# Pea gravel, low tech, will vallis grow?



## peaches (7 Jul 2018)

I am setting up my granddaughers fancy goldfish tank with dorset pea gravel.  She would like a few  hardy plants.  My first thought was Vallis as I am sure I grew it in gravel successfully ages ago and just added root tabs.  I could put some soil under the gravel but I know the fancy goldfish when we get them will dig and possibly make a mess.  My other thoughts were java fern tied to pebbles, or anubias on coconut shell.  She is old enough to appreciate the beauty of real plants as opposed to pink castles.


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## three-fingers (7 Jul 2018)

Any _Vallisneria_ sp_. _should do great with goldfish, I have "Jungle Vallis" in sand with my goldfish (also "low-tech"). Try to let it establish itself before adding the goldfish if you can, or place some nice smooth round sandstone pebbles on top of the newly planted _Vallis _to reduce the chances of the goldfish uprooting it before it establishes itself. 

The reason I recommend sandstone/limestone is that vallis can use carbonate as a carbon source, and just like vallis goldfish prefer harder, more alkaline water. So as  the water gets more acidic with dissolved organics from fish waste, tannins from rotting plant/vegetable matter and wood, etc. the rock will dissolve and raise the pH/hardness, while releasing carbonate as a carbon source for the vallis, helping it grow faster and remove inorganic waste products like ammonia and nitrate.  If you already have very hard/alkaline water, this won't make much difference unless you don't do enough water changes.


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## zozo (8 Jul 2018)

I have a V. spiralis (Tiger val) in my low tech on inert gravel with some added clay tabs at it roots. It's the fasted growing and running plant in the tank. 

Another rather fast growing and interesting plant for a goldfish setup is the Potamogeton natans, you might find it in a garden centre with a pond section. As free floating bundle wiithout pot for a few pennies. It's a vigorous rooter, once planted in the substrate it will run allover the bottom. It submersed form also has a grass like appearance but in relative shallow aqaurium with moderate turnover it will mainlly grow floating leaves. It's an easy to maintain and very addaptable plant.


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## PARAGUAY (9 Jul 2018)

Vallis should grow fine in gravel, they say its a "hard water" liker but my water is described as soft to very soft.and it grows and spreads well, root tablets would be good but a good liquid fertiliser should be enough,


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