floating plant for unplanted tank? - newb question

tanker

I have new 35-litre and a 75-litre tanks. Both have plastic plants. I'm still learning, so I don't want to get into fully planted tanks (yet!- maybe in the future....). I just want to concentrate on getting the fish established and keep them healthy when the tanks are cycled.

Is it possible to just get a floating plant for tanks with plastic plants? Advantages/disadvantages? Is it a completely stupid idea/question?

The smaller tank has "1xCFL Max %W E14 TC-DSE". The other has 2 x 11W fluorescent tubes with "red/white" written on them.

Thanks for any advice.

Angel079

I have to say up front I do not know what lights you're talking about there so I don't know how well they'll do on plants but that could be changed any time so no worries too stop you there for right now.

What I would strongly encourage you to try as a floating plants is Pennywort. This plant can either simply float in your tank OR you can plant it into the gravel. So as you said you're not all there yet with the live plants I think this would be a great option for you to have indeed floating plants and maybe test around a little to see just how simple planting is. Pennywort also grow's rather quickly so I think that'd also be nice for you.

tanker

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look for it next time I go to the shop.

Angel079

Quite a poor picture but if you look behind the fish here http://www.fishtanks.net/aquariums/p...82844_full.jpg that is Pennywort I can take you a better pic once my lights are on if you like. A shame you don't live closer by cause I have a BUNCH of Pennywort and could easily mail you some but I highly doubt it will survive to Australia

tanker

Oh, I tried editing my previous post, but I mustn't have pressed the right button because the edit isn't there!

I did some googling and pennywort is a prohibited plant here (Western Australia), so it's not an option, unfortunately. They had one called foxtail at the shop. Seeing it floating is what gave me the idea to ask if it would be feasible to add a floating plant. Would that be suitable?

Angel079

Seriously? Wow wouldn't have thought its illegal anywhere.....

I honestly can not think of a plant called foxtail right now, do you have a lat name by any chance? Or maybe someone else knows a plant named foxtail and can better advise you. Also other common floaters is frogbite.

tanker

A lot of introduced plants and animals are pests when they get out here (like rabbits, they're all over Australia).

If it's anything like land-based gardening, they could use the same common name for different species. Googling comes up with Myriophyllum "something" I'm not sure which sort it was in the shop exactly.

ETA: could be myriophyllum pinnatum

karjean

I do have the Chinese Ivy, which is similar to the Pennywort. Probably, you could try that one if it is nor prohibited.

tanker

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll see whether that's available.

Angel079

I'd just simply see what your store has available that's in compliance with the law there. Pretty much any stem plant that has larger leaves on it will also work floating. Just fine plants like Cambomba and alike don't do well as floaters.