[Pearl2011]

So yesterday i got some dwarf swords and some flourish tabs. I also got a clump of Ludwigia and was wondering where it originates from?? I cant seem to find a straight answer.

I am also planning on getting some anacharis and duckweed (and/or amazon frog-bit) and some kind of carpet plant. Aside from pygmy chain sword what are some good carpet plants? My lighting is a 15watt full spectrum Aqueon T-8. I don't know how good it is but it seems fairly bright.

And are there any stem plants that grow more straight the Anacharis? It drive me crazy when it looks like it exploded >.<

 

[Sakura8]

Hi Pearl. I believe ludwigia species originate in the Asian countries - Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan etc. The water will most likely be moderately soft to moderately hard with a fairly neutral pH but I can vouch that the most common ludwigia species, ludwigia repens, grows in just about any parameter.

You may need to bump up your lighting though. If you have only 15 watts for the whole 25gal, then you have less than a watt per gallon. Like, way less. Medium light is considered to be 1-2 watts per gallon. Without good lighting, you will not get any of the carpet type plants to grow because they are so much further away from the light, being low to the substrate.

If you can, you might want to consider getting a good full spectrum LED fixture. Otherwise, you will need a T5-HO (high output) fixture to achieve at least low to medium light.

Plants and getting them to grow can be very expensive. >.>

 

[BWG]

L. arcuata, L. brevipes, L. glandulosa (sometimes wrongly called L. peruensis), and L. repens are all North American.

L. ovalis is southeast Asian.

L. inclinata is Central and South American.

L. palustris is pretty cosmpolitan and found in Asia, Europes, north Africa, and the Americas.

 

[Sakura8]

Thanks for clarifying/correcting, blackwater.

Pearl, what he said.

 

[Pearl2011]

Okay guess I'll put it in my ten gallon. Ill probably just throw random plants in that tank and hope they grow.

As for the lighting, could I just buy a better bulb and put it in the light fixture? And then use the bulb from the 25g and put it in a fixture for the ten gallon?? I still need a hood for the 10g.

I see Craigslist in my future.....

 

[Sakura8]

You can buy a plant bulb but the wattage won't increase because they only do so much wattage for each size, especially the bigger T-8s. Like, for the T5-HO 30" fixture I had for my 20gal. No matter what I did, I could still only get 48 watts and no more because each bulb only came as high as 24 watts.

 

[Pearl2011]

So the plant bulb will make up for the lack of watts the light has?? And you said your fixture had two light bulbs, but mine only has one. Does that make a difference when it comes to the lighting in terms of how high the watts can go??

Sorry, I'm so confused with the lighting and whatnot >.<

 

[newtchaplin]

I use T8's double bulb one full spectrum and one floramax, low to moderate lighting. I can grow sword plants, ludwigia repens, water wisteria, all valis's, java moss, pennywort, frogbite, duckweed, laceleaf plant, and hornwort. If you want a carpet you will have to use T5's like said earlier. Using T8's you can grow some moss and tie it to something then place that on the bottom of your tank, it will grow and look like a carpet if you keep trimming it. Most carpet plants also need Co2, keep that in mind.

SHOP SMART
You can buy a double T8 or T5 fixtures at home depot for $12.99-19.99. I bought my floramax bulb at home depot for $7.99 and a T8 double bulb fixture for $14.99. If you were to do that at a pet store it would cost over $200, each T8 bulb is $19.99. T5's at a pet store cost $20+, and a double fixture costs over $100. Word to the wise.

 

[Pearl2011]

I use T8's double bulb one full spectrum and one floramax, low to moderate lighting. I can grow sword plants, ludwigia repens, water wisteria, all valis's, java moss, pennywort, frogbite, duckweed, laceleaf plant, and hornwort. If you want a carpet you will have to use T5's like said earlier. Using T8's you can grow some moss and tie it to something then place that on the bottom of your tank, it will grow and look like a carpet if you keep trimming it. Most carpet plants also need Co2, keep that in mind.

SHOP SMART
You can buy a double T8 or T5 fixtures at home depot for $12.99-19.99. I bought my floramax bulb at home depot for $7.99 and a T8 double bulb fixture for $14.99. If you were to do that at a pet store it would cost over $200, each T8 bulb is $19.99. T5's at a pet store cost $20+, and a double fixture costs over $100. Word to the wise.

I never thought to buy them from Home Depot. I will do that So Ill get a better light got the 25g and a hood for my ten gallon. Or could I put the hood from my 25g on my 10g and buy a new hood for my 25g?? Any thoughts on which would work better?

 

[Pearl2011]

Waaiiittttt, I check the light again and it is a T-8 >.< Sorry for being so confusing. Does this effect it greatly?

 

[newtchaplin]

T8 only give out low to moderate lighting, so you are restricted on what you can plant. T8 the penetration is not that great but it does work for low to moderate plants. Go to petsmart and pick up "Mini encyclopedia aquarium plants" by Peter Hiscock a great book that will tell you what is the best plant to get.

 

[Sakura8]

Yes, that book is great. So is the TFH 101 Best Aquarium Plants book. Not sure, that may not be the actual title but it's close.