Potential Plant Choices - Suitable or Not?

A little preface required first.

I am a self confessed serial killer of all things plants....even weeds in the garden tend to shudder and die when I go near them. I was born without green fingers or thumbs.

That said, My endeavours with Tiger Lotus bulbs has been successful in the aquariums (for reasons only known to them).

So, with the Tiger Lotus success in mind, I am seriously considering using actual plants in my 29 gallon and have drawn up a list of potential victims......erm....meant to say plants.....for the aquarium.

Within the aquarium currently is very well matured sand substrate, AquaEl Turbo 500 filtration with full venturi aeration, fully adjustable/dimmable Nicrew MCR RGB lighting with remote control and the use of only bottled mineral water (due to unusable tap water). No CO2 or ferts will be used......very anti-additive person. My aquariums have zero additives, not even dechlorinator since its not required......plants will need to get their munchies from what is around them only. My Tiger Lotus in the 53 gallon has gone into full on overdrive without anything added, so I want plants in the 29 to be able to handle that same situation. The pH is stable at 7.2, temp is stable 27.

So with that out of the way, this is my potential victim list that might replace the artificial planting.....I would appreciate any and all advice in regard to suitability for a plant serial killer like me to keep alive, easy of care/maintenance etc.

Anubias nana
Anubias heterophylla
Microsorum pteropus java fern
Hygrophila rosae australis
Dwarf hairgrass
Echinodorus grisebachii Bleherae
Echinodorus argentinensis
Echinodorus sp. Regine Hilderbrandt
Echinodorus ozelot leopard red
Echinodorus muricatus grandiflorus

The "minds eye" has the Echinodorus plants across the back and bushed into the right corner. The Java Fern down the right side. The Dwarf Hairgrass bushed together in the front left corner. Anubias dotted/stuck to hides amongst the larger plants. The Hygrophila in the front right corner. The light is at the back and angled 45 degrees to give a more even lighting across all areas.

Many thanks in advance

 

I believe the Swords have a high nutrient need, so you may need to fertilize for them. Hopefully others can comment.

You have a mix plants with different lighting needs as well, so be sure to plant accordingly so the anubias and java fern is not in the bright light you need for the hair grass.

 

If tiger lotus is doing so well, maybe you can try a somewhat related species - Nymphoides hydrophylla 'Taiwan'. Unlike tiger, it's light green, so provided it lives, it would provide a contrasting colour in a similar shape, might look nice.

Cannot comment on any plants you listed, because I haven't tried them, except Java fern, which I find particularly finicky. Barely grown for me in 2+ years.

 

Lol your quest to kill more plants is heading in the right direction!! You see plants like fish need to be fed. Without food most will melt away. So that said all of your swords will need some sort of root tab. Being you are against that if your tank is old there may be nutrients already in your sand. So you can try planting them and watching. Being you’re using bottled water I doubt there will be any in the water itself. What is there will come from the fish. You will need some sort of liquid fert. If there are nutrient in the sand the swords will eventually eat them all and grow very big. When the growth slows its time to add a root tab.

Your list has a lot of easier plants. The only one I would’nt use is the dwarf hair grass. No mater what you do it will most likely die. Now the next thing is plants coming into your tank will need to adjust. Many will melt. But don’t pull the roots yet. Give them a few months looking for growth. Some take longer than others to adjust. Most sword plants are grown emersed. When we submerse them the large leaves tend to melt off. May take days to months. But new leaves should appear. These will be thinner and longer.

 

Many thanks everyone who responded

I shall go back to the drawing board on the shopping list methinks......I spose the reasoning behind trying my hand at this greenery lark is cos I always get severely frowned upon for using artificial (I don't use the cheap and cheerful artificial, they are silicone from firms like Oase which are a little more expensive than most)

My main fear/worry/hang up is that I spend oodles of money on plants and then they fizzle within a week and the fish look at me like "You're flippin' useless at this plant lark really aren't you, eh?"

What I want to create in the minds eye rarely actually reaches reality (in pretty much everything I have a go at )

I want bushiness at the back and sides, tufty bits here and there in the front, a few rocks/wood with greenery attached.......must have a sandy area that stays clear for the Panda Cories to play in out front and plenty of lurking & loitering spots where the entire community can play hide and seek or go be in a bad mood in peace and quiet.

Sounds easy...when you know what the heck you are doing and you know one green leafed beastie from another (that ain't me)

 

Hey,

given that you have enough livestock to provide enough nitrates and phosphates, your list should mostly work.

Drop the hairgrass and swap the Hygrophila with a hygrophila polysperma. Literally the same plant without the "rosanervig" attribute, but much easier.

Echinodorus argentinensis would be right at the limit. Your tank is at 27°C, this species will start to whine at 28°C...so maybe swap that one out, too.

Regarding the Echinodorus in the back:

The Hildebrandt should be a little more to the front, as it only grows 15-20cm high.

For your plan, go as low with the lights as you can, but high enough so the plants don't die off. The plants will grow slower, but also use less nutrients, so you're less likely to run into nutrient deficiency.

Can you figure out how much lumens your light pushes out?

 

Can you figure out how much lumens your light pushes out?

Thank you for the advice on plant varieties, much appreciated

As for the lumen question......not a clue. I don't have the packaging and they are not made anymore. They dim down to what would be an extremely cloudy/ rain cloudy dark day and as bright as full midday sunshine.....and everything inbetween.

The Tiger Lotus in the 53 has become a rampant triffid in the space of about 2 months and other bulb type plants such as a Madagascan Lace, is also thriving quite nicely in the 53 (discovered that when doing a water change a few weeks ago and its still alive)

I never put the lights to full blast....the day starts with lowest setting blue and gradually brightens to low setting white, stays there for about 6 hours then down to darker white, then darkest blue. Total lights on time is never more than 7-8 hours a day and I change it with the remote control.

 

Any chance you could post a picture of the remote? Maybe I can figure something out.

 

Any chance you could post a picture of the remote? Maybe I can figure something out.

Here you go.....



The rampant triffid....aka Tiger Lotus...from above

 

58cm, tube style by any chance?

 

58cm, tube style by any chance?

The 29 is 58 and the 53 is 98

 

Okay then I would guess around 600-700 lumens for the 29g.
Definitely not too bright but might be enough for the plants you've chosen!

 

I agree on no hair grass and Hygrophila polysperma instead of H. australis. My tiger lotus grows well and so does H. polysperma but not other Hygrophilas I have tried. Nymphoides “Taiwán” is a good idea, nice bright green leaves and seems quite easy. You can plant a leaf and it will turn into new plant. In my experience the basic green Echinodorus species do well in a sand substrate, low light, low aquarium stocking and very little fertilisation. Fancier varieties might be more demanding. I also have an E. “ozelot”. It looks healthy enough but grows very slowly and is still quite small after more than 2 years. Other stem plants that do well for me with very little care are Cabomba, Limnophila sessiliflora and Heteranthera zosterifolia. And Vallisneria seems to make a jungle anywhere I plant it.

 

Okay then I would guess around 600-700 lumens for the 29g.
Definitely not too bright but might be enough for the plants you've chosen!

Awesome, thank you for that

 

Crypts are generally easy, and don't require a lot of extra fertilizer or special lighting.

 

So the braincell has been busy thunking of different options...been taking on board all that has been said here, looking at various aquariums online etc.

I have come up with a "minds eye" plan..........potentially a troublesome "minds eye" plan but then I never do anything the easy way

Centerpiece of one large or two medium sized mangrove roots (or similar), standing roots downwards and a flat "trunk" top with Anubias Barteri Caladifolia superglued onto the flat parts. The mangrove roots will also have various mosses superglued to disguise and soften it a bit.

To each side of the centerpiece there would be small Mopani pieces, with moss & Anubias Nana Bonzai and moss & Anubias Barteri "Coin Leaf" superglued to them.

Towards the rear and on each side would be coconut shell hides with Anubias Nana attached.

Scattered along the sides and rear of the aquarium would be Tiger Lotus and Aponogeton Ulvaceus bulbs that eventually will act as both contrast to the various Anubias and add floaters via their leaves.

As you might have gathered, I do like Anubias....slow growing, no fuss and as long as they are not buried in the sand, they tend to be bombproofish (they also seem to match their requirements to my aquarium set up, so "should" work out" )

I already have success with Tiger Lotus and Aponogetons, so as contrast they would, I hope, offer up extra hiding spots for the hooligans, along with the Anubias, Mopani and Mangroves.

Thoughts?

 

Does sound like a plan!

If your nutrients go crazy, since those are slow growing plants, just toss in some Hygrophila polysperma. Solution for almost everything lol

 

Does sound like a plan!

If your nutrients go crazy, since those are slow growing plants, just toss in some Hygrophila polysperma. Solution for almost everything lol

Thank you

 

just toss in some Hygrophila polysperma

Yes, foolproof and a nice bright green to contrast with the other plants.

 

Well I have gone and done it......ordered plants and a nice piece of wood and some nice rock too

12 x Anubias (various varieties/sizes)
2 x Hygrophila pinnatifida (including a pre-mounted on coconut)
3 x Bucephalandra (various varieties/sizes)
1 x Vesicularia Ferriei Weeping Moss portion
1 x Taxiphyllum Barbieri Java Moss portion
3 x Aponogeton Ulvaceus bulbs
3 x Nymphaea Tiger Lotus Green bulbs

Hardscape....

3 x smallish lumps of Mopani

A selection of Ogami stone....two chunky bits and some smaller bits

Ogami Island Stone Large 25+ cm Aquarium Aquascaping Rocks & Stones

And this is the exact piece of wood that will be arriving....

Totoro Wood 35x30cm - TOT003

I intend anchoring the wood onto a 3" square of black granite (its actually an unused granite drink coaster)

I saw the piece of wood and the imagination went into overdrive

 

Plants, rocks, Mopani and fertiliser etc has arrived....the bathroom looks like a mini Kew Gardens with tubs and buckets loaded with greenery and old aquarium water from the 53

The wood has an ETA from the driver of 1430, so that will go into the bucket overnight

Put a bit of fertiliser into the tubs with the plants and left the light on for the time being to let them recover and perk up after their overnight journey. They look really nice, lots of leaves and very healthy.

The sticking plants and finally getting the 29 sorted will start at around 0500 tomorrow morning.

Apologies for the untidy bathroom......its a tad small and now very crowded. The bucket in the middle is where the wood will go once it arrives (aquarium water to be topped up with ordinary bottled water later....the plant tubs only have old aquarium water)

 

Couldn't sleep last night.......the "minds eye" would not be quiet as to where to put which rock....should I use the wood or not......so gave up sleeping and got up at 3am.

Lots of very unladylike language thanks to the stupid rockwool not wanting to let go and the superglue wanting to attach everything to me.....

My first attempt at real plants is done.

I did not use the wood. I used the 3 rocks and 2 pieces of Mopani.......as to the plants, I lost count of the Anubias cos I ordered 12 and there were many many many more than that once the stupid rockwool had finally let go. The Apongeton bulbs are scattered and once they get going they will look like the existing one that was already in the aquarium.....and the Tiger Lotus bulbs are lurking in various places too and once they get going will hopefully offer some contrast and cover.

Probably not as well done as those of you with years of plant experience...but the fish are busy playing hide and seek and the plants have not fizzled out (yet). Its a bit bright even with the lower light setting, that should change once the tannins are released from the Mopani later

The Anubia & Bucephalandra Forest.....a baby forest....

 

Hey,

I like it! And if the tiger lotus starts to thrive, this should look absolutely amazing.

 

Hey,

I like it! And if the tiger lotus starts to thrive, this should look absolutely amazing.

Thank you

The Tiger Lotus in my 53 has turned into a 1m long Triffid and the leaves are mostly on the surface now with fish hiding underneath them. If the 3 Tiger Lotus bulbs in the 29 do anything as well as the one in the 53, it should be pretty good