Rookie needs helps with simple plantings

[jarrodaden]

My tank (see below) is an Eclipse "tall". It has a built in light and I don't know the size. I have small gravel in my tank right now.

I would like to add plants to this tank.
I don't want to fool with CO2, new substrate, soil, etc.

Can someone suggest some easy plants to add, where to get, maintenance required, etc?

A co-worker told me that there are little bulbs that you can drop into a gravel tank like mine and they will begin to grow. Seems unlikely but maybe this is true.

[myjohnson]

Any kind of moss, anubias, or java fern will work. There are a number of other plants which will do fine also but these three tend to be more readily available on the market.

Note that the latter two are slow growing compared to the former.

[Mzungu]

First of all, could you check the light in your hood and find out what type (power compact, normal linear fluorescent, etc.) and how many watts?

There are many plants that can do well with low light and little to no "maintenance." :)

A few are: Anubias, java fern, java moss (and many other moss types), Anacharis, dwarf sagittaria, hornwort (though that's not the prettiest plant, since it's floating), and I'm sure there are tons more that I haven't listed, but am forgetting. :)

Those bulbs your coworker is talking about are most likely Aponogetons, which chain stores often sell in packages as just the bulb. I've never bought them in bulb-form, but I've heard from others here that many do start growing when placed in their tank. Most Aponogetons that are sold like that will probably do well in a low-light tank, as well.

[Somefishguy]

Hi,

To start with we need the size of the tank and the watts of the light, as well as the rating on it (6500k?).

If you want to grow anything at all you will need about 1.5 watts per gallon (maybe slightly less) or a light with a 6500k rating or higher.

Plants that will grow in low low light are java mosses, java ferns, anubias. If you get a bit more light maybe some crypts.

but before you can proceed you need to tell us the tank size, watts on the bulb and rating on the bulb. The bulb info may be written on the bulb itself. May say daylight? Also may have a F numer on the bulb

[Somefishguy]

oh someone beat me... +1 on what they said

[Mzungu]

Ah, I knew I was forgetting an important one! Thanks, Somefishguy! Yes, most cryptocorynes are a great low-light plant to have.

Vals are also good with a little bit more light, depending on what you have now.

[OrandaMan]

Be careful with anachris. I just put up a profile for it (under floating plants, though they can be planted). Check it out because I've had both good and bad experiences with them - and when it don't work, you wind up constantly cleaning your filter intake of dead anacharis leaves. VERY annoying.

As far as maintenance, I've been having some good luck with Tetra FloraPride and using Excel for carbon. I still plan on getting some inexpensive, yeast-based CO2 systems, though.

[OrandaMan]

Oh, and I forgot to mention water wisteria. (If there's no profile on that, I'll do one later.) Took me a while to get it right, but it's been fairly easy to grow since then. And it's pretty. A good hiding place for fry.

[jarrodaden]

My replacement bulb says AquaGlo 15W

[jarrodaden]

They said the new plants (below) would be ok with that light.