San Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi, I'm San from Kent, WA. I have a 20 gallon planted aquarium with different species of ludwigia, bacopa, hornwort, anacharis, water wisteria, and one amazon sword. I'm trying to fill in my tank with a lot of plants. I personally cannot buy any more plants (because my parents won't let me). I want to grow the stem plants tall and trim it and replant the trimmed part, I also want my amazon sword to make baby swords. I have already doses the all in one fertilizer and root tab from flourish. My substrate is just plain gravel from the petstore and from a local lake at my house. I don't remember what light I bought, but it's not that good. The question is, should I get an led light at walmart? Should I get co2? Should I get better fertilizer? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackLabelCarling Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi @San sounds like you found loophole in your parents no more plants rule! I love all those stem plants. When doing any trimming I leave the steps to float before planting that way they can sprout some roots. I've never had a sword develop a maternal stem, but it will eat up those flourish tabs and each time you replace them you will likely have to add additional tabs to compensate for the growth. I actually leave the hornwort floating all the time as I have had no luck planting them. Hope that helps! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish are Friends not Food Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hello San I would do a background search on the care level for your plants. horn wort, water wisteria and amazon swords are good plants to begin with in terms of lighting but swords do benefit from root tabs and can get pretty big. Bacopa in my experience needs moderate light and fertilizer. Ludwigia if it's red will need an iron supplements and some have grown it under low light. Ludwigia repens will be your go to species. Anacharis looks like water weed here in the UK and ours breaks to bits in a low tech tank so you might be better letting it float instead of planting it or increase the light. Most of these plants don't need Co2 and would benefit from a good fert but you will need to find a balance of lighting and fertilizing because you don't want an algae boom. You could look a low tech plants like Anubias (don't bury their roots), Java ferns, Cryptocoryne, Java Moss and Guppy grass, they don't need Co2. But other than that you'll have to experiment or do further research. Good luck. FAFNF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Thanks so much for all the feed back. I would definitely try out those things. I'm still very disapointed because my parents won't let me buy any more plants, I still really want 2 dwarf aquarium lily bulbs, an apon bulb, some crypt. Dang it :)))) Edited October 4, 2020 by San Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Well this may or may not be a viable work around but easy green and co2. Technically they aren't plants! Oh and root tabs for the sword. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDukeAnumber1 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 16 hours ago, San said: Thanks so much for all the feed back. I would definitely try out those things. I'm still very disapointed because my parents won't let me buy any more plants, I still really want 2 dwarf aquarium lily bulbs, an apon bulb, some crypt. Dang it :)))) What kind of light do you have? I get the impressiont that this might be your limiting factor right now. My advice is take great care of the plants you have and make the tank look beautiful as everything grows in. When your parents see your success they may loosen up on their "rule". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ellison Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 I was just assuming it was a led light. I find those are pretty decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 If you fertilize the plants with the easy green and root tabs and they still are not growing, I would look at the lighting situation, if you can afford a Fluval 3.0 would be great, but there are several good budget LED lights that will grow plants great, I use the Beamsworks ones that are available on Amazon, you can get a" one for $35-50 and they will grow plants. Bentley Pascoe has a couple excellent videos on YouTube that go over several of the more budget friendly LED plant lights. I wish you luck on your plant journey, maybe if you mast the plants you have, and get a nice lush beautiful tank, your parents will say you can get more plants or even more tanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 @TheDukeAnumber1I don't remember what light it is, but I do remember that i bought it from sierra fish and pet for $60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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