Plants for 85deg water?

[Corbidorbidoodle]

I just set up a tank for some Golden Rams. They like that toasty water.

What're some easy, low tech plants that'll be fine in warner water? Do I need certain plant, or are most aquarium plants fine at that temperature?

[Fish Folk]

Most plants will not enjoy that temp. Amazon Swords are my mainstay "hot" water plant. They need root tabs though to thrive. I've got _some_ Valisneria going that's kind of "meh" in my hot water tank. I've tried Moneywort. Not loving the heat. I have some Hygrophylia polysperma that's so-so. Depending on how deep your aquarium is, Rotala indica might work. Couple of photos attached. You'll see I'm not afraid of algae...

[Torrey]

On 5/30/2022 at 9:01 PM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

I just set up a tank for some Golden Rams. They like that toasty water.

What're some easy, low tech plants that'll be fine in warner water? Do I need certain plant, or are most aquarium plants fine at that temperature?

Algae. 85 F water will give you a wide range of algae, just like what covers most of the rocks and logs in Peru. Some even looks like moss.

Amazon swords, and several ferns from the Amazonia region, as long as you give them space to grow out of the water. I need to see if my ex still has any of the pics from our trips down there, to identify more plants... most of which are becoming invasive in the US and getting harder to find because invasive.

Three decades ago, our winters killed the plants... now? Not so much.

Seriously though, I have posted some resources on the forum for identifying plants indigenous to Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala and Mexico. I think I also posted the link to the Belize plant identification site... can't remember. Most of the countries are getting plant infrmation and molusc/invert information online, trying to slow the natural results of forest being burned for farmland, and the impact on the environment down there. UNM and NMSU have both collaborated with Mexico and Guatemala on captive breeding and propagation programs to reintroduce "lost" species. It's a lot easier now, to identify native species and get environmental information... just be prepared to pay some hefty prices for some of the plants.

[Guppysnail]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:23 PM, Fish Folk said:

You'll see I'm not afraid of algae

Algae trimmed and maintained like a treasured plant can be stunningly gorgeous.  It’s such a healthy addition to tanks especially for breeding and raising fry.  EMBRACE THE ALGAE 🤗

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 5/30/2022 at 8:01 PM, Corbidorbidoodle said:

I just set up a tank for some Golden Rams. They like that toasty water.

What're some easy, low tech plants that'll be fine in warner water? Do I need certain plant, or are most aquarium plants fine at that temperature?

Hi @Corbidorbidoodle

I keep Red Spot Green Discus in a planted tank with HTH Pool Filter Sand substrate.  The tank temperature is 86 F and I have grown the following species in the tank with them successfully:

Rotala H'ra
Myriophyllum 'Guyana'
Bacopa colorata
 Limnophila aromatica "Wavy"
Ludwigia arcuata X repens
Rotala ‘Bangladesh’
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Nymphaea hydrophylla (aka sp. ‘Taiwan’)
Barclaya longifolia Red
Ludwigia polycarpa
Java Fern 'Trident'
Java Fern 'Windelov'

My tank does have CO2 and I do dose ferts.  Hope this helps! -Roy

[Corbidorbidoodle]

Thanks for the replies. I went with some corkscrew val and a few different swords. Loving the rems. They're so pretty.

[Jenja]

Glad you found some species that are working for you! I'll add in my own (cause it never hurts to share, especially on plants in higher temps - it's a difficult subject to find a good long list on).

Crypt wendtii grows like a weed in my tanks that run around 83.5-85F (room temp is consistently at 80 so my tanks run warmer than they probably should). Same almost weed like growth for crypt parva. Pogostemon stellatus octopus, guppy grass and java fern all survive and grow (the first two slower than they would at 78 if seems). Buce varieties (green, crocodile, and a red I think) happily grow in my one tank as well.

Two hitchhiker plants I got off the guppy grass have kinda survived, but definitely not thrived, and that was fissdens fontanus (it will eventually turn black and though it doesn't dissolve and my bladder snails don't eat it so I think it's still alive? Lol. It has managed to attach itself to the wood I recently noticed), and subwassertang (went from the size of a dime to about a -very sad looking- toonie size in a year).

As for the failure list? It's a long one with so many stem plants on it. Currently trying limnophilia sessiliflora and rotala h'ra in two 2 gallon tanks. One has both melting and dying off and the other has some tentative growth on both species - they share the same light so it's a prime reminder that every tank is unique even with identical water, light and filtration 😄

[Bev C]

@Guppysnail

If my algae looked as pretty as yours ,, I would keep it   all mine is that awful brown absolutely ❤️  Pelco cave one it is gorgeous..  would love that on my pelco cave my pelco would love it .. 

[Guppysnail]

On 6/6/2022 at 11:44 AM, Bev C said:

@Guppysnail

If my algae looked as pretty as yours ,, I would keep it   all mine is that awful brown absolutely ❤️  Pelco cave one it is gorgeous..  would love that on my pelco cave my pelco would love it .. 

I can only get that started on caves in my one 20 long. None of the others even though they are same size and light tanks. I rotate caves when the plecos are not looking so it grows on all of them. 🥷