Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Advice on tall [20 inches] fast growing plants...and others...

4K views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  Byron 
#1 ·
I am thinking of adding live plants to my 55 gal, to hide the mirror background a bit.
I cannot remove it, and am thinking that it may be better to just hide the mirror in plants, instead of draining and adhering a background to the inside of the tank.

The only place around me that sells AQ plants is Petsmart. So ive made a list of the ones they have listed on their website. [Question, are these plants the same plants that are in the plastic tubes?]

Can you guys tell me some more about these plants? Im basically a newbie in this aspect. o_O

Corkscrew Vals, 20 inches tall
Caboma, 20 inches tall
Hornwort, 2 feet tall
Green and white Acorus, 12 inches tall slow grower
Moneywort, 12 inches tall
Anacharis, 2 feet tall
Water Wisteria, 20 inches

I need something thats going to grow into the top level of my tank, 12-25 inches...And easy. Low light, i have 2 14 watt energy saver bulbs right now, hoping to get a better light fixture, but its kind of a last thing, since the lights i have light the tank up pretty good, just not sure how they would be for plants.

Also, hopefully a fast grower, but id prefer a plant that grew more wider and more stems than fast and straight with one stalk.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Anacharis is your best bet for what you want, its a fast grower in low-med light and will fill up alot of space - val is a pain to get growing and the rest were floaters or plants i wouldnt trust to actually be underwater plants more like cheap crap they want to sell you
 
#4 ·
All of those except the Green and white Acorus are aquatic plants and can be used under water.

When you look at the 'tube' plants at Petsmart, avoid every single one that has a 'semi-aquatic' sticker on the top. Those are the ones that will die if kept under water.

In my area, they only sell Java Fern, Anubias, Wisteria, and Amazon Sword in the tubes, but that will very on your region.

"Stem Plants" like Anacharis, Wisteria, Cabomba, Hornwort, Moneywort, etc generally need at least a moderate amount of light to grow well. If kept under too low of light, they'll grow slow, the bottom of the stems will go bare, and if too low they just won't survive. Stem plants though will keep growing until they hit the surface. Some do better than others in low light.

Amazon Sword is a good plant that will eventually grow tall, they do best in deep tanks because of this.

If your water is medium hard, or hard you can use Corkscrew Vallisneria. This plant does not do well in soft water. It will grow tall, and if not trimed will bend over and cover the top of the water.

I know Petsmart does not carry it, but in my 125 gallon tank I'm really falling in love with the look of the Cryptocoryne spiralis. It's similar to a Corkscrew Vallisneria but with more slender leaves, and it works well in my soft water.

If you want to up your lighting for not a lot of money go to a hardware store and buy a 48" shop light that has a metal reflector built in. The reflector will keep the bulbs off the glass (and keep from blinding you when you look at the top of the tank). These use two 48" T8 bulbs, which cost under $10 at the same hardware store for a two pack (Get 6500K Daylight bulbs). The fixtures are generally under $20 (Home Depot/Lowes) so for $30 you get a new light and good bulbs. That might be a bit bright on a 55 gallon though. A single 48" T8 would work (32 watts) but those you have to get at the Petstore, and will cost a lot more.

The problem with too much light is the fish don't like it, and if nutrients are not kept in balance you'll get algae. Adding floating plants can make that balance very easy to obtain and gives shade to the fish below.
 
#5 ·
The limited light will not be sufficient for some of the plants mentioned. Can you detail exactly what you have? Different tubes/bulbs might help, but first need to know what's there. Fluorescent tube or screw-in, and what you have in watts/kelvin.
 
#6 ·
What i have is a ten gallon hood, with screw in bulbs. The bulbs are each 14 watts each.

I did get a light fixture that fit the tank from the guy i bought it from, but it broke when i tried to put a new bulb in it.

Im planning on getting a better lighting system, but they are generally more expensive brand new, so im hoping i can find one on craigslist...
 
#7 ·
What i have is a ten gallon hood, with screw in bulbs. The bulbs are each 14 watts each.

I did get a light fixture that fit the tank from the guy i bought it from, but it broke when i tried to put a new bulb in it.

Im planning on getting a better lighting system, but they are generally more expensive brand new, so im hoping i can find one on craigslist...
On a 55g that will not work, so i would not spend money on plants until you have a good light. A dual tube T8 with 48-inch tubes will be what you want. A single tube T5 would work with a HO tube but single-tube T5 fixtures are next to impossible to find.
 
#8 ·
My tank isnt 48 inches long. =/

I just measured it, and its 36x24x12, which means its 45.

Well, its a good thing i didnt buy it based on gallons!

Im assuming ill still need the double t5's correct?

What about regular florescent lighting? Could i use those?
 
#10 ·
wait, so two t5's equal a t8?
 
#12 ·
is the price difference alot?
Im looking for the cheapest low lighting i can get for my size tank...
 
#13 ·
Would i be able to do floating plants? Like duckweed? or water sprite? I have a bit of javamoss id like to put in...
 
#14 ·
Cheapest will be a used dual T8 but I'm a big fan of what I linked you and use the 48" on my planted tank, If you got the 36inch then you would be paying $83 for the light with free shipping, if you spent $16 more at that site (99 total) you can use SMART848 code for 30 off and pay 70 for lighting and whatever goodies you want with no shipping costs - I got myself some free flourish tabs and you could get tabs and flourish comprehansive or food or w/e you want for other pets

PetCare Rx Coupon Codes: Get $16 Off w/ June 2012 Coupons, Promo Codes
Fluorescent Fixtures (T5/T12) for Pets at PetCareRx.com

That's what I did for my 48inch and its by far the best price I could find but shop around for yourself, you may be able to find a cheap hood that has a dual t8 on it that will fit your tank

And on the floating plants water sprite sure but duckweed you will end up regretting. If you can find it get some dwarf water lettuce or amazon frogbit as a nice floater
 
#15 ·
Be careful, don't over-light the tank. First thing is, what type of plants do you want? And will this be natural (low-tech) or high-tech? The latter means diffused CO2 and daily nutrient dosing (thus requiring more light to balance), the former means nature does most of it with once weekly fertilizing (and thus less light). Most plants will manage under natural, a few won't do well.

On a 3-foot tank, a single tube T8 or T5 that is 30-inches in length will suffice for natural method.
All my tanks are natural, photos are under the "Aquariums" tab below my name on the left.
 
#16 ·
I wish i could order off line, but i dont have a credit card or a pay pal yet...I should be getting a pay pal soon though...

I want the tank to be as low maintenance as possible. So, low tech. What plants would grow with light and a weekly root tab/nutrient? I dont really have a plan, just fleshing out a semi-plan for when i actually get the light...
 
#17 ·
I'm a bit confused which tank we are discussing, the 55g or the 29g? Most plants will manage with moderate light. And once a week liquid fertilzer like flourish Comprehensive.
 
#18 ·
My 55 is actually a 45. And thats the tank were talking about...
 
#19 ·
OK, so this is a 3-foot tank holding 45 gallons. So you want a 3-foot fixture preferably one that takes a 30-inch tube. some only take 24-inch tubes which loses a lot. Low to moderate light.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top