I need help growing plants.

[Rosko420]

Hi everybody, I’m wanting to start using live plants in my aquarium as I only use fake plants at moment, but I have some questions..

Can i put plants in a tank that’s already cycled?
Do I need to remove my current gravel/substrate and add soil or can I grow with gravel in my aquarium?

Obviously I will and want to start of with the most simple plants to grow. And easiest to look after. Any suggestions? If possibly could somebody give me a list of things I might need to start using live plants? Thanks.

 

[ruud]

Can i put plants in a tank that’s already cycled?

Cycling is never-ending...
Yes, you can add plants in a tank that contains bacteria.

Do I need to remove my current gravel/substrate and add soil or can I grow with gravel in my aquarium?

Choose according to your personal preference. If you have a hard time growing plants, don't blame the substrate...

Obviously I will and want to start of with the most simple plants to grow. And easiest to look after. Any suggestions? If possibly could somebody give me a list of things I might need to start using live plants? Thanks.

Choose obligate aquatic species; those that truly live submersed in their natural habitat. Genus: Ceratophyllum, Myriophyllum, Vallisneria, Potamogeton, Hottonia, Elodea. Cryptocoryne are bullet-proof too.

These plants require.....(drumroll)....tap water.

They also benefit from extra macro-nutrients (nitrates, potassium, phosphates), which you can give on a need to have basis = leaves turning yellow. They'll store these minerals in their tissue and relocate them where and when needed.

 

[BeachCruiser]

Your ability to grow aquarium plants will depend greatly on your light source. Most light hoods that come with tanks are of minimal strength & not really well suited for robust growth.

What type of fish you keep is another factor. Some popular types just love snacking on or digging up tender greenery.

A couple of good beginner plants are the various Anubias & Java Fern types. These only require low light & are very forgiving of soil type since they are most often attached to rock or wood rather than planted. Both of these are very slow growing & rarely require maintenance.

 

[kansas]

Use an all in one fertilizer like Easy Green or Thrive. If some plants don't grow well in your tank, try some others. Some very common plants like java moss wysteria won't grow in mine, but crypts, vals, anubius, and frogbit do very well.

 

[QandD]

If you have gravel substrate, it might be a bit harder to work with rooted plants. I agree that rhizome plants that you can attach to driftwood or rocks would work well. You could also try some low-key floating plants.