Plant Recommendations?

redtailshark34

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I would like to get some more plants in my 55 gallon tank but would prefer to avoid anything on the “messy” side (like hornwort because the needles drive me crazy!) I already have hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), duckweed (Lemna minor), and annubius nanas. I’m interested in getting more plants that can be planted and floating ones. No semi-aquatic ones please though :)
 
I would like to get some more plants in my 55 gallon tank but would prefer to avoid anything on the “messy” side (like hornwort because the needles drive me crazy!) I already have hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), duckweed (Lemna minor), and annubius nanas. I’m interested in getting more plants that can be planted and floating ones. No semi-aquatic ones please though :)
Plenty to chose from really. Crypts (cryptocoryne) offer a wide range of colour /sizes and look great in most scapes, Amazon swords and stem plants like Hygrophila, Limnophila sessiliflora also worth looking into.

Floating plants you could have frogbit, water lettuce, Salvinia, water spangle to name a few. The best floating plant for me is water sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides, Cornuta or Fein)
 
red root floater?
Plenty to chose from really. Crypts (cryptocoryne) offer a wide range of colour /sizes and look great in most scapes, Amazon swords and stem plants like Hygrophila, Limnophila sessiliflora also worth looking into.

Floating plants you could have frogbit, water lettuce, Salvinia, water spangle to name a few. The best floating plant for me is water sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides, Cornuta or Fein)
yes


bacopa carolinania (however you spell it) is super hardy for me
 
I have only 1 planted tank and its weak sauce compared to most folks on here. The only think I would recommend is stay away from water wisteria if you hate mess.
 
What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What sort of light/s do you have above the tank and what is the Kelvin (K) rating on the globes?

How long are the lights on for?

Are you adding any aquarium plant fertiliser or carbon dioxide (CO2)?

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LIST OF PLANTS TO TRY
Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, H. ruba/ rubra, Elodia (during summer, but don't buy it in winter because it falls apart), Hydrilla, common Amazon sword plant, narrow or twisted/ spiral Vallis, Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).
The Water Sprite normally floats on the surface but can also be planted in the substrate. The other plants should be planted in the gravel.

Ambulia, H. polysperma, Elodia/ Hydrilla and Vallis are tall plants that do well along the back. Rotala macranda is a medium/ tallish red plant that usually does well.

H. ruba/ rubra is a medium height plant that looks good on the sides of the tank.

Cryptocorynes are small/ medium plants that are taller than pygmy chain swords but shorter than H. rubra. They also come in a range of colours, mostly different shades of green, brown or purplish red.

Most Amazon sword plants can get pretty big and are usually kept in the middle of the tank as a show piece. There is an Ozelot sword plant that has brown spots on green leaves, and a red ruffle sword plant (name may vary depending on where you live) with deep red leaves.

There is a pygmy chain sword plant that is small and does well in the front of the tank.

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IRON BASED PLANT FERTILISER
If you add an iron based aquarium plant fertiliser, it will help most aquarium plants do well. The liquid iron based aquarium plant fertilisers tend to be better than the tablet forms, although you can push the tablets under the roots of plants and that works well.

You use an iron (Fe) test kit to monitor iron levels and keep them at 1mg/l (1ppm).

I used Sera Florena liquid plant fertiliser but there are other brands too.
 
What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What sort of light/s do you have above the tank and what is the Kelvin (K) rating on the globes?

How long are the lights on for?

Are you adding any aquarium plant fertiliser or carbon dioxide (CO2)?

--------------------
LIST OF PLANTS TO TRY
Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, H. ruba/ rubra, Elodia (during summer, but don't buy it in winter because it falls apart), Hydrilla, common Amazon sword plant, narrow or twisted/ spiral Vallis, Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).
The Water Sprite normally floats on the surface but can also be planted in the substrate. The other plants should be planted in the gravel.

Ambulia, H. polysperma, Elodia/ Hydrilla and Vallis are tall plants that do well along the back. Rotala macranda is a medium/ tallish red plant that usually does well.

H. ruba/ rubra is a medium height plant that looks good on the sides of the tank.

Cryptocorynes are small/ medium plants that are taller than pygmy chain swords but shorter than H. rubra. They also come in a range of colours, mostly different shades of green, brown or purplish red.

Most Amazon sword plants can get pretty big and are usually kept in the middle of the tank as a show piece. There is an Ozelot sword plant that has brown spots on green leaves, and a red ruffle sword plant (name may vary depending on where you live) with deep red leaves.

There is a pygmy chain sword plant that is small and does well in the front of the tank.

--------------------
IRON BASED PLANT FERTILISER
If you add an iron based aquarium plant fertiliser, it will help most aquarium plants do well. The liquid iron based aquarium plant fertilisers tend to be better than the tablet forms, although you can push the tablets under the roots of plants and that works well.

You use an iron (Fe) test kit to monitor iron levels and keep them at 1mg/l (1ppm).

I used Sera Florena liquid plant fertiliser but there are other brands too.
Tank dimensions are 48x13x21 (length width height in inches).
I have just the standard tank lights that it came with and I’m not quite sure what the Kelvin is.
Lights are on for about 6-8 hours.
No fertilizer (would like to get one but not quite sure what to get) and no Co2 set up or anything of the sort.
 
Here are a few plants I did not see mentioned above:
wendtii crypts (very easy plant to grow - requires almost no maint - adds a touch of colour for a low tech tank)

Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus - this is a stem plant but it is relatively low maint since the stalk won't rot (which is common for ludwigia or similar that require peridocially replanting). If you trim it it will become quite bushy. if you allow it to grow above the water line it will form a nice flower. If you have strong lights it will form a bit of purplish colour at the top.

prinz kleiner sword - this is a more difficult sword to grow. It is a rich red/purple colour under the right conditions and will stay relatively small - 8 to 12 inches.

parviflorus 'tropica' sword. This is a very small dark green sword plant - stays around 1inches and is a great foreground plant.

melon sword - a taller growing green/red sword

red flame sword - a smaller sword

Aponogeton Boivinianus - this is a moderately tall plant - around 16-18 inch. It does not appear to hibernate and is a dark green - very attrative leaves. Leave room around the side for the leaves - at least 6 inches but 8 is nicer.

apongeton crispus - this is a more 'plain' green plant not quite as large as boivinianus but a bit more wavy. I prefer boivinianus. mine has not hibernated in 3 years.

apongeton madagascariensis - this plant has a unique grid-like leaf. There are quite a few variety with some having leaves larger than 2 feet long and over 8 inches wide and others no more than 3/4 an inch wide and 4 or 5 inches long. read the description of the one you buy carefully.

I would avoid apongeton ulvaceus - this plant is very attractive but it can get quite large even in a low tech tank and it will frequently go into hibernation. The ones I have do not require special care (removal of the bulb while in hibernation) BUT it will result in vacant areas for a while and then over crowded growth at other times but as it ages it can get huge. I have one that has single leaves over 3 feet and it produces many many leaves when actively growing. It can easily fill up an area 4ftx4ft in a 2 foot tall tank by itself.
=
There are hundreds if not thousandds of other plants that can be mentioned but generally speaking sword plants and wendtii are low maint just avoid the ones that will easily out grow your tank (and there are many sword plant species that if given the time and correct conditions will out grow a 55).
 

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