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Small plants for a nano tank.

Defblade

Defblade

New Member
Joined
10 Feb 2025
Messages
10
Location
Wales
Hi,

I've just torn down my 15 year old 155 litre tank which had just 6 small fish left (currently in temporary accommodation in a tank in the garage), and decided to set up a nano tank to house them instead.

I've bought a Fluval Spec 19 and a couple of bits of hardscape as per the pics attached; they've been selected to give a bit of vertical separation/interest while leaving the length of the tank free. The curve in the wood gives me a slightly broader section each side to play with.

I'm looking for advice on small, easy plants that will be happy with the standard lighting (low to medium, apparently), fine gravel substrate and either no CO2 or liquid dosing. (My last tank was 60cm tall, so size didn't matter!).
There's not a huge volume here, and the tank will be viewed from both sides, so I'm after things that won't be too broad or become too dominant and can be used along the midline. There's not really room for the classic fore/mid/back division, but I think I can get away with something a little larger/taller in the each broader sections left by the wood. The rock has a couple of cracks/pockets that I think would suit something growing out of them. And I could get away with one or two bigger/stem-ier plants behind the rock - but I do want the fish to be able to get around that corner if they want to.

All suggestions greatly received 🙂
 

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Anubias. Get a mix of the really big ones and really tiny ones. Coffeefolia, nana bonsai and some pinto for some colour variation.
They are tough as old boots.
Love low light.
Don’t need co2.
Almost no trimming required.
They do need liquid ferts but not much as are slow growing.
Then throw in a mix of different floating plants to handle the water quality. Frogbit, water lettuce, water spangles, red root floaters.
 
hypnogogia said:
That’s a very small tank. What fish will you be having in it?
Click to expand...
2 pencil fish (who are likely on their way out, the last of 10 or 12); 2 cardinal tetras (also very old but still seem fine) and 2 corys which are the last of my daughter's fish - if it wasn't for these 2, I might not have bothered at all.

If/when some/all of those go, I might add a few harlequin rasbora, or a gang of chilis if I can find any. I might have some shrimp, too, but not set on those.
 
Little said:
Anubias. Get a mix of the really big ones and really tiny ones. Coffeefolia, nana bonsai and some pinto for some colour variation.
They are tough as old boots.
Love low light.
Don’t need co2.
Almost no trimming required.
They do need liquid ferts but not much as are slow growing.
Then throw in a mix of different floating plants to handle the water quality. Frogbit, water lettuce, water spangles, red root floaters.
Click to expand...
Anubis looks like a good shout.

Not sure about a big mix of floaters... there's not a whole lot of room at the top, either!
 
A couple more which aren't on @Cornelius' comprehensive list are :-
Schismatoglotis prietoi, can be grown as an epiphyte or in the substrate. It stays quite compact even under low light.
Lysimachia nummularia if you want a bright pop of yellow/green. The bottom part of the stems tend to lose their leaves but it's easy enough to nip the tops off & replant. Another slow grower which you may even have in the garden!
 
Exciting to see @Defblade! I'm definitely a fan of epiphytes - anubias, microsorum etc. I would recommend starting a journal so we can follow along with all the info in one place. That could be a grand chilli tank 🙂
 
megwattscreative said:
Exciting to see @Defblade! I'm definitely a fan of epiphytes - anubias, microsorum etc. I would recommend starting a journal so we can follow along with all the info in one place. That could be a grand chilli tank 🙂
Click to expand...
Defblade

Thread 'New Fluval Spec 19L'

As I said in my intro and asking for nano plant ideas, I've downsized from a Fluval Osaka 155 to a (literally) desktop Fluval Spec 19L to give a home to our last remaining fish - 2 corys (rescued from my daughter's tank collapse) and 2 cardinal tetra (I did have 2 pencil fish as well, but as I suspected, they didn't survive the move to the temporary tank 🙁 ). I would really like to add a few chili rasbora once the tank is established.

While I like a planted tank, I'm not worried about speed of growth on this one and wanted a light substrate to make it brighter and hopefully appear a...
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🙂
 
Defblade said:
Hi,

I've just torn down my 15 year old 155 litre tank which had just 6 small fish left (currently in temporary accommodation in a tank in the garage), and decided to set up a nano tank to house them instead.

I've bought a Fluval Spec 19 and a couple of bits of hardscape as per the pics attached; they've been selected to give a bit of vertical separation/interest while leaving the length of the tank free. The curve in the wood gives me a slightly broader section each side to play with.

I'm looking for advice on small, easy plants that will be happy with the standard lighting (low to medium, apparently), fine gravel substrate and either no CO2 or liquid dosing. (My last tank was 60cm tall, so size didn't matter!).
There's not a huge volume here, and the tank will be viewed from both sides, so I'm after things that won't be too broad or become too dominant and can be used along the midline. There's not really room for the classic fore/mid/back division, but I think I can get away with something a little larger/taller in the each broader sections left by the wood. The rock has a couple of cracks/pockets that I think would suit something growing out of them. And I could get away with one or two bigger/stem-ier plants behind the rock - but I do want the fish to be able to get around that corner if they want to.
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All suggestions greatly received 🙂
Click to expand...
I need help selecting easy to care fresh water plants for my nano tank that I just purchased which is a aquatop pisces moden bullet-shaped glass aquarium, 5 gallon tank. I'm new to the live fresh water plant hobby and I'm trying pick a few plants that won't overwhelm me as I start this new part of the hobby. I need a couple of back ground plants, some mid ground plants and some foreground plants. This is my plan so far. Can someone help guide me.
Cryptocoryne WendtII added 3 to nano tank
Midground

Littorella Uniflora add 5 or 6 to nano tank
Foreground

I have no idea what to get for background plants nor do I know if picked some plants that are forgiving. Can someone please provide this novice some guidance.
 
Hi all,
Defblade said:
Not sure about a big mix of floaters... there's not a whole lot of room at the top, either!
Click to expand...
Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) is pretty flat - <"What is the “Duckweed Index” all about?">.
jonesteave said:
I need a couple of back ground plants,
Click to expand...
I think your Cryptocoryne wendtii <"https://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/4564/4564"> will fill in enough to be a "background plant".
Andy Pierce said:
I have never been able to get littorella to grow despite a lot of trying 🙁. S. repens is working for me and that stays small.
Click to expand...
I agree with Andy, I think Littorella uniflora <"https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/littorella-uniflora.30493/"> is tricky.

Have a look at <"Cryptocoryne Parva Carpet"> for some ideas.

cheers Darrel
 
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simon_the_plant_nerd said:
I’ve got parva in my tank. It grows incredibly slowly! Compared to other crypts anyway.
Click to expand...
Same for me with parva... mostly just sits there even with injected CO2. For a slightly larger better growing crypt you can try Cryptocoryne lutea ‘Hobbit’. Submersed leaves are more brownish than the green of parva. I have not tried growing 'hobbit' without CO2 injection but you could give it a go. Actually, now that I think about it, I will give it a go! 🙂 (or would do if I could find a vendor that had any... )
 
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If you can find them, there are a couple of small Java ferns (Leptochilus pteropus Trident Mini & Mini Needle) that ought to look great in a tank that size, though they are quite slow growers, no question about that.

Marsilea hirsuta might suit nicely as a foreground carpet. It’s also a fern with very tiny fronds.

Helanthium tenellum Red is another that might be very nice. It has much finer leaf blades than H.tenellum Green does and spreads via runners. It will show some reddish colouration with enough light.

Crypt albida Brown is a personal fave of mine that doesn’t usually grow taller than 15cm - often less.
 
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