First Time Planted Tank Advice

Hello! Apologies if this is somehow the wrong section, but I was hoping for some advice as to what plants to get for my tank. This is the first tank i've had in many, many years, and while i'd love to do a planted tank (low tech), i'm currently overwhelmed by the sheer number of plants available! (it took me long enough to come up with an approximate fish stock wishlist!) I'm hoping to do a planted cycle, gradually adding fish later, so that may impact the plant selection as i understand that some plants are better added to a more mature tank? (i think)
I've been doing some research, and have come up with a rather long list of interesting seeming plants, and am trying to narrow it down to a few compatible selections (though any suggestions outside the list are appreciated too!). I seem to have read before that larger groups and fewer species looks better than smaller groups of many species, so i'll have to narrow it down quite a bit it seems.. There's quite a lot of hardscape, both ohko stone and driftwood, if that helps as well. Any advice as to any that don't seem beginner appropriate, aren't compatible with each other, or are particularly recommended, would be greatly appreciated!

CRYPTOCORYNE WENDTII
SALVINIA AURICULATA
NYMPHAEA STELLATA
LIMNOPHILA SESSILIFLORA
CERATOPTERIS THALICTROIDES
HYGROPHILA DIFFORMIS
TAXIPHYLLUM BARBIER
MICROSORUM PTEROPUS
CRYPTOCORYNE BECKETTII
ANUBIAS BARTERI ANGUSTIFOLIA
ANUBIAS NANA
ANUBIAS COFFEEFOLIA
ROTALA ROTUNDIFOLIA
ELODEA DENSA
ECHINODORUS BLEHERI
CERATOPHYLLUM DEMERSUM BUNCH
BACOPA MONNIERI

Tank dimensions 80x35x50cm (125l), soft water, stone/wood hardscape

Derigriff said:

CRYPTOCORYNE WENDTII
SALVINIA AURICULATA Stick to one floating species
NYMPHAEA STELLATA
LIMNOPHILA SESSILIFLORA
CERATOPTERIS THALICTROIDES
HYGROPHILA DIFFORMIS (Grows like crazy, trim and plant the cuttings)
TAXIPHYLLUM BARBIER (I'm just not a fan - you will have loads of plants already)
MICROSORUM PTEROPUS
CRYPTOCORYNE BECKETTII
ANUBIAS BARTERI ANGUSTIFOLIA
ANUBIAS NANA (one type is enough - you can split them as much as you like)
ANUBIAS COFFEEFOLIA
ROTALA ROTUNDIFOLIA (keep trimmed, probably won't be red in a low tech environment)
ELODEA DENSA (personal opinion, I think its ugly and messy)
ECHINODORUS BLEHERI
CERATOPHYLLUM DEMERSUM BUNCH (not sure about this)
BACOPA MONNIERI (not sure about this)

Tank dimensions 80x35x50cm (125l), soft water, stone/wood hardscape

Click to expand...

Lots of fast growing plants in there, I think the list is still too big - even after my pruning. You would need to be careful to prevent it turning into a jungle with lack of focus.

Derigriff said:

Hello! Apologies if this is somehow the wrong section, but I was hoping for some advice as to what plants to get for my tank. This is the first tank i've had in many, many years, and while i'd love to do a planted tank (low tech), i'm currently overwhelmed by the sheer number of plants available! (it took me long enough to come up with an approximate fish stock wishlist!) I'm hoping to do a planted cycle, gradually adding fish later, so that may impact the plant selection as i understand that some plants are better added to a more mature tank? (i think)
I've been doing some research, and have come up with a rather long list of interesting seeming plants, and am trying to narrow it down to a few compatible selections (though any suggestions outside the list are appreciated too!). I seem to have read before that larger groups and fewer species looks better than smaller groups of many species, so i'll have to narrow it down quite a bit it seems.. There's quite a lot of hardscape, both ohko stone and driftwood, if that helps as well. Any advice as to any that don't seem beginner appropriate, aren't compatible with each other, or are particularly recommended, would be greatly appreciated!


SALVINIA AURICULATA
LIMNOPHILA SESSILIFLORA
CERATOPTERIS THALICTROIDES
HYGROPHILA DIFFORMIS
ELODEA DENSA
ECHINODORUS BLEHERI
CERATOPHYLLUM DEMERSUM BUNCH

Click to expand...

I'd recommend starting with these guys, mainly to use during the planted cycle, since they're the fasted growing ones on your list, so ideal for sucking up the ammonia and growing fast, helping your cycle along

Floating plants are also great for this purpose, and fish really appreciate the way they shade bright aquarium lights and replicate their natural environment, so the salvinia is a great choice too.

I only have the limnophilia sesiliflora right now, added to a new tank, and I'm really pleased with how well it's doing, and love the colour and texture it adds


Echinodorus are also known as Amazon swords are also relatively fast growing, really benefit from the addition of root tabs, since they form huge root networks and are heavy root feeders. Most of the others on the list like the elodea will benefit from a liquid fertiliser.

Java fern and anubius are also good beginner (and not just for beginner!) plants. Anubius are slow growing so won't be much help with the cycling, and they're prone to getting coated in algae if they get too much light. Also must not plant anubius or java fern directly into the substrate unless you're careful not to bury the rhizome that the leaves grow from, as that will rot if it's buried, so those are easier to grow if you attach them to hardscape and shaded by other plants.

Cryptocorynes are nice easy plants, not super fast growing usually, and seem to appreciate both root tabs and liquid ferts, taking nutrients wherever they can get them, and can cope with lower light.

I don't think any of the ones on your list are too hard for a beginner, I'd just aim to get some of those fast growing and floating plants first, then add slower growing ones according to whether you feel you need more, want more, and look up each one to get planting tips and learn how to propagate them as you go. I hope you share tank photos as you build! Love a good tank journal thread

Thank you both for the very helpful replies! I'm trimming the list down as we speak. One quick question as well: how many individuals of each type is it advisable to get? looking at sites like aquaessentials at the moment and they can get quite pricey. Is it best to get only one or a couple of each and let them propagate naturally (or by propagating them yourself), or get quite a few of each to 'bulk out' an area? Or will 'one' plant be enough to create several (depending on the species of course). Just not sure how many to get at the moment.

I'd get one of each type and let it propagate. You can always buy more to fill out an area if you decide it isn't enough and you can't wait, but it'll feel like a waste if you buy two or three or something then find it's too much, or that if you'd waited a month (like with the sessiliflora or wisteria) that it had grown enough for you to replant and thicken out a patch.

Oh, a note I forgot to add - if you ever plan to get shrimp or snails, look for plants that have been grown in the EU or grown in-vitro. Any plants that come into the UK or EU from outside have to sprayed or dipped in pesticides that can prove fatal to inverts. I lost a lot of shrimp by not checking the source and buying some cheap plants from my LFS who had changed supplier.

Those from pro-shrimp are grown in the EU and are shrimp safe, and not a terrible price either.

4 stems of hygrophila polysperma planted on 10 June

Today

The ludwigia has moved from the centre to the left and I replaced the water sprite a few weeks ago because I killed the first lot (my fault).
Divide and conquer works for many of the plants on your list, let them grow up a bit, snip off the top and plant it. Technique is slighly different for anubias but what you see in my signature pic started life as a single plant - and it has children living in 2 of my other tanks as well. Takes a bit more patience this way but saves a lot of money - and IMO its fun watching it develop over time.

Wow, that's one hell of a growth spurt! I'll keep that in mind when selecting I'll probably wait on ordering any until the weekend, so they don't get stuck in transit over sunday or anything