Plants that can grow in inert soil with no ferts/root tabs

I really want a heavily planted tank but don't want the hassle of buying new root tabs or fertilizer and no co2. My current plant list is some vals, cabomba, dwarf hairgrass, cryptocorynes, and epiphytes. Are these valid and if not, can replacements be named? Thank you in advance

 

All plants need some sort of nutrients you would essentially by relying on your tanks stocking?

 

1 pea puffer
That's it.
And about a dozen shrimp

 

I think all of the plants you mention should be OK except perhaps the hairgrass which is rather more demanding. But it would ideally be good to use an all in one liquid fertilizer just occasionally, especially in the early stages.

 

Spread a handful of some kind of aquatic moss around and let it go.

 

I can confirm that Crypts do well in those conditions. Personally, I've had luck with Crypt wendti "bronze" and Crypt walkeri "lutea".

For epiphytes, Java Fern is always a win. Anubias works as well, but grows very slowly. There are lots of different species of Anubias of various shapes and sizes, getting a few of these can help diversify things. Pellia and hardy mosses like Java Moss and Christmas Moss work well, too, although they don't do well in warm water above the high 70s. Hygrophila corymbosa also has done well for me with medium light but no fertilizers and CO2.

In my experience, Dwarf Hair Grass and to a lesser extent Cabomba don't do as well without fertilizer or a nutrient rich substrate.

The Vals vary a lot in if they'll accept no fertilizers. Make sure to research the specific species you're getting to see if it will be suitable. Some are definitely hardier than others.

 

would these grow in an inert substrate. My plant list:
Anubias nana petite
carpet of staurogyne repens or monte carlo
salvinia
duckweed
Ludwigia repens
guppy grass
creeping charlies
bacopa australis
Thinking about adding dirt and then letting the biological waste and mulm do the rest

 

Anubis duck weed guppy grass should be fine being water column feeders just have to make sure duckweed doesn't block to much light havent kept the others

 

would these grow in an inert substrate. My plant list:
Anubias nana petite
carpet of staurogyne repens or monte carlo
salvinia
duckweed
Ludwigia repens
guppy grass
creeping charlies
bacopa australis
Thinking about adding dirt and then letting the biological waste and mulm do the rest

I have not tried S. repens or Montecarlo. But somewhat similar to Montecarlo is pearlweed (Hemianthus micranthemoides), which grows like a weed for me with sand substrate and only occasional fertilization. Depending on how strong the light is it can grow into quite a tall bush so to make a carpet you would have to have bright light and keep trimming it, which is a bit of a pain. It looks nice as a bush though and provides good cover for fish. I have had also had good success with Vallisneria, Cabomba, Limnophila (Ambulia) and Hygrophila polysperma (not corymbosa) under these conditions and fairly low light. I never had success with Bacopa, and Anubias (only tried one) grew very slowly or not at all for me. Java ferns do fine. However all this may depend on water parameters and other factors so best to try a few and see which work best for you. As for floating plants duckweed grows quickly, gets everywhere and is notoriously difficult to remove. I have not tried Salvinia, but I find water lettuce (Pistia) to be very easy., though it grows differently in different tanks. In low nutrient, low light situations it grows very long roots, it is easy to remove when necessary as well.

 

carpet of staurogyne repens or monte carlo

Not without strong lights, a good heap of fertilizers and CO2. At least not for a carpet of those.

 

That's very, very lightly stocked. I'm not sure they will keep a heavily planted tank thriving. Especially with floating plants hogging what little nutrients there will be. How big is the tank by the way?

 

I'd recommend doing yourself a favor and using soil. Soil does all sorts of good things for the plants, and using it will make things easier on yourself. Once your soil is down, you can cap it with sand to keep it down and make things look nice.

You may or may not be able to get away with not fertilizing. Other than fish waste, you'll be dependent on your source water for a lot of things. It's a gamble.

Using an all-in-one liquid fertilizer isn't much of a hassle. And, if you use one, you're no longer gambling with your plants' nutrition needs.

Regarding your plant list, I'd probably remove cabomba, hairgrass, ludwigia, and bacopa. It's not that these can't work, but each can be a little more needy than others. The creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is not an aquatic plant (as far as I know), so I wouldn't go with that one either.

For this sort of tank, the plants that have done the best for me are: the more commonly available cryptocorynes, amazon swords, vallisneria, java moss, java fern, anubias, and bucephalandra.

 

I have not tried S. repens or Montecarlo. But somewhat similar to Montecarlo is pearlweed (Hemianthus micranthemoides), which grows like a weed for me with sand substrate and only occasional fertilization. Depending on how strong the light is it can grow into quite a tall bush so to make a carpet you would have to have bright light and keep trimming it, which is a bit of a pain. It looks nice as a bush though and provides good cover for fish. I have also had good success with Vallisneria, Cabomba, Limnophila (Ambulia), and Hygrophila polysperma (not corymbose) under these conditions and fairly low light. I never had success with Bacopa, and Anubias (only tried one) grew very slowly or not at all for me. Java ferns do fine. However, all this may depend on water parameters and other factors so best to try a few and see which work best for you. As for floating plants duckweed grows quickly, gets everywhere, and is notoriously difficult to remove. I have not tried Salvinia, but I find water lettuce (Pistia) to be very easy., though it grows differently in different tanks. In low nutrient, low light situations it grows very long roots, it is easy to remove when necessary as well.

Will look into pearlweed but I feel that the monte Carlo and the s. repens contrasts better.
repens would contrast nicely together a bit more than pearlweed.

Not without strong lights, a good heap of fertilizers and CO2. At least not for a carpet of those.

I'm using the light that comes with the fluval spec v kit which to my understanding is around 10 watts. Would miracle gro organic choice work as a fertilizer?

That's very, very lightly stocked. I'm not sure they will keep a heavily planted tank thriving. Especially with floating plants hogging what little nutrients there will be. How big is the tank by the way?

I heard that pea puffer are very messy with their poop and food but if it is that lightly stocked, would a pair or trio of puffers work? The layout is going to be one corner densely planted while the rest of the tank is just carpeting plants. The tank is 20 by 7 by 11 inches

I'd recommend doing yourself a favor and using soil. Soil does all sorts of good things for the plants, and using it will make things easier on yourself. Once your soil is down, you can cap it with sand to keep it down and make things look nice.

You may or may not be able to get away with not fertilizing. Other than fish waste, you'll be dependent on your source water for a lot of things. It's a gamble.

Using an all-in-one liquid fertilizer isn't much of a hassle. And, if you use one, you're no longer gambling with your plants' nutrition needs.

Regarding your plant list, I'd probably remove cabomba, hairgrass, ludwigia, and bacopa. It's not that these can't work, but each can be a little more needy than others. The creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is not an aquatic plant (as far as I know), so I wouldn't go with that one either.

For this sort of tank, the plants that have done the best for me are: the more commonly available cryptocorynes, amazon swords, vallisneria, java moss, java fern, anubias, and bucephalandra.

Would miracle gro organic choice potting mix work? I've asked on other forums and have a mostly positive opinion. I just don't think my parents would like the thought of buying root tabs or fertilizer at a constant rate.

Thank for the thoughts everyone. If per say, a trio or a pair of pea puffers is possible in a 5 gallon, can someone feed me ideas on what to use for more line of sight breaks?

 

I'm using the light that comes with the fluval spec v kit which to my understanding is around 10 watts. Would miracle gro organic choice work as a fertilizer?

10 watts is too little and I have never heard of that fertilizer. I just know both plants have to be blasted with light (which in turn ups the required fertilizers and CO2) to carpet and all that goes against your original question of "no fertilizers".

 

Another plant I forgot to mention before is Heteranthera zosterifolia, this can make a good ground cover in a low tech tank, though not the short, close growing carpet you are probably wanting to create. Here you can see it in the foreground, I do have to trim it occasionally, but not that often:

 

10 watts is too little and I have never heard of that fertilizer. I just know both plants have to be blasted with light (which in turn ups the required fertilizers and CO2) to carpet and all that goes against your original question of "no fertilizers".

The fertilizer is actually just a potting mix soil organic mix which has gained the approval from another forum. For the lighting, could you suggest a light suitable for this tank? I was thinking about one of the hygger lights. I might have to give in to liquid fertilizers so would you recommend one to me?

 

The fertilizer is actually just a potting mix soil organic mix which has gained the approval from another forum. For the lighting, could you suggest a light suitable for this tank? I was thinking about one of the hygger lights. I might have to give in to liquid fertilizers so would you recommend one to me?

I'm not a planted tank guy and I generally look at parameters and properties of a product, not brands. Plus if you live in North America I live between 6 and 10.000 kilometers from you. Hence the question for recommendations is not helpful. I don't know what products are available to you, and I made the experience that most stuff I use is not available on the other side of the pond.

I still don't know your final choices and plans, all recommendations would be based on that.

If you turn up your lights, nutrients and CO2 have to follow, same if you turn up one of the other factors. You want the two species you named as a carpet: Go full high-tech planted or you end up with a barely satisfying patchwork you won't like. Decide high-tech or low-tech and if something is not achievable with the other overthink what you really want.

 

I think I will do a patchy carpet of some plant. I won't expect it to grow into a full carpet. A lot of epiphytes and stem plants that don't need nutrients. Thank you all for your helpful

 

Would miracle gro organic choice potting mix work?

Yes. I think that soil should work well. Place about an inch or two of soil. Then, place about an inch or so of sand on top. It doesn't have to be exact.