Low tech carpet plants?

[Angharad]

Hi all!

I have a relitavely new tank (set up in June) which I have planted from the start. However, I had to remove the original plants after some melting (non-aquatic, yuk) and a brown hair algae bloom.

When I replaced the plants, (I was again sold two non-aquatics, which I will remove when my new, aquatic plants, arrive) I replaced some gravel with and soil substrate under my gravel. The gravel is slowly being removed, and I will then cap it with sand, if I can.

Below are the details of my current set-up in this tank.

Tank Specifications:

Capacity: 80Ltrs
Dimensions: L35" x H15" x W12"
Lights: Glo T5 HO Lights, 2x 24" (refitted lid to hold these) - On for around 8 hours a day.
Filter: Eden 325
Heater: Interpet 300W Delta Therm
Substrate: Amazonia, I think. I threw the packet out

Planting:
Live plants - switching slowly from gravel to soil and increasing the density of the planting along with substrate change.

• 8 Stems of Pogostemon erectus
• 12 Stems of Cabomba caroliniana
• 12 Stems of myriophyllium tuberculatum

And the LFS kindly sold me these plants. They are staying in until they start to degrade or my new plants arrive.

• 2 x dracaena sanderiana
• 2 x cordyline 'red edge'

I have recently aquired one more, to create an area for my male Betta to nest in the end of the tank furthest from the pump, but I have no idea what it is!

I am also expecting some other plants on friday, but nothing ground-covery. So unorganised, I have lost my order list! :/

Fish Stock:

• 1 Male Betta
• 3 female Bettas
  
• 1 Crystal Shrimp (I think!)
• 7 otocinclus catfish
• 1 red Dwarf Gourami
• 1 powder blue Dwarf Gourami

At least one gourami is moving out to my 64 litre on Sunday (or thereabouts, depending on the water perameters).


Water parameters:

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite (NO2): 0

Nitrate (NO3): 20ppm

KH: 10 (This is taken using the JBL test strips which is in degrees D?... I am thinking of investing in an API KH/GH kit, as this should help me with my carbon dosing)

Ph Reading: 8.2


Fertilizer:

Weekly doses of Love Fish Plant Fertiliser.

CO2:

Adding liquid carbon daily (API CO2 Booster)

So after all that, I am thinking of Eleocharis Japan with some hydrocotyle Japan (if I can find the hairgrass). The ones I know I can find are:

1. Elocharis Parvula
2. Glossostigma Elatinoides
3. Elocharis Acicularis
4. Sagittaria Dwarf
5. Echinodorus tenellus
6. Hermianthus callitrichoides 'cuba'
7. Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
8. Ricca slender
9. Staurogyne sp porto velho
10. Elocharis sp Mini
11. Utricularia gramminifolia

I really want something that will not be too difficult to maintain once it is grown in, and that will, ideally carpet quite quickly (within a month or two?). Not too tall either, as the tank isn't that deep.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
(Edit: I've just seen it is your first post, so welcome Angharad)

And the LFS kindly sold me these plants. They are staying in until they start to degrade or my new plants arrive.
2 x dracaena sanderiana
2 x cordyline 'red edge'

This really p*sses me off, that they can still do this. You'll need to take them out, or if you leave them in make sure that their leaves are emersed. With their leaves in the air they will grow roots, but fully submerged they will just rot away, degrading water quality.

I really want something that will not be too difficult to maintain once it is grown in, and that will, ideally carpet quite quickly (within a month or two?). Not too tall either, as the tank isn't that deep.

You can discount Riccia (a great floater, but a high maintenance carpet). Anything that grows really quickly will be higher maintenance, you can think of it a bit like a "leylandii" hedge, quick growing but then you are going to need to trim it a lot to keep it under control.

Have a read through this thread <"The Soil Substrate Planted Tank - A How to Guide"> for some ideas.

cheers Darrel

 

[foxfish]

Substrate: Amazonia, I think. I threw the packet out

Check your bank balance that should tell you if it was Amazonia

Lights: Glo T5 HO Lights, 2x 24" (refitted lid to hold these) - On for around 8 hours a day.

Might be too much light for a low tech!

 

[mr. luke]

Marsilea would be my choice of low tech carpeting plant.
You need the patients of a saint to achieve a carpet but it is very forgiving.

 

[tam]

I've been multiplying my carpet by growing in emersed on the window sill and then planting it in the tank. I when I bought it I put half in the tank (low tech) and half in a seedtray on the window sill - the window sill is about 6x the area of the tank achieved and I'm just poping it back in and it seems happy enough and really good coverage without spending a fortune.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Try this link as well http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/low-tech-lawns.32597/#post-346432

 

[Angharad]

Hi all,
(Edit: I've just seen it is your first post, so welcome Angharad)This really p*sses me off, that they can still do this. You'll need to take them out, or if you leave them in make sure that their leaves are emersed. With their leaves in the air they will grow roots, but fully submerged they will just rot away, degrading water quality. You can discount Riccia (a great floater, but a high maintenance carpet). Anything that grows really quickly will be higher maintenance, you can think of it a bit like a "leylandii" hedge, quick growing but then you are going to need to trim it a lot to keep it under control.

Have a read through this thread <"The Soil Substrate Planted Tank - A How to Guide"> for some ideas.

cheers Darrel

Thank you! I am getting my new plants in two days, and as these have only been in a week or so I was hoping they would be fine so i dont have big holes. I am checkinging them daily for any signs of rot/algae and at the first sign I will remove them anyway. Worst thing is when I asked teh store if they knew they were non-aquatic, they said "yeah, but they look pretty". Needless to say that aquatics store has lost all my business. And with three tanks and hopefully breeding fish soon that was something that has lost them some money!

I think I shall discount the ricca then as I already have a lot of weekly trimming in that tank!

Check your bank balance that should tell you if it was Amazonia

Might be too much light for a low tech!

Amazonia then!

Anything higher tech you think I could do without getting into a proper CO2 system? (Bank needs to recover from the soil before I get into these!)

I've been multiplying my carpet by growing in emersed on the window sill and then planting it in the tank. I when I bought it I put half in the tank (low tech) and half in a seedtray on the window sill - the window sill is about 6x the area of the tank achieved and I'm just poping it back in and it seems happy enough and really good coverage without spending a fortune.

That's not a bad idea! Already taking over some of the kitchen for a brine shrimp hatchery, so will see if I can do this.Conservatory may be an option though.