Suggestions For A Black Thumb

[SuperGuppyGirl]

So currently have been using fake decor but am super jealous of the gorgeous planted tanks I see LOL but I have issues keeping house plants alive except Xmas (zygo) cactuses, tried my hand with java moss but even that died any suggestions of low maintence easy beginner plants to start with? Freshwater set up mostly live bearer community tanks, well rounded gravel, and regular fluorescent lighting, the thing is I would rather not go buy a bunch of expensive equipment to find out my black thumb extends to aquatic greenery as well, here's to hoping :smokey:

[Sprucegruve]

In my experience,as soon as I switched from gravel to sand my plants did a lot better,but as you saw my tanks are not any beautiful amano designs or anything to brag about,

I have seen very nicely planted tanks with gravel,but they were very experienced aquatic gardeners,I can't seem to do it though

Also I add seachem root-tab fertilizers occasionally, I would recommend a couple in each tank.

Someone was saying there is a safe miracle grow root tab you can use that is slightly cheaper,I can't remember who....gleen?

Also if you have small tanks I would recommend buying a couple seachem liquid ferts,if you have large tanks(like the 70,75) then I would recommend maybe doing some research into bulk powder ferts from a garden center or hydroponics store.

Other than that,only other tips I have is do some reading on each plant you buy,some need to be trimmed, and some will be damaged if you cut the leaves ect,ect

Easy plants

Pigmy chain sword/dwarf chain sword

Wendilit? Spelling

Val's

Hornwort

Najas grass

Cabomba

Sword plants

Edited April 5, 2012 by Sprucegruve

[ckmullin]

I tend to do more low tech than high tech...but still doing both. Spending big $ to get everything all nice and perfect i'm sure is fun BUT not needed to have a healthy aquarium, fish AND plants. My philosophy in general is the less maintenance, the healthier (naturally) the tank will become.

On my main tank I don't dose anything. My fish provide nutrients that are needed, the mts finish off anything else and I only do WC. I don't gravel vac this tank, as that dark line just below the substrate surface is gold. I have I believe 6 different plants in that tank and all are healthy and growing. (plants are very similar to the list above my post). My substrate is basically 50% sand and 50% common aquarium gravel, inert yes but works just fine.

IF YOU want to do more, add some of this magic and some of that magic, that route is also just as easy. Again IF YOU choose....as doing more is not required! (overboard is also easily done).

Want to get a quick fix for added light? Go to a reno store (HD, RONA, etc) and grab an led strip and throw that under the hood. (will do wonders...done that...works well)

Want to dose? There are as many options as there are snowflakes. Easiest...just grab some Seachem Flourish. Just that only that. It will do wonders, just don't OD on it...again I did say easiest.. Sure you can add some more micro/macro, powder/liquid/spike dis and dat BUT the more you add the more the tank now owns you.

You can add soils, clays and a multitude of other additives to the substrate. In powder form...crystal form, fert balls, fert spikes and others. (you can use Jobes plant spikes...as I think what Sprucegruve was referring to in his post above. However only use the spikes meant for "Ferns and Palms" as at least it did not have anything from a urea base)

Want to multi-layer your substrate? Great results and loads of options. (but this is getting far from a low tech tank)

Want to put in a charged substrate with 'good stuff' already there? Throw in something like Fluorite.

Have not even talked about filtering (I use and love Purigen), gas co2, liquid co2 and the fun with all of that and the best way (imo) to control ph.

Boil all that down, I'd say do something like this at the start. (Of course make sure your water param's are good for plants in general) Make sure you have nutrient in the substrate (if not, dose it in whatever form that is easiest for you). Grab some of those plants listed above...put some of each in the different areas of your tank to see what grows best where. (water currents, subtle differences of light and temps will/can all play a role on what plant grows best for a particular spot in an aquarium) I'm a fan of mts, so throw some in and get working to aerate your substrate. Sit back and enjoy a low tech aquarium and let NATURE do the work for you!

Edited April 5, 2012 by ckmullin

[Quetzalcoatl]

I really don't do anything special in my tanks for plants. I just have T5 high output lights. With this and a simple white sand substrate my val's grow and reproduce like mad, as well as the water lettuce

I keep Crypts too, but they don't reproduce. All my swords have slowly disappeared from my tanks.

[jvision]

Java fern and Anubias spp. are pretty hard to kill. They do best attached to wood or rock.

[jcgd]

Val's and water lettuce can become nusances in tanks with other plants. They will always spread and take over.

Co2 with some dosing will usually get plants growing well even if the lighting is too dim without co2. Excel helps but doesn't come close to being as effective as co2 addition. You can try a DIY yeast and sugar solution to see if it helps.

Anubias, crypts, ferns and mosses are good options for beginners. I've never met anyone with a brown thumb, only improper conditions.

[euripides]

For sure Hornwort, before I bought a T5 HO sunblaster for my 20 gal, I was using the factory bulb and it was still blooming, the only parts that would turn yellow was the bottom stems that I shoved into the substrate, but the reason why it did that is because I just grabbed a bunch of stems and planted it leaving no space when it starts blooming robbing any light to reach to the bottom.

Had some luck with combomba, then they started turning yellow on me in my big tank, in my small tank they are growing, and never turned yellow. You can also try those small onion plants, I have a crapload of those, the guy I bought it from never used any ferts and CO2 and he said they grew like weeds for him. They grow great for me, but I do run CO2 T5 Ho lights, Flourish, and fert tablets

[jamesbarr]

wysteria is a brutal tank take over kind of plant. I had that in my tank and it took over in less than a month in a tank that was completely new, uncycled. I threw some in a tank with tap water and conditioner and some platys all at the same time. All that with a cf bulb is stole from a lamp.

I have also had anubias survive cycles and java fern is an old stand by.

Vals are a good recommendation too.

Whatever plant you choose, get rid of those silks! :P

[SuperGuppyGirl]

LOL no silks I wish, my tanks are cheap so plastic, but am keeping the guppy tank fake as hoping if the kidlets see how nice real plants look then maybe I can get rid of them lol thanks so much guys and gals, going to do a revamp on the 75G column sand, plants nice slate decor and no more tacky neon unless they are fish

[jamesbarr]

lol i gave my dad a kick in the rump to go planted. Its more daunting than difficult. I bet that you can do it. To start with if you have one of those single tube units you should be able get a spectrum bulb from big als or w/e that will fit. That will make a major difference. Also depending on your bio load, a general fertilizer may be a good idea (big als has a generic one that is way cheaper than the flourish stuff), but if you have lots of fish, I would add the plant and change the light to start until you become addicted to the feeling of growing plants and your bio-load isn't enough to keep the plants going