Top 5-10 plants you'd like to try out!

[nabokovfan87]

Give us your top 5 (or 10) plants that you've never tried before!

One of mine... Ludwigia Repens

 

[JoeQ]

From the coop in no particular order:

Monte carlo

Baby tears

Ammannia gracillis

Crinum

From another seller:

Tall hair grass

Edited September 6, 2023 by JoeQ

[nabokovfan87]

Plants I'm basically dying to try out.....

1. Bucephelandra Kedegang

2. Hygrophila Pinnatifida UK version

3. "Other" hygro/staurogyne species like coryambosa compact

4. I've never had a crypt before but I saw one in a George video in his fern setup and the color was really cool. I'd like to try one. Same thing with something kelp-like like anachris or crinums

5. I think I can swing it in the 75 maybe... But it's a toss up between red mosaic plant or salvinia. (Not both). I would also add something like a lotus here.

6. Ludwigia. I need to learn more about stems and what species do well.

7. Tissue culture of AR Mini and AR roservang. I am not sure I can get either to grow, but it's on the list for sure.

8. Pogostemon species that don't get insane like PSO does. Erectus is the go-to I think.

9. Back to learning stems. Ludwigia, never kept any of them. Maybe a super red one.

10. Rotala, same thing, I want to learn. Maybe rotala rotundafolia

....and some pearlweed!

[JChristophersAdventures]

Here's my basic list: floating: Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus PSO and Brazilian Pennywort; attached to wood/stone: buce (small/mini varieties), java fern and mosses (java, christmas, spikey, etc.) I may also mount some anubias nana petite, if I can find some that doesn't have anubias rot. 

I've been giving a lot of thought, lately, about the aquarium plants I will be going with in the new 75G. Back when I last had fish, I did live plants (although plastic ones were a lot more popular back then than they are today... never was a fan at all of the plastic ones), but it was mainly things like anacharis, hornwort, banana plants, etc.. Those were common and really cheap back then... swords were around, but much more expensive by comparison.

So, the long/short of it is that almost every plant out there, today, is something I haven't tried!

Obviously, like fish, even a 75G won't hold everything I would like to go with, so I set some parameters.

(1) I will be sticking to green plants. Not just because of ease, but I want the focus to be the fish in this tank.

(2) These are easy, water column plants that I can dose with Easy Green... no special substrates or root tabs required.

(3) Outside of rock and wood, I am leaving the substrate surface open for easy cleaning during water changes.

I am thinking to float all the plants initially until I see how they are going to do, before attaching the buce, moss, etc to the decor.

 

[Root]

Here is my list and in no particular order. These are plants I have been wanting to try for sometime, but haven’t haven’t pulled the trigger. 
 

1. Tiger Lotus Bulb

2. Pennywort (Floating) like what LRB has going on! 

3. Pearl Weed

4. Java Fern Windelov

5. Cryptocoryne Tropica

 

[MattyM]

I want to try a bunch of Buce varieties and something like Trident java fern - basically a smaller, narrow leaf fern. I know some retailers sell a Buce variety pack and I'm tempted to pull the trigger on that. 

For my next tank build (100g) I have some giant driftwood that I think would look great with a bunch of buce/annubias/fern on it. 

[Odd Duck]

If I could ever get some mosaic plant, Ludwigia sedioides at the right time of year for putting outdoors I’m my tub, I’d be very happy.  It’s either not available when I want it or it’s too hot of too cold to order plants here.  I’ve also been trying to get some Barclaya longifolia but I’ve literally put it in my cart, shopped a bit more, then had it be suddenly sold out 30 minutes later when I went to check out.  😠  

I sometimes wish I had ambition enough to play with CO2 so I could do better with stems and reds, but then I think about it a bit more, and, Nah!  😆 🤷🏻‍♀️ I also really want to try with some of the really exotic colored Buces, but they’re so pricy and my history with buces is spotty.  Some do great, others, well, . . . . not so much.

I do need to get better lights for my current rack and next rack.  If someone has suggestions for that I’m open - they will be almost 8” from the glass lids because I attach them to the underside of the shelf above so they’re out of the way for working in the tanks.  Currently using some older Marineland lights I got used, double row of them since the tanks are 10 G’s short with ends fronted.  The other rack will be the Low Row cubes (2 G, 6 G x 2, and 14 G) and a 20 G long with the long side fronted.  One shelf will be a 6 G, the 14 G, and the other 6 G.  Other row will be the 2 G and the 20 G long.  Lowest shelf to be determined but might end up with my jars but I think they will be too tall to be handy down there.  I might have to make the shorter jars different, lower stands.  If I can have them fronted right up at the edge that might give me enough room below the spouts to get a container under them for draining for water changes.  I’m failing at water changes in the 2 jars I currently have set up since I can’t refill them easily at this point.  I can’t fail in the 2 G jug, it’s too cool to set myself up for failure with it.

[JoeQ]

On 9/6/2023 at 12:48 PM, Odd Duck said:

I sometimes wish I had ambition enough to play with CO2 so I could do better with stems and reds, but then I think about it a bit more, and, Nah!  😆 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's not worth it IMO.... I was in the same position and bought a system to "play" with it. But now I keep using it on account of not wanting it to become more unnecessary & unused equipment cluttering my closet. If anything it causes more work, at an accelerated rate. Hopefully it'll be more of an asset in my coming soon crypt tank, but for the basic planted tank skip it!

[FLFishChik]

Ludwigia Repens

Jungle Val

Buce

Crypt Pink Flamingo 

[JoeQ]

On 9/6/2023 at 6:00 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Give us your top 5 (or 10) plants that you've never tried before!

One of mine... Ludwigia Repens

 

Stopped by petsmart for a net, but of course I stopped by the plant section first, "just to browse", needless to say I came home with a container of buce.... Instead of a net! 🤣Anyhow, they had repens which made me think of this thread. I'm not sure if its the ludwigia variety tho, which I assume would be considered a background plant instead of foreground.

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/8/2023 at 8:07 AM, JoeQ said:

Stopped by petsmart for a net, but of course I stopped by the plant section first, "just to browse",

I do the same thing... It's so refreshing to see great plants available there.  The ones I have locally are always roasted or should be replaced but just sit rotten on the shelves.

[JoeQ]

On 9/8/2023 at 1:24 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I do the same thing... It's so refreshing to see great plants available there.  The ones I have locally are always roasted or should be replaced but just sit rotten on the shelves.

Our petsmart has actually gotten better plant wise, with more variety and healthier cultures. One wonders if this is simply coincidental or if they see a trend with aquatic plants and profitability.