Plant Recommendations

[KentFishFanUK]

Can anyone suggest a beginner/easy/low tech plant that is 'bushy' (like small leaves and good for small critters to hide in) and grows to around 6" ish please? 

Not anything too fast growing like hornwort or that spreads too much. 

[KentFishFanUK]

On 9/13/2021 at 11:29 AM, Nooby said:

Anubias nana is a good choice it’s grows in small bundles and I grew some without ferts at all 

I think anubias nana is the one I have already, or even anubias nana petite.

I was thinking a bit more bushy, like guppy grass only planted in the substrate and won't grow real fast and take over. 

[KentFishFanUK]

On 9/13/2021 at 11:32 AM, Nooby said:

@KentFishFanUK is see.., anubias nana is exactly what you are describing tho 🤣

Do you think it's good for shrimplets and fry to hide in etc? I always imagined the leaves/gaps between them as being too big in the anubias. 

[Keeg]

You could try moss, I like flame and weeping moss the most. But other people like java

 

[Keeg]

Moss is great for fry and shrimp lets! Also java fern is pretty easy to care for and medium growth rate. 

[Keeg]

On 9/13/2021 at 3:36 AM, Nooby said:

@Keeg never tried java moss is it really very easy to care for? And doesn’t java fern grow really big?

It'll grow big with tons of time and love, grows medium with neglect lol. And moss is awesome!! I really wish I got into it more before hand. I seem to have better luck with weeping moss more than java but its all dependent on parameters. 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 5:36 AM, Nooby said:

@Keeg never tried java moss is it really very easy to care for? And doesn’t java fern grow really big?

Java moss is very easy when you hit reasonably close to the right conditions (which are very broad).  Java fern can get big but there are dwarf varieties that stay smaller.  Windelov (AKA Lace) stays smaller and has frilly edges.

Maybe consider one of the slower growing mosses, like Hooker’s moss (Physcomitrium hookeri) or Jade Lotus moss (Jungermannia truncata), Giant Willow moss (Fontanalis antipyretica ‘Gigantea’).  They will grow slower to whatever height you want, would take months to get overgrown so very little trimming, and their trimmings sell for good prices since they are slow growing.  They’re a little harder to find, but easier to contain than most other mosses.  They have more of a “stem” effect than most mosses, and would be very striking grown as a carpet or clump effect.  You would need a great deal of patience or a semi deep pocket book to get a big bunch, though.

Hooker’s moss in first pic, Jade Lotus in second.  I don’t have Giant Willow, but it’s on my wish list.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:21 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck I prefer mainstream plants ,like  easy to find 

I don’t blame you.  I dive down rabbit holes like nobody’s business.  😆 

Edit to add that the dwarf and smaller forms of Java fern aren’t that hard to find.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Odd Duck

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:24 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck I just don’t see myself going to multiple stores to find a single plant, I like one stop shops

ACO carries the ‘Windelov’ form of Java fern.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:26 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck ya I got the mixed variety of the trident and the regular kind, dont know if you seen my tanks

I probably have, but since I see many, many tank pics per day, I can’t remember everybody’s tank.  Do you have a link?

[JettsPapa]

Pearl weed fits your "small leaves and good for critters to hide in" criteria.  Depending on light it will likely get taller than 6", but it's pretty easy to trim to size.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:30 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck. 

 

Now I remember, those cool tiger barbs distracted me from the plants!  😆 

if you can grow Java ferns like that you’ll really like the Windelov version.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 10:41 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck ya they are definitely a distraction from life , so the windelov has similar needs?

Same as any other Java fern.  They’re a subspecies if I remember right, but do great in the same conditions as other Java ferns.  Classified as “easy” but we all know the pitfalls in that (hornwort 😆).

[Mmiller2001]

100% Pearl Weed.

[KentFishFanUK]

On 9/13/2021 at 4:31 PM, JettsPapa said:

Pearl weed fits your "small leaves and good for critters to hide in" criteria.  Depending on light it will likely get taller than 6", but it's pretty easy to trim to size.

 

On 9/13/2021 at 6:08 PM, Mmiller2001 said:

100% Pearl Weed.

Yep just googled and this is perfect for my needs and the space I want it to fill in my tank, thanks! 

[Odd Duck]

On 9/13/2021 at 1:05 PM, KentFishFanUK said:

 

Yep just googled and this is perfect for my needs and the space I want it to fill in my tank, thanks! 

Just be aware, when pearlweed likes the space, it can really take off.  I just ripped 3 big handfuls out of one shrimp tank (my lfs gives me store credit for the stuff, not much, but it helps) and I still have at least 4 handfuls left.  This is about once a month for that tank.

I have grown it planted, but it grows a bit too well for me planted and needs weekly maintenance, tucking runners down into the substrate or trimming off excess growth.  Floating it grows a bit slower for me since I don’t fertilize that tank heavily.

[KentFishFanUK]

On 9/14/2021 at 3:29 AM, Odd Duck said:

Just be aware, when pearlweed likes the space, it can really take off.  I just ripped 3 big handfuls out of one shrimp tank (my lfs gives me store credit for the stuff, not much, but it helps) and I still have at least 4 handfuls left.  This is about once a month for that tank.

I have grown it planted, but it grows a bit too well for me planted and needs weekly maintenance, tucking runners down into the substrate or trimming off excess growth.  Floating it grows a bit slower for me since I don’t fertilize that tank heavily.

Ah thanks for the warning! I don't mind trimming it but I don't want it to spread too much and overtake other plants. Will have to look into it. It looks perfect otherwise!

[Odd Duck]

On 9/14/2021 at 1:21 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

Ah thanks for the warning! I don't mind trimming it but I don't want it to spread too much and overtake other plants. Will have to look into it. It looks perfect otherwise!

It is pretty!  A nice, medium to light green color, thin, somewhat fragile stems, small tear drop shaped leaves.  It did grow faster for me planted compared to now growing it floating with light ferts.

If you stay on top of it, it won’t be an issue for you.  I found I’m a lazy aquarist and wasn’t doing a great job keeping up with it and it got a bit out of control.  That doesn’t bother me floating in the shrimp tank.  I just grab a hunk, give it a shake to clear out any shrimplets, and pull to clear excess.  It will do a fine job for what you want.  Just realize once it roots and gets happy, it gets really happy!

[KentFishFanUK]

On 9/14/2021 at 9:20 AM, Odd Duck said:

It is pretty!  A nice, medium to light green color, thin, somewhat fragile stems, small tear drop shaped leaves.  It did grow faster for me planted compared to now growing it floating with light ferts.

If you stay on top of it, it won’t be an issue for you.  I found I’m a lazy aquarist and wasn’t doing a great job keeping up with it and it got a bit out of control.  That doesn’t bother me floating in the shrimp tank.  I just grab a hunk, give it a shake to clear out any shrimplets, and pull to clear excess.  It will do a fine job for what you want.  Just realize once it roots and gets happy, it gets really happy!

"really happy!" - that would be a nice change of pace from how most of my plants are 😂 

If it's easy to trim it's ok, does it send runners underneath the substrate? Not sure how easy that would be to trim without disturbing other plants. Otherwise I reckon it won't be an issue

[Odd Duck]

On 9/14/2021 at 3:57 AM, Nooby said:

@Odd Duck just curious would fish eat it ?, talking about pearl weed

I haven’t had it in a fish tank, only with shrimp.  It’s fragile enough I think it might break and scatter from cories rummaging through it.  I’m sure someone else could answer this question, though.

[Odd Duck]

On 9/14/2021 at 3:58 AM, KentFishFanUK said:

"really happy!" - that would be a nice change of pace from how most of my plants are 😂 

If it's easy to trim it's ok, does it send runners underneath the substrate? Not sure how easy that would be to trim without disturbing other plants. Otherwise I reckon it won't be an issue

It would send out runners but it was hit or miss whether they were under or over the substrate.  When I had it planted, I was constantly having to push runners down into the substrate.  That could partially have been the substrate I had in that tank at the time - it was that very hard, sharp, EcoComplete.  I could easily envision that stuff diverting a runner out of the substrate.  I haven’t tried growing it planted in any of my dirt capped sand tanks, only floating in those.

[Patrick_G]

On 9/13/2021 at 8:31 AM, JettsPapa said:

Pearl weed fits your "small leaves and good for critters to hide in" criteria.  Depending on light it will likely get taller than 6", but it's pretty easy to trim to size.

I agree, it’s sort of like a hedge. It would look great alongside some Java Ferns and some Java Moss. 

[Patrick_G]

If you don’t mind trimming then one option would be a mixed planting of stem plants. Rotala, Bacopa and Ludwigia look great together.