Want your suggestion for some plant selection!

[Lennie]

Hey guys, 

I hope you are doing well!

As maybe some of you have seen, I have been setting up a new tank, a 50x50cm cube. I've planted it to some extend with the following;

On the wood:

Java fern, 

Bucephalandra needle leaf,

On middle to front side:

Hygrophila difformis, 

Cryptocoryne beckettii, 

Cryptocoryne wendtii green,

Hydrocotyle verticillata 

Background:

Ludwigia ovalis  (right side)

Cardamine lyrata Vietnam (left side)

 

My water parameters: around 7 gh, 20 kh, 8.2ph.

Light and substrate: I have a high tech LED, and my substrate is  Tropica Aquasoil

No Co2

 

I wanna try new plants in this tank, and I already have amazon sword types, elodea anacharis, java moss,  salvinia, Hygrophila polysperma Ceylon, dwarf lily, Limnophila Sessiliflora on my other tank.

The plants I've failed to grow before in my water are: Cabomba and  sp. japan.

I think the locations I marked on the picture seems empty even considering everything will grow and cover those areas sometime later. I feel like adding more variety sounds cool, especially some colors, as it is mostly green plants. I wonder what would you guys suggest.

I don't wanna add any moss to this one. Was planning to introduce a subwassertang, but it came in a really bad condition.

Here is the picture of the tank and spots:

I thought maybe I can train my extra Lily to stay low on pink circle.

and Alternanthera reineckii mini on red part.

No clue about the other spots.

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

P.s: ignore the airstone and heater, just there for circulation and keeping it at 24C for now.

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Maybe a Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis carpet out front? 

[Lennie]

On 1/24/2023 at 7:56 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Maybe a Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis carpet out front? 

If I manage to grow some carpet with the existing monte carlo in front, without co2, I may add some more of it! I'm observing them, as I failed carpeting dwarf hairglass before in my other tank but with worse lighting/inert substrate. I see some melting but they were invitro, so that's normal I guess. If monte carlo fails, I'm skipping carpeting 😄

[TheSwissAquarist]

Invitro is such a pain. I’ve tried it several times with Utricularia, Buce and Java moss and it’s never worked properly. 
Potted plants may be more expensive, but they’re worth it in my opinion.

Any thoughts? 

[Lennie]

On 1/24/2023 at 8:06 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Invitro is such a pain. I’ve tried it several times with Utricularia, Buce and Java moss and it’s never worked properly. 
Potted plants may be more expensive, but they’re worth it in my opinion.

Any thoughts? 

Potted plants are cheaper in my country, sometimes they are even half the price 😄 The carpeting plants can be somehow hard to find potted here for some reason. And I agree, I  had a struggle to grow even very low tech plants like in vitro ludwigia before. Sometimes only one version is available sadly.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 1/24/2023 at 6:10 PM, Lennie said:

Potted plants are cheaper in my country

Where are you, Germany? 

 

On 1/24/2023 at 6:10 PM, Lennie said:

And I agree, I  had a struggle to grow even very low tech plants like in vitro ludwigia before. Sometimes only one version is available sadly.

I completely sympathize! 

[Lennie]

On 1/24/2023 at 8:11 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Where are you, Germany? 

Turkey!

 

On 1/24/2023 at 8:11 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I completely sympathize! 

Don't question why would I give invitro ludwigia a try. Because I don't know myself😄😄

[Ninjoma]

I haven't panted in waters that alkaline before, so you may want to check compatibility, but here are some plants that might look good:

If yellow arrow is behind the wood:
-Nymphoides hydrophylla 'Taiwan'
-Crinum Calamistratum (curved over the top of the wood) Here's a stock photo for what I am imagining.

Blue oval:
-African water fern
-Ludwigia super red
-Red melon Sword (I bet Flame Sword would look good too, but I haven't grown it before)

Red square:
-Anubias nana "petite"
-Bucephalandra Kedagang
-I like your idea of Alternanthera reineckii mini too

Pink circle:
I like your idea of a lily. Another plant with a long stalks could also look good, like Anubias hasifolia.

 

[Lennie]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:56 PM, Ninjoma said:

-Crinum Calamistratum (curved over the top of the wood) Here's a stock photo for what I am imagining.

I loved this idea. Kinda got hyped but just checked the stores and none left anywhere! :') The only one I can find with kinda a similar look is Crinum Thaianum.

I happen to find "Persicaria Sp. Sao Paulo" in the store. I'm thinking of it for the blue spot. What do you think?

Also thanks for a very detailed answer. Very appreciated!

[Lennie]

Okay, they seem to get huge. Looking pretty but I'm not sure about keeping one in a 50x50 now:D

[Ninjoma]

On 1/24/2023 at 12:17 PM, Lennie said:

I loved this idea. Kinda got hyped but just checked the stores and none left anywhere! :') The only one I can find with kinda a similar look is Crinum Thaianum.

I happen to find "Persicaria Sp. Sao Paulo" in the store. I'm thinking of it for the blue spot. What do you think?

Also thanks for a very detailed answer. Very appreciated!

Bummer! 

I'm not familiar with that plant, but from the photos I've seen, it's not my favorite for that spot. I would personally go with a plant with smaller leaves and less space between the leaves. However, this is your tank, if you like it and it's available you should go for it! 

[Greenspace]

If you're looking for a fast-grower to fill up that middle area, I would do something like hygrophila polysperma. Great beginner plant, grows fast (help eat up those nitrates!).

[Lennie]

On 1/24/2023 at 11:49 PM, Greenspace said:

If you're looking for a fast-grower to fill up that middle area, I would do something like hygrophila polysperma. Great beginner plant, grows fast (help eat up those nitrates!).

Thanks! I agree that they are amazing. But I've kept the Ceylon version before, so I kinda don't wanna get them again 😄 Also I'm looking for more red/orange colors a lil bit that likes good substrate/lighting but no co2 :')