Shiba Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Hello all. I don't really know how to make the title. What I'm essentially asking is what's the best way to go about adding plants to a fresh 20g aquarium all while being not a million dollars (obvious exaggeration lol). I have a pretty strict budget. More money will come in the (hopefully) near future to pay for more plants, but this is going to be one of those WIP tanks for at least a couple months, unfortunately. I plan for the tank to be densely planted. But, I have black diamond blasting sand as a substrate with a tetra hood for the tank. Not anything you'd think will grow amazing plants to say the least lol. I can eventually upgrade the light, but I can't really change the substrate. I got BDBS in the first place because it was completely inert and (IMO) looked pretty nice. I will fortunately add AC root tabs for the plants that are heavier root feeders and I will be dosing with easy green. Still, not the fanciest way to grow plants, but it is what it is lol. I will consider investing in a timer for the light. So, what would you do? Would you get all the plants immediately or would you ease your way into them. I understand why it would be ideal to add them all right away, but I'd rather not spend all kinds of money and have them all die. Perhaps I could get the plants like anubias and java fern that won't need any nutrients from the substrate? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woowala Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Most economically friendly- get some hardy plants for cheap/free from someone local, set up a rubbermaid bin or old tank (any container really) with soil and grow them emersed for a couple months or however long it takes. Super easy, super cheap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricksonAquatics Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Do you have a local club? Often times clubs will have auctions and auction off a gazillion plants for super cheap. My club always has a ton of massive crypts that nobody wants! Otherwise the only other thing I can think of is buying the “plant packs” that a bunch of people sell because they usually knock a couple bucks off which is nice. If you buy stem plants, I’d recommend floating them first to give them the best chance of success before planting them in the gravel. Gives them a little head start. good luck 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyxxl Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Buy plants, separate anything that you can into separate plants, stems make clippings. I bought one bunch of stems had like 6 long stems. I filled out most of the back of my 4 ft tank using clippings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 4:15 PM, johnnyxxl said: Buy plants, separate anything that you can into separate plants, stems make clippings. I bought one bunch of stems had like 6 long stems. I filled out most of the back of my 4 ft tank using clippings Might do this. How many clippings could I get from, say, a 5 inch stem plant? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 @Shiba where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 5:04 PM, mynameisnobody said: @Shiba where are you located? Why do you need to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 Get hardy and fast growing plants (so they can cover more) I have never had guppy grass, cryptocryne wendtii, and pellia moss failing after trying sooo many plants in different tanks. These three are probably the only ones that worked in every tank I tried them in. Hornwort is also pretty good, so is elodea, but be careful, if your tank is too hot, then they may not like it. Also these may be considered invasive based on your location, so make sure to check if they are legal to keep in where you live. All other plants I've tried to this day were luck based and I have even seen anubias failing from time to time. Java fern has never worked well in any tank of mine. I tried both windelov and normal version. Ive invested A LOT to plants in the past. Sadly even in my own home tanks, one plant may work great in one tank and fail hard in another. Also you can utilise stuff like bamboos or pothos which adds to the aesthetic of the tank, helps with filteration and potential algae issues, and plant is a plant 😄 Edit: Hygrophila polysperma Ceylon is also amazing. Grows super fast and soo easy to propogate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennie Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 (edited) + LOTUS. I FORGOT LOTUS! Tiger lotuses work great for me, never had issues with them, but growing to the surface may be problematic if you don't like it. Also easiest red/pink color you get in a no co2 setup Honorable mention: Duckweed 🤣 Edited August 12 by Lennie 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 5:27 PM, Lennie said: + LOTUS. I FORGOT LOTUS! Tiger lotuses work great for me, never had issues with them, but growing to the surface may be problematic if you don't like it. Also easiest red/pink color you get in a no co2 setup Honorable mention: Duckweed 🤣 Tiger lotus is pretty amazing looking. I may or may not get it depending on what fish I have. (I want red fish to stand out) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 @Shiba if you were in my vicinity I was going to give you a ton of plants. A state would have been sufficient, not full address. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 What state are you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyxxl Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 5:50 PM, Shiba said: Might do this. How many clippings could I get from, say, a 5 inch stem plant? Thanks. What I did was cut my clippings at 6 inches but stems can grow fast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 5:50 PM, johnnyxxl said: What I did was cut my clippings at 6 inches but stems can grow fast. So 3 inches could also work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyxxl Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 On 8/12/2024 at 5:50 PM, Shiba said: Might do this. How many clippings could I get from, say, a 5 inch stem plant? Thanks. What I did was cut my clippings at 6 inches but stems can grow fast. Yeah, I would float them until they get a little bit of new growth starting 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynameisnobody Posted August 12 Share Posted August 12 It’s all good, happy plant hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiba Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 I'm thinking of getting java moss, vallisneria, dwarf chain sword and Mayaca Fluviatilis for the beginning. Thoughts? Oh, and I have some plants in another tank I will be using as well. Mostly anubius. Maybe another stem plant that I seemingly forgot the name of. Thought it was hornwort. Doesn't look like it. Thought it was water wisteria. Definitely doesn't look like that. So, oh well. Oh, and this is just the beginning. I plan to get as many as I can once I can afford them. I really want to give it an amazing feel with all the plants of all different shapes and sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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