Plants Recommendations

[LHAquatics]

Can I get some plant recommendations? I am thinking a vallisneria wall in the background. And a tiger lily someone there too to add a contrast. I want a low-tech set -up. Open for new ideas!

 

[ProudPapa]

When someone asks for plant recommendations I default to crypts. They do great in low tech tanks, and are available in a wide range of colors, leaf shape, and size.

Vals in the background are a good option, assuming your tank is tall enough. It grows to the top of my 65 gallon tank and then lays over, so I wouldn't recommend it for any tank that isn't at least that tall.

 

[tinylostwine]

It helps a little to mention if you have hard or soft water as some plants do better in soft water and other in hard water.

Most commonly sold plants will do well in a range but some still do better depending on the type of water. After all I can get growth like this with the right plants and no co2 or magic wand:


However with the wrong type of plants for my water condition i would end up with a barren tank instead of one flushed with plants 18 to 20 months.



In my case i have extremely soft water as in no minerals or kh and the primary plants are nana daisy vals and big bear sword plants (common name) as well as a few anubias and buces. I don't have a crypt in this aquarium but the sister aquarium has wenditti which grows well and becketti (which grows very slow as well as affinis).

If your water is hard some (but not all) species of vals seem to do well but i can't comment first hand as I keep mostly south american dwarf cichild which prefer softer water - the softer the better.

 

[bgarthe]

Hygrophyllla angustiflora

You can grow it short or tall. It is easily cut for propagation and it sways in the water. Fish can swim in, around, and through it. If I still had live plants, this would be it.

 

[DaveKS]

Crypt Undulatus Red would be great plant to put in front of that sponge filter to hide it. One of the med sized crypts that tops out around 9-10”. Wonderful red color when healthy. Check out photo 7 on this page.

https://www.aquascapeguide.com/prod...ZHX4tusulgFJA8A3O8vqBpv025K5riPg-QaN4buA6gvcl

There is also a Broadleaf variety about same height whose color heads more into the brownish red.

 

[Lucifer]

This is my low tech, low light, low maintenance 7ft 55G skinny tank. 3+ years old now.
So if I can grow stuff in this tank anyone can. Also algae free. Having sufficient quantity of plants is a good start.

- Val
- Amazon swords
- Blyxa japonica
- Ludwigia
- Litte bit left of java fern
- Hygrophila Corymbosa (Blue stricta)
- Pearl weed
- Star grass
- Limnophila Sessiliflora

All easy plants and should be mostly easy to come by too.

The one glaring omission here is a crypt. I have Crypt Wendtii brown in my high tech tanks ironically. Its one of my favourite plants and will look to add into this tank too soon.

 

[bgarthe]

Now that is a nice looking tank Lucifer. That skinny tank is cool. Where did you find it?

 

[Lucifer]

Now that is a nice looking tank Lucifer. That skinny tank is cool. Where did you find it?

Thanks this was my first tank in the hobby lol.
As the story goes, I went to a plant yard sale, and sitting amongst the clutter was a whole heap of really old tanks and this was one of them. It was an old couple and they said they were into aquariums 25-30 years ago and the tank had been sitting there ever since. Paid a whole $25 so pretty good bargain I thought.

 

[bgarthe]

A bargain indeed.

 

[DaveKS]

This is my low tech, low light, low maintenance 7ft 55G skinny tank. 3+ years old now.
So if I can grow stuff in this tank anyone can. Also algae free. Having sufficient quantity of plants is a good start.

- Val
- Amazon swords
- Blyxa japonica
- Ludwigia
- Litte bit left of java fern
- Hygrophila Corymbosa (Blue stricta)
- Pearl weed
- Star grass
- Limnophila Sessiliflora

All easy plants and should be mostly easy to come by too.

The one glaring omission here is a crypt. I have Crypt Wendtii brown in my high tech tanks ironically. Its one of my favourite plants and will look to add into this tank too soon.

Absolutely stunning display, 20 bonus points awarded.

You should look at like something like a barclaya longifolia for a bigger/broader pop of red just out of center towards right plus a nice twiggy driftwood branch to go along side it.

Thanks this was my first tank in the hobby lol.
As the story goes, I went to a plant yard sale, and sitting amongst the clutter was a whole heap of really old tanks and this was one of them. It was an old couple and they said they were into aquariums 25-30 years ago and the tank had been sitting there ever since. Paid a whole $25 so pretty good bargain I thought.

Dude that is awesome. Would love to hear how you planned out flow and circulation in this long and narrow of a tank.

Is this simply one of those high water volume in at one end, high water volume out at water exit end type tanks?

 

[Lucifer]

Absolutely stunning display, 20 bonus points awarded.

You should look at like something like a barclaya longifolia for a bigger/broader pop of red just out of center towards right plus a nice twiggy driftwood branch to go along side it.


Dude that is awesome. Would love to hear how you planned out flow and circulation in this long and narrow of a tank.

Is this simply one of those high water volume in at one end, high water volume out at water exit end type tanks?

Thanks. If I'm honest i don't pay a great deal of attention to this tank. It kind of runs without much effort luckily. The plants do grow fairly slow though due to low light, no CO2 and reduced ferts. I'm happy with that though. I have two high tech tanks which are the opposite

Very good question on the flow and almost certain it could be improved. When I first set it up I had the canister output I think somewhere near the middle. These days I have the inlet/outlet both at the same end. It does seem to work fairly well though. Using a Fluval 407. Mostly full of sponge and foam, it seems to work better and make the aquarium cleaner than the traditional biomedia which I mostly took out. Possibly the far third of the tank doesn't quite get enough circulation, but it does give the fish some varied conditions if they want out of any current.

 

[fishpama]

Java fern. They thrive a little too well, though. I have one in a ten gallon tank and honestly it looks kinda cramped. But really low effort, doesn't even need substrate. Not sure about light needs. My snails love it.

 

[DaveKS]

Mostly full of sponge and foam, it seems to work better and make the aquarium cleaner than the traditional biomedia which I mostly took out.

Biological media in filters is paltry compared to amount of biological filtering capacity happening in that tanks substrate bed.

You should try putting input on one end, output on other. The input end will still be pretty quiet simply because it’s so far away from output nozzle.