Best background plants and some questions about plants

Hi guys. I am going to get straight to the point. I can't find any good background plants. Suggestions for good and easy background plants for a 20 gallon long?! Also, I have some questions. I think amazon swords would make good background plants but I think they will get wayyy too big for my 20 gallon long, right? Also, are water wisteria good background plants? Suggestions for good and easy background plants for a 20 gallon long?!

Also, can I just float water wisteria or does it have to be in the substrate?

 

moneywort is my favorite background plant right now. mine gets super tall and i think it fills the space nicely. I don’t love water wisteria, I’m not a huge fan of its appearance, but yes, you can float it.

 

I just set up a new 20 gallon long 4 days ago. I decided to only use 4 Types plants for the scape. The Background plants I’m using are Rotala wallichii and Hygrophila Angustifolia. So far so good.

 

First choice hygro Angustifolia. Alonlybetta beat me to it. It’s a great background plant. If your lighting is good it will keep its lower leaves as it grows to the top. Just cut it in half when it hits the top and replant the top. Plant grows forever and look very natural. Yes westeria can be floated. Westeria likes light and will cover the top of your tank. I suction cup a peice of driftwood to the sid3 of the tank about mid level or higher and attach it to that to keep it in one area. But it still grows long and needs to be cut back. Great plant for shrimp. Once those plants take off you can try some of the crypts in the back or crypt wendit as a foreground plant.

 

You'll need to trim them a lot in a 20. But I love vals for background.

 

Vals are great but establish the tank first. Vals have a tendency to melt in new tanks.

 

I absolutely love Rotala Rotundifolia, it you trim it once a week or so you can get really dense, bushy hedges with some pink to give them color. I feel like they’re one of those easy to grow plants that just look really sophisticated. I also like Amazon swords but after a few years they may get invasive as you said. Water wisteria is a general favorite but for some reason I haven’t been able to get it to grow much but for others it seems to be the fastest growing plant in the tank.

 

Thanks, guys! I will make sure to check out all those plants.

 

Pogostemon Octopus

 

Pogostemon Octopus

ok thx

Pogostemon Octopus

ok thx

Pogostemon Octopus

ok thx

 

1. If you like the looks of swords but want something smaller look into crypts. They have a similar shape but don't generally get as large.
2. I like water wisteria. You can leave it floating, but I prefer it rooted in the substrate.