Help with plants - Starting Afresh + Tidying Up.

[Bradders]

Hi Team,

Can you provide some help with my next plants, please? All my details are at the bottom.

I have had a random approach to plants! And I have recently discovered that one of my plants (being extracted today) is unsuitable for water submersion. (See bottom left of image). So I wanted to add some plants and also tidy up any that are salvageable. I have read the Plant Database, but I wanted hand-holding from those who have been there and done it.

1. What are the best foreground, mid-ground and background plants which are VERY easy to keep and forgiving for mistakes? (Note: I have gravel).
2. What plants would you suggest is kept in the current tank, and how would you go about tidying them up - I sense they are unruly!

Any advice would be great. I will then use that advice to get some plants and start my journey with a little more rigour than before!

Thanks,
Brad

Size of tank in litres	100L (21 Gallons)
Age of the set-up	7 Months
Filtration	2 x Oase Biomaster Thermo 250
Lighting and duration	Fluval Plant 3.0 32W, 8 hours (Noon to 20:00), around 30% to 40% of power.
Substrate	Gravel
Co2 dosing or Non-dosing	Non-Dosing (Low Tech)
Fertilisers used & Ratios	APT Complete, 1mg per day
Water change regime and type	Weekly at 40%, Pre-Filter Cleaned Weekly, Main foam never. Water dosed with API Water Conditioner.
Plant list + When planted.	Not quite sure of the species! Planted between 7 months and 2 months ago
Drop Checker.	No
Inhabitants	5 Platty's, 2 Molly's, 6 Cardinal Tetra and 5 Guppies
Tank Image

 

[John q]

Cryptocoryne Balansae and/or Vallisneria spiralis tiger would be good additions to the rear left of the tank, both easy going plants and thrive in gravel.

 

[bazz]

What are the best foreground, mid-ground and background plants which are VERY easy to keep and forgiving for mistakes? (Note: I have gravel).

Morning,
If your looking towards keeping low maintenance plants then you would probably do yourself a favour if you research the Aroid family. For example, Crypt Parva = foreground, Crypt Wendtii/Lagenandra Meeboldi = mid and Crypt Balansae/Spiralis = the rear, with both Buce and Anubias making ideal epiphytes. The selection and different possible configurations are endless. http://aroids.palo-alto.ca.us/

What plants would you suggest is kept in the current tank, and how would you go about tidying them up - I sense they are unruly!

I'm most definitely no expert on plant ID (especially stems) but it looks to me a little bit like Hygrophila Siamensis 53b (nutrient deficient) back right, another Hygrophila Species (possibly the standard Corymbosa) back left, Anubias Barteri (which should not have the rhizome planted in the substrate) back mid, the plant in front of the one that should not be in there (I would get it out ASAP as it could be releasing toxins as it slowly deteriorates) looks like Bolbitis Heudelotii (and again should not have the rhizome planted in the substrate and the grass like plant mid mid could be lilaeopsis.
As already stated I'm no expert and could quite possibly be wrong on all counts but at least you get a bump.
Cheers!

 

[The Miniaturist]

No-one has a more random approach to plants than I do, if there's a space it gets filled by a plant!
Are you planning any other hardscape or just having plants? A group of larger pebbles could look nice.
Some limnophila heterophylla stems at the back would give a soft contrast to the pointed leaves of your other plants.
Midground how about bacopa monnieri or the larger caroliniana? Oval leaves & grows a neat group with trimming & replanting.
Nymphoides Taiwan has light green leaves, they grow to the surface like the red leaved lilies but don't cover the surface too much. I think they look best as the leaves are growing up with their long thin stems.
For the front there are green or brown leaved crypts which would show up well over your gravel & how about some hydrocotyl tripartita scrambling around the foreground?

 

[Bradders]

Thanks @The Miniaturist, @bazz and @John q for all the helpful advice! Will follow and see what I can achieve!

 

[LFNfan]

I have had good success with limnophila sessiliflora - light and ferts and it grows.

Like you I have siamensis at the back.

I tried to keep valsineria spiralis in the early days but it melted. I liked the idea of long flowy leaves.

Looking forward to seeing what you do!

 

[Bradders]

Looking forward to seeing what you do!

Thank you!

My first 'mail order' plants are arriving in the next few days (Cryptocoryne Balansae and Vallisneria spiralis), so I will be planting them soon to get some more coverage at the back, as suggested by this thread.

 

[Bradders]

Cryptocoryne Balansae and Vallisneria spiralis were ordered, and they are in! Great delivery from Horizon Aquatics, and plants turned up looking very healthy!

Regarding easy/low maintenance (no CO2) front of aquarium plants, which are happy in gravel, would you have any recommendations there? I want to start covering the gravel, but I also want to make sure I have sturdy plants to cope with my amateur status!

 

[Onoma1]

Could I ask if you are using fertilisation and how much maintenance time you can give to the scape?

 

[Bradders]

Could I ask if you are using fertilisation and how much maintenance time you can give to the scape?

Of course! I should have done that before really!

• A low-tech tank, 100L (22G) in volume
• No CO2 - just 1ml of APT Complete per day.
• Lighting is a Fluval Planet 3.0 with around 25% of power across the spectrum.
• Water changes are 40% weekly.
• Moderately stocked with fish.

 

[Onoma1]

I have to be honest and I really struggled with pure gravel and dosing. When I used this of approach what worked for me were the Tropica 'easy' stems or epiphytic plants on rock or wood. I would go for a Dutch Style of Aquascape with fast growing stems throwing in colour and contrasting textures. I am a massive fan of Aquarium Gardens and noticed that they offer Dutch Collections ( Collections of plants for a Dutch Style Aquascape). My approach would, however, be to call them and talk through exactly what they would recommend as part of the package. I would go for a strong red plant, perhaps Ludwigia Palustris (Super Red) and something soft towards the back (perhaps Limnophila heterophylla).

 

[Bradders]

Thank you - that sounds like solid advice. Appreciated. Will also take a look at AG, too.