Looking for new plants

So I have been taking classes in MississippI for the past two months, and my mom has been taking care of my tank for me. She has had trouble with my plants and is convinced they will be gone by the time I get back -thankfully I kept some old fake cloth plants so the tank won't be empty. But, I am looking for plants online and would like some faster growing plants for the tank I was thinking Amazon sword and maybe baby tears? Would anyone have other suggestions??

 

I've had my best luck with bulb plants that you would buy at Perco or pet smart (not the lily pads though). I had those a few years Ago and they were beautiful after a month when they were fully grown. The best looking of the bulbs are in the common bulb assortment, the only bad part is they will die off after a year and leave a new bulb through a runner and the new bulbs are not as full so you might want to buy a new batch every 6 months or so if you want your tank lush and full year round. These plants grew under a fluorescent light with no dosing of frets but a heavy fish load.

A little too much typing oops but I hope this helps and I think I'll go buy a couple packs of bulbs for my 75g

 

HI there

What's your setup like? (High light, Low light, CO2, ferts? What sort of fish do you have?) If you give us a few more details, we'll be able to recommend some appropriate plants for your tank!.

 

The tank, a 20L, is in front of a window right now but will be moved later to another area, so eventually low light. I use a couple in water ferts, and am trying to get my mom to buy root tabs while I'm away, but I can't name them off the top of my head. I use an in water CO2 booster when I do water changes. I have a school of gold barbs, a nerite snail, two ADF, and a female betta that I know I'll get called out for having in a community tank.

I can't do anything to the tank myself right now, but I can around the beginning of next month and I am planning on ordering plants before I leave MississippI so that when I get home I'll be able to handle them myself. Any positive information I might be able to pass to my mom would also be helpful. I walked her through all of the basics of upkeep on the tank before I left, but you can never predict what might happen over time.

Thanks for all the advice present and future

 

Amazon swords get huge and 20L converts to about 5 gallons so just be prepared for it to take over your tank. They are heavy root feeders so root tabs are great. Java ferns are fine in low light, I have a few that I keep under a regular LED light and they're been shooting off plantlets like crazy. Anubias I've read are slow growing but are fine in low light as well. Baby tears will probably require more light to thrive however.

If your tank really is a 5gallon/ 20L, you may have some stocking issues to address when you get back if you'd like to discuss

 

Sorry, it's a 20 Long I typed the whole word but my phone autocorrected because I didn't space it away from the number . Thanks for the plant choices though! Now I have a good starting point

 

Is it a 20 LONG or a 20 LITER?

If it is a 20 liter, I agree with Lchi87 a 5 gallon tank is too small for amazon swords....

EDIT NEVER MIND, you clarified that as I was typing!

 

Lol. Anyway I do have a 5 gallon that I am currently not using would using it as a plant growing tank be useful?? Just a thought since my mom wants me to get rid of it unless I can use it for something!

 

Use it as a QT!

 

Use it as a QT!

Great idea! And the QT tank can be planted as well

 

Sounds good! I never thought of a planted QT tank I thought they had to be bare.

 

Sounds good! I never thought of a planted QT tank I thought they had to be bare.

I don't think they have to be bare......I can't imagine why they would need to be.....other than maybe making it easier to clean? I don't know. Maybe people may CHOOSE to keep it bare because they only set up the QT when they need it? rather than keeping up all the time?

Anyone correct me if I am wrong....but I believe a planted QT would be just fine. In fact the fish that are being QTd would probably benefit by it!

 

Java fern, ludwigia repens, bacopa, anubias, water wisteria, and crypts are all easy, relatively low light plants I can think of!

 

I don't think they have to be bare......I can't imagine why they would need to be.....other than maybe making it easier to clean? I don't know. Maybe people may CHOOSE to keep it bare because they only set up the QT when they need it? rather than keeping up all the time?

Anyone correct me if I am wrong....but I believe a planted QT would be just fine. In fact the fish that are being QTd would probably benefit by it!

I don't see why a planted QT would be an issue. I see it as another method of filtration. I have Java fern growing in mine. I put plants in QT for a little while after I first get them to catch any hitch hiking snails!

 

I forgot to mention that I have sand as the substrate right now, but am going to be replacing half of that with medium gravel. I know that root tabs are a must for sand (why I'm trying to get my mom to buy some since I couldn't before I left). But would a different fert be better for the plants planted in gravel, or could I still use the root tabs (my nerite and barbs might try to eat it if they could??)

 

I think the root tabs will be sufficient. My nerite and fish don't bother my root tabs so you should be fine

 

Root tabs are fine in gravel!