Low Tech background

[Hooky]

As the title says, looking for some options for background stem plant that ideally will cover the back pane from view but won't take up too much mid/foreground space.

I will be using jewel Rio 125 with stock lights. Hardscape will consist of a large branched redmore wood with dragon stone.

My planting plan at the moment is to have large Java fern attached to the wood with staurogyne repens inbetween the dragon stone with undecided crypt as midground and marsilea hursuta as a carpet plant.

Any advice on background planting would be much appreciated as struggling to decide how to fill out that part of the tank.

 

[Manisha]

Hi, you've got a good few options - Tropica has a good guide for 'background' plants - just make sure you choose 'easy plants' for low tech. Obviously alot depends on your on personal preference too (Hygrophila difformis is super but I don't like the appearance, it reminds me of carrot tops!) If you want to hide filter pipes I found echinodorus bleheri great because of the broad leaves ☺

 

[Mick.Dk]

Limnophila sessilifolia is one of my favourites. Incredible adaptable to most parametres in a tank. Will need trimming very often, though, but in my book that is a luxury problem 😉

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
How about <"Cryptocoryne crispatula balansae">?

You can see it in <"The Lazy Asian Biotope">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hooky]

Have been looking at Topica’s plant guides and have come up with the following Bacopa caroliniana, Limnophila sessiliflora and Rotala rotundifolia. Do these three seem reasonable for low tech no CO2 system?


Also I have spent numerous hours looking on various sites regarding lighting and am still struggling to work out if two 28w T5 is classed as low or medium lighting for 80x36x50 size tank.

 

[Lukes]

I have a Fluval roma 125 which is roughly the same size as your tank, I upgraded my lights to T5 24W x2 bulbs and I am running co2, the limnophila sessiliflora grew to the top in about 10 days it grew so fast it looked bare and very stem looking, you could also work out the lumens per litre, I would say watts per litre you have are 56 watts divided by 125 litres gives you 0.5 watts per litre which would be classed as low lighting if any of this helps I have never struggled with many plants maybe the red ones could be redder but that's about it

 

[Hooky]

Thanks Lukes

I am hoping to grow a small carpet possibly running half the length of the foreground, my initial plan was trying marsilea hursuta, but now considering monte carlo. Are either of these realistic with my proposed set up or is a small low tech carpet just out of the question?

 

[Mick.Dk]

All three of your chosen plants will work in your set-up Light is sufficient for those. Bac. carol. will be the slower growing, though.
As for carpeting in your tank, Marsilea hirsuta will likely work, but will not likely grow very dense.
Alternatively consider inplanting small "tufts" of Taxiphyllum sp. 'Spiky' (yes; it's a moss) by pressing each bit a little into substrate, not far apart. This moss will willingly grow a carpet in quite low light. The 'Spiky' version of Taxiphyllum is more "lush" in growth. If growth is too much upright, you gently press it down with your flat hand once in a while. It will grow a fresh, but dark green, and rather dense carpet in time.
I know it works - I've used it for carpeting tanks where nothing else would work.
A "cheap trick" is to not plant the "tufts" too close to front glass. This way growth will create a very nice "wave-effect" towards front glass.