Beginning With Plants

HI everyone! I’m looking to put some live plants in my aquarium. I haven’t done any research on them yet, and would like some advice on what plants would be best for a beginner and how to care for them. Thanks in advance!

 

The two easiest hardiest low light plants I know of are java moss and java fern. Other easy ones are anubias species, crypt, moneywort(in moderately light aquariums).
For care as long as you are producing enough nitrates from the fish you shouldn’t need to dose liquid Fertilizer unless a deficiency develops. A good light is need preferably full spectrum. Also for crypt they do best with root tabs( I use seachem)

 

What is your

Tank size
How many and what inhabitants
Light source
Substrate


If your substrate is gravel, I would change it before getting into plants. I would switch it to sand personally. This will make it easier to plant plants and grow more things. If you have gravel, I would recommend ferns, anubias, swords, and moss. Has they can be attached to wood/rock and you can just leave alone. Also, they require minimal light.

 

I'll offer a different perspective:

(1) Ferts are a small ongoing cost to ensure some degree of good growth. In the absence of ferts, you're really banking on your tank to have the right concentration of all necessary micro and macronutrients. Nitrate/phosphate mightn't be a problem depending on stocking and feeding, but potassium and iron are found in little amounts in tap water.

Pick up a bottle of NilocG ThriveS and dose according to the bottle instructions. If you're feeling more adventurous, pick up a packet of monopotassium phosphate, potassium nitrate and Plantex CSM-B which will likely last you a year for a smaller cost.

If your tank is relatively small and/or there is adequate water circulation, then forego the root tabs. Plants are able to take up nutrients from both the water column and the substrate.

(2) It's true that gravel can be a little difficult to plant things in due to the lack of compaction around underdeveloped roots. Get some aquascaping tweezers and it'll make it easier. But otherwise just stick with a substrate that's pleasing to the eye. Most plants can more-or-less be grown in any sort of substrate, whether sand, gravel or soil. Moreover, while each does its advantages, they also have their own disadvantages (sand can lead to a build-up of anaerobic zones that leads to pockets of toxic methane/hydrogen sulfide, soil can turn to a slurry over time that causes turbidity issues whenever the substrate is disturbed).

 

Everything above^, but the key thing to know when you're starting out is what level of lighting you have. Light controls growth rate and what types of plants you'll be able to sustain, and growth rate/plant mass controls fertilizer and CO2.

 

HI guys! Thanks for the advice. I just purchased an anubias barterI to begin with. We’ll see how it goes!

 

JAVA FERN AND JAVA MOSS.

THey are fast growing and just look amazing. I have both, my javamoss is doing great and by java fern has just exploded in less than a month. It has made baby java ferns (new roots at end of big leaf) and it has new leaves. I don't use a special light, no sunlight, no co2. Its just great, really brightens your tank up.

The anubias is cool too but I heard they are slow growers. Maybe this is not true. But I prefer fast growing plants. Anyways, hope you find the plant right for you. Good luck.