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Best plants for jungle look and big fish"

jonny.j

Member
Joined
7 Dec 2015
Messages
77
Location
westmidlands
Hi guys im about to start a planted setup for my cichla" (peacockbass) my tanks 7ft/2ft/2ft and looking for tall over grown look along back of tank and most of side of tank! And few mid level plants with a carpet plant all over bottom of tank!
iv thort about trying these plants"

vallisneria jungle val
echinodorus bleheri" or argentinensis
maybe few cryps
ludwigia repens rubin red
tiger lotus"

maybe perl weed for carpet?

eney more you guys think would work for bigger fish and overgrown look ?
 
That's one big fish you have there. Those plants all get very big over time so should work out great. My recommendation for a low tech large tank carpet plant would be dwarf sag, it's unstoppable once it gets going, I ripped it out of my 125l tank as I couldn't control it.
 
That's one big fish you have there. Those plants all get very big over time so should work out great. My recommendation for a low tech large tank carpet plant would be dwarf sag, it's unstoppable once it gets going, I ripped it out of my 125l tank as I couldn't control it.
yes mate will be 5 peacock bass going into tank around 8-14 inch" im not really going low tec as looking at few Kessler spots for lights? and co"2 on system" just wont nice colour and tuffer plants with overgrown look" Will look at dwarf sag mate! would you plant in clumps and would it take root well in 2-3 weeks before I put fish in setup!
 
That's going to require a lot of co2 but possible. Echinodorus and tiger lotus will get massive with co2 climbing to the surfacegiving your tank some surface cover. Dwarf sag and Vallis will borth send out runners
and sprout new shoots quite quicky with or without co2. I would space the dwarf sag out and it will fill out pretty quickly.

To be honest, none of those plants really need co2 and you'll need a lot of co2, which means a lot of ferts and big water changes. If you're happy with that go a head why not :D
 
That's going to require a lot of co2 but possible. Echinodorus and tiger lotus will get massive with co2 climbing to the surfacegiving your tank some surface cover. Dwarf sag and Vallis will borth send out runners
and sprout new shoots quite quicky with or without co2. I would space the dwarf sag out and it will fill out pretty quickly.

To be honest, none of those plants really need co2 and you'll need a lot of co2, which means a lot of ferts and big water changes. If you're happy with that go a head why not :D
was going the co"2 because read that it helps keep things stable and help with algea problems! also probley would"nt need to use ferts with co2! or maybe just seachem flourish exel"
 
I would read up on the tutorial section. CO2 with no fertization and high lights is just going to make a algae farm. Getting CO2 and lights in a smallish tank is very hard. Getting it right in a huge tank is going to be a hell of a challenge. A low tech wih low lights with high plant mass and probably floaters will give you a much more stable if slower plant growth eco system. Maybe look into a dirted tank (again in the tutorials), those large root feeders would love dirt much more than co2.

CO2 + EI ferting + enough light + 1/2 weekly water change will give you very quick growth if done right.
1/3 EI ferting + lower light will give you a much slower but stable tank. Also a tank that size you probably won't have to do a water change for months. My low tech tanks look much better then my high tech tank currently.

For anything over a 200l tank personally I would go low tech, though plenty of people have go large high tech tanks.
 
thanks for the good advice buddy" if I can get a more stable tank doing Low tech and use ferts and not co"2 and still have good jungle look tank! that's also probley cheeper! that's good with me for my first setup" :)
 
This journel by Edvet might be a good read 400 gallon. I think he stated it off as a high tech tank but it was to much effort in the end. If you go dirted tank you probably want to know if those peacockbass are diggers, you might end up with a muddy puddle if so.

Another plant that can end up surprisingly big is the good old anubais, though it does take a long time to do so. Best of luck, keep those Kessler spots as low as possible to begin with a ndslowly turn them up as the plants get established.
 
This journel by Edvet might be a good read 400 gallon. I think he stated it off as a high tech tank but it was to much effort in the end. If you go dirted tank you probably want to know if those peacockbass are diggers, you might end up with a muddy puddle if so.

Another plant that can end up surprisingly big is the good old anubais, though it does take a long time to do so. Best of luck, keep those Kessler spots as low as possible to begin with a ndslowly turn them up as the plants get established.
Did think of dirted tank but really think the bass may dig or at least take top layer substrate off dirt underneath! they do dash around and fight at times! think im going tropica growth 1cm and 6/8cm eco-complete on top!
Don't think anubais will work as from Africa and likes harder water" im using R/O water and re-min (tropical marine)
Yes not really made mind up about the Kessler spots yet" mate"
 
Do you tie all your anubais to rock/wood buddy? and whot anubais would work in bigger fish and fish tank?
 
A good way to keep plants and "violent" fish together, is to choose plants that develop huge root-system and surround plants with big-ish rock and boulders. It can be done very natural-/realistic looking, by mixing sizes of rock/boulders. I've successfully done this as "Amazon pond" in a zoo, where I worked,( including peacock bass and those did not dig, by the way).
If you are not doing "authentic" set-up, plants to consider are Echinodorus, Cryptocorynes, Hygrophilas and the Nymphea lotus will work too.
Stayrogyne repens and small cryptocoryne would be my choise at low ones. A true carpet is really not an obtion, sorry, and most of the stem-plants have quite weak root-system (Ludwigia has very weak).
As for Anubias and Microsorum, these are perfect and can furthermore be purchased allready growing tight on pieces of wood.
I would defenitely keep tank "low tech".
Hope this is of some help, and not dis-encouraging.........
 
P.s.
An old, proven way to do "overgrown and aged" impresdion, is to tie lots of moss to entetiour ofcjtank (wood, rocks f.ex.)
Choose Taxiphyllum and not Vesicularia, since those are far more tolerant.
 
Giant jungle tank. Nice :)

Interesting fish choice! From everything I've read they seem to be prolific jumpers, as in out of your tank. I'd get a tight fitting lid if you're thinking of keeping a fish that can get to 2ft long weighing 5lb or so :eek:
 
Giant jungle tank. Nice :)

Interesting fish choice! From everything I've read they seem to be prolific jumpers, as in out of your tank. I'd get a tight fitting lid if you're thinking of keeping a fish that can get to 2ft long weighing 5lb or so :eek:
Yes mate iv got 9 of these peacockbass already but got to split because fighting as get bigger! so chance to buy another tank and try planted setup! My bass don't really smash the cover glass jumping! just make big bow waves when fighting and feeding!
 
A good way to keep plants and "violent" fish together, is to choose plants that develop huge root-system and surround plants with big-ish rock and boulders. It can be done very natural-/realistic looking, by mixing sizes of rock/boulders. I've successfully done this as "Amazon pond" in a zoo, where I worked,( including peacock bass and those did not dig, by the way).
If you are not doing "authentic" set-up, plants to consider are Echinodorus, Cryptocorynes, Hygrophilas and the Nymphea lotus will work too.
Stayrogyne repens and small cryptocoryne would be my choise at low ones. A true carpet is really not an obtion, sorry, and most of the stem-plants have quite weak root-system (Ludwigia has very weak).
As for Anubias and Microsorum, these are perfect and can furthermore be purchased allready growing tight on pieces of wood.
I would defenitely keep tank "low tech".
Hope this is of some help, and not dis-encouraging.........
would it be better buying big mother plants with bigger roots for my tank? that way I can have the overgrown look much quicker and plants that will take the odd bashing from time to time!
shame about the carpet plants as I do like a full green tank look!
 
would it be better buying big mother plants with bigger roots for my tank? that way I can have the overgrown look much quicker and plants that will take the odd bashing from time to time!
shame about the carpet plants as I do like a full green tank look!

I think what mick means by a true carpet is stuff like HC and glosso carpets ;) Sagittaria subulata will carpet nicely, To get it thicker pull it all up after it's spread out a bit and plant in clumps.

I don't think you need to worry about mother plants, crypts, swords and tiger lilly will grow big quickly even in a low tech. You might consider getting some invtro plants as well as some potted ones as you'll get more for your money. If you set your tank up, plant the plants and and let them root for a month while the tank cycles natuerally (don't add anything to cycle the tank the plants will do it for you). You'll be good to go.
 
would it be better buying big mother plants with bigger roots for my tank? that way I can have the overgrown look much quicker and plants that will take the odd bashing from time to time!
shame about the carpet plants as I do like a full green tank look!
The "big mother plants" will need to build a new root-system, to hold them, just as smaller plants will - so honestly I would not spend those money. Better to get the more plants as "standard" size. Important thing is to secure them with "rock-work" tightly around them in a manner of your taste, and if possible give them some time to develop new, widespread, anchoring root-structure.
As for "true carpet", yes I basically ment the "lawn ones" won't work. Staurogyne and smaller Crypts have strong, big root-systems, which is why I recommended them. Sagittaria might work (I haven't tried with such fish), because of connecting runners. They don't have very strong roots individually.
 
The "Sagittaria might work (I haven't tried with such fish), because of connecting runners. They don't have very strong roots individually.
Trust me when they get to about 3-5" in hieght they do, they'll have 2-3" of roots just like smaller crypts do, and as you say they are all connected. Made a hell of a mess pulling them from my dirt tank.
 
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