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Plant Recommendations & Advice for 86F water lit by 1.66wpg

Discussion in 'Aquatic Plants & Planted Tanks' started by LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009.

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  1. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Plant Species Help
    I am always looking for more plants to add to my tank. Currently I have some plants thriving, some surviving and others that I thought would work but would not.

    This is what I have/had and my results:
    Amazon Sword, Star-grass, Java Fern - Great growth
    Cabomba, Java Moss, Anubias, Chain Sword - Surviving but not doing that great
    Several red stem plants, Anacharis - Died in weeks


    What I would like to know are more ideas for plants that would work with the following parameters (I have not found many myself and I have tested a few I saw that should work that dont work)
    PH - 6.5
    Temp - 86 F
    Low to Moderate Lighting needs
    Very low KH and GH (I have not tested in a while but my GH was almost 0 and my KH was VERY low, I think it was that way anyhow)

    What specifically I would like is something to replace the stargrass that is a bit less invasive
    - full/tall background plants that grow to about 18" tall
    - a few midgrounds to go with the Amazon Swords maybe a few red plants
    - a few foreground plants, I would like something to make a small carpet in an area

    Any ideas or help. I am almost getting tired of hunting myself online. It is frying my brain! :)
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009
    #1
  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Exactly what is your WPG on this tank? Most red plants need VERY high lighting and if you are having trouble with java moss then i doubt anything red will work.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 21, 2009
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  3. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Remember this is my 125, I have 208 watts. The java moss is not dieing, just not as green as some photos I have seen with it (I think it is more the algae growth as it gets attacked the first and it is harder to clean off of the moss more than a leafed plant)
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009
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  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    You may want to look into some floating plants for nutrient uptake, that would help with the algae. Red root floaters, duckweed-although it is VERY invasive, frogbit or water lettuce plants along those lines.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 21, 2009
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  5. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Duckweed is a pretty cool plant.
     
    Anthony, Jan 21, 2009
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  6. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    I remember duckweed from my old pond. The goldfish took care of it! That stuff is VERY invasive which I really want to stay away from plants like that. I am tired of the Stargrass for that reason.

    What about a nice background plant to replace the Stargrass and some foreground plants that I were asking about. I really want a red midground plant but also want some plants up front and in the back.
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009
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  7. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    What about crypt ?
     
    Anthony, Jan 21, 2009
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  8. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Good call! It seems there are some subspecies that will work in my tank with the heat AND there are red ones!!!

    What about the back and foreground plants (they can be green) :)
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009
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  9. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    ChainSword is a nice looking foreground plant. Wisteria would work for the background.
     
    Anthony, Jan 21, 2009
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  10. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    My chainswords are not really "chaining", I also am not too sure of the Wisteria. It seems from what I read mildly invasive itself. The one plus is it says it propagates by side shoots which is much better than the Stargrass that sideshoots after to top the plant.
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 21, 2009
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  11. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    *Shrugs* I've never had either of them. I do plan on getting some of the Chainsword if I can though.
     
    Anthony, Jan 21, 2009
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  12. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Dwarf Sublata, Micro-sword grass? Maybe Glossostigma. You can try plantgeek.net-->Plant Guide for better specifics as I'm not sure which would exactly "thrive" under those specs.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Jan 21, 2009
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  13. ira

    ira Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    Have you tryed ricca as afloating plant. I have hear you can partly bury it and grow it in a mat.crypts grow good for me
     
    ira, Jan 25, 2009
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  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    I think once I get my tank stabilized from I will be adding some crypts. I am unsure of floating plants as I dont think they will suit my application.
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 26, 2009
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  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    The floating plants will suck up nutrients like a sponge and for sure help with your algae problems.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 26, 2009
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  16. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    But wont they block out the light to plants that need it below too???
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 26, 2009
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  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    They do block some of the light but not that much if you don't let them spread like crazy. Add some frogbit or water lettuce, just a few, and see what happens.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 26, 2009
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  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    duckweed.
     
    Anonymous, Jan 26, 2009
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  19. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Thread Starter Active Member

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    duckweed scares the daylights out of me... note a reply on page 1 about my pond.... it took it over, had to add more fish to eat it.
     
    LemonDiscus, Jan 26, 2009
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  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

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    Re: Plant Species Help

    sorry i didnt read page one. and yes its extremely prolific. A few years back I got a piece of it as a straggler on a plant I bought, 1 piece. I thought it was cool and my ex thought it was cute floating around on top so I left it. Two weeks later I was scooping it out by the net full!
     
    Anonymous, Jan 26, 2009
    #20
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