of snail.

 

ok, do you mean dwarf sagittaria?

Yes

 

The dwarf sagittaria will likely struggle and grow very little - at least in my tank i've not had much luck with low tech. The lights are middle grade (fluval plant 3.0); perhaps with brighter lights they might grow faster.

 

what about hygrophila difformis?

 

All those in the original post are good, but what is your light? Low light is still a pretty wide range. What substrate do you have?

Also, seachem root tabs won't leach nitrates, because they hardly have any. It would be better to get root tabs that are more nutritionally complete.
Seachem advance is also not a fertilizer, it's more like plant hormones. Though you could use it together with a fertilizer if you really wanted to, there's really no need for it.

For more balanced fertilizers, try Nilocg ThriveC and their Thrive caps. All fertilizers are safe for aquatic life.

 

All those in the original post are good, but what is your light? Low light is still a pretty wide range. What substrate do you have?

Also, seachem root tabs won't leach nitrates, because they hardly have any. It would be better to get root tabs that are more nutritionally complete.
Seachem advance is also not a fertilizer, it's more like plant hormones. Though you could use it together with a fertilizer if you really wanted to, there's really no need for it.

For more balanced fertilizers, try Nilocg ThriveC and their Thrive caps. All fertilizers are safe for aquatic life.

My light is the light my tank came with, pretty sure it’s just regular led white light. My substrate is sand, not very fine though, it’s more course. Do i need both liquid fertilizer and tabs? Is there an all in one solution?

 

My light is the light my tank came with, pretty sure it’s just regular led white light. My substrate is sand, not very fine though, it’s more course. Do i need both liquid fertilizer and tabs? Is there an all in one solution?

Lights that come with tanks are generally not super great at growing plants. What's the light brand and tank height?

You don't absolutely need the root tabs, but to make up for it, you'd have to liquid dose the water column in the upper or slightly exceeding doses recommended on the bottle. There's a whole fertilizing method based on "overdosing" the water column called EI, which is completely safe, but people sometimes are scared of high fertilizer dosing. Not saying you would be, but unless you are 100% comfortable with using the higher or exceeding the higher recommended dose of the liquid, root tabs are helpful

Also, the more nutrients available, the more plants will grow. You may see crypts being called heavy root feeders, which they are not necessarily. They are just heavy feeders that will take nutrients from wherever they can get them

 

Lights that come with tanks are generally not super great at growing plants. What's the light brand and tank height?

You don't absolutely need the root tabs, but to make up for it, you'd have to liquid dose the water column in the upper or slightly exceeding doses recommended on the bottle. There's a whole fertilizing method based on "overdosing" the water column called EI, which is completely safe, but people sometimes are scared of high fertilizer dosing. Not saying you would be, but unless you are 100% comfortable with using the higher or exceeding the higher recommended dose of the liquid, root tabs are helpful

Also, the more nutrients available, the more plants will grow. You may see crypts being called heavy root feeders, which they are not necessarily. They are just heavy feeders that will take nutrients from wherever they can get them

ok, thank you! top fin is the brand and the height is 22 inches but with the sand it will be around 20. i plan on having it heavilyish planted with hopfully 16-18 plants. the tank itself is overstocked but only produces about 5-10ppm nitrates a week. i think i will buy both root tabs and liquid just because it does make me a bit nervous adding more than recommend of liquid. my concern about using a fertilizer with a higher concentrate of nitrate is mainly because of my inverts, as they can only handle 10ppm.

 

ok, thank you! top fin is the brand and the height is 22 inches but with the sand it will be around 20. i plan on having it heavilyish planted with hopfully 16-18 plants. the tank itself is overstocked but only produces about 5-10ppm nitrates a week. i think i will buy both root tabs and liquid just because it does make me a bit nervous adding more than recommend of liquid. my concern about using a fertilizer with a higher concentrate of nitrate is mainly because of my inverts, as they can only handle 10ppm.

Sounds good!
With that light, I would keep an eye on the dwarf sag and s.repens. It's also very hard to know exactly how much photosynthetically available light is being put out without using a PAR meter. Could be okay, but another light might also be a good investment.

 

what about hygrophila difformis?

Don’t know anything about that one.

 

Two plants i would suggest are myrio green and ambulia (either Limnophila sessiliflora or Limnophila Indica). These are not as common plants (well the myrio green is fairly common). These are a bit nicer than hornworth in that they are very soft and easy to grow in low tech tanks.

 

Sorry for the late reply but thank you all for your help! I placed an order for 17 plants! I got crypts, anubias, wisteria, Amazon sword, and dwarf sag! So exited!