Hard Water Plants

[zayackylepga]

On 12/8/2021 at 10:13 AM, KaitieG said:

For stem plants specifically, I've had great success with Hygrophila angustifolia in my super hard Wisconsin water.  I've had failures with Brazilian Pennywort, Scarlet Temple, and Water Sprite.

I laid waste to some Scarlet Temple here as well lol 

[JettsPapa]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:51 AM, zayackylepga said:

Has anyone had Anacharis or cabomba? Was looking at those two. Like bacopa carolinia too, may go that route as well 

• Anarcharis does okay for me, but it takes it a long time to get acclimated to a new tank.
• I have cabomba in one tank but it's struggling.  That may have as much to do with light and CO2 as it does the water.

Edited December 8, 2021 by JettsPapa

[Guppysnail]

I’m near york pa. Very hard water 7.6 ph. I grow a decent variety no fertilizer no co2 just large frequent water changes heavy stocking

Things that do great for me

all Ludwiga except super red

anacharis elodea densa

brazillian pennywort

chinese ivy

java fern

anubias

Alternanthera reineckii rosanervig red

swords

cardinals

moneywort

hornwort

Things not so good: 

pogostemons

scarlet temple

ludwiga super red

bacopa

THINGS THAT ABSOLUTELY HATE ME

water sprite

water wisteria

all floating plants

Edited December 9, 2021 by Guppysnail

[Guppysnail]

On 12/8/2021 at 2:30 PM, JettsPapa said:

• Anarcharis does okay for me, but it takes it a long time to get acclimated to a new tank.
• I have cabomba in one tank but it's struggling.  That may have as much to do with light and CO2 as it does the water.

I did well with this plant both purple and green and no co2(until my guppies destroyed it eating panda Roy eggs). Light intensity was my key. I attached it to the glass with suction cups and attached to tall wood to get it close to the light. Extra time lower did hid nothing for it that’s why I say intensity. 

[Tanked]

On 12/10/2021 at 9:24 AM, Guppysnail said:

I did well with this plant both purple and green and no co2(until my guppies destroyed it eating panda Roy eggs). Light intensity was my key. I attached it to the glass with suction cups and attached to tall wood to get it close to the light. Extra time lower did hid nothing for it that’s why I say intensity. 

You are probably right about intensity.  I have Anacharis in all of my tanks.  It grows differently in each.  In the 29 it grows very tight nodes, short leaves and a very dark green.  The plant is slightly wider than a pencil.  The piece I threw in the backyard pond has widely spaced nodes, pale green and easily an inch or more across.

[Wingman12r]

On 12/8/2021 at 8:51 AM, zayackylepga said:

Has anyone had Anacharis or cabomba? Was looking at those two. Like bacopa carolinia too, may go that route as well 

Narrow leaf Anachris grows crazy in my 20H with a Walmart LED shop light. I toss hand fulls every couple of weeks.

[Torrey]

On 12/8/2021 at 7:51 AM, zayackylepga said:

Has anyone had Anacharis or cabomba? Was looking at those two. Like bacopa carolinia too, may go that route as well 

I have liquid rock, *after* I run it through a single carbon filter😅

I have also had more success with 'difficult plants' in the past year, than in the prior 4 decades of fish keeping. 

My bacopa carolinia is thriving in water that leaves massive calcium deposits on my tanks.

I can't get water soft enough to make a true blackwater tank.

I can have a dark tannin tank by covering dirt with sand/gravel, and milfoil, carolina bacopa, hornwort, water sprite, and I am having cranial flatulence on the rest of the plants, are all thriving.

Here's a picture of the Walstad style tank after I trimmed back enough plants to fill a 5 gallon bucket. Obviously, the plants are thriving despite the low light from the tannins.

This is a 10 gallon tank...