Tall grass like, similar to vallisineria?

[Manisha]

Hi all,

My tank is a 240l fluval roma run low tech with 2 39watt t8s currently for 7 hours.

I'd like to grow an 'easy' tall grass like plant like vallisneria but have soft water & haven't been successful. I tried sagittaria platyphylla hoping the low light at the substrate would encourage it grow tall.

Any suggestions for a plant similar in appearance to vallisneria?

Many Thanks 🙂

 

[Aqua360]

Hi all,

My tank is a 240l fluval roma run low tech with 2 39watt t8s currently for 7 hours.

I'd like to grow an 'easy' tall grass like plant like vallisneria but have soft water & haven't been successful. I tried sagittaria platyphylla hoping the low light at the substrate would encourage it grow tall.

Any suggestions for a plant similar in appearance to vallisneria?

Many Thanks 🙂

Why not microsorum Pteropus trident 🙂

 

[Nelson]

Microsorum pteropus 'Needle Leaf'
Cryptocoryne Balansae

Not sure how these would do,
Cyperus helferi
Blyxa japonica

 

[EdwinK]

Cryptocoryne sivadasanii perhaps?
Or Echinodorus latifolius.

 

[zozo]

Crypt spiralas.. 🙂 Depends on the substrate it grows relatively better on clay based or probably also mineralized soil, regarding low tech.. And there are several variations.. I chooose the Shola, this one resambles a valis the most, others can have a curly or hamered leave structure. Shola is straight and smooth. In my case it grows better on Akadama than it grows on lava based substrate,, Actualy all crypt do.. Blyxa is about the same, very picky on substrate.
Java Needle leave in low tech? Got it 🙂 and grows very, very slow, even in high tech it takes over 6 months to get relatively long leaves, but one of my favorite java ferns. If you want some mass rather go for the Java Taiwan this one grows bigger and easier to obtain.

Maybe an aponogeton sp. could be suitable, also depends on light and substrate, but some can be a good low tech plant.

Low tech it is always difficult to say how it will work out.. Substrate and its maturity is one of the most importend factors in low tech. 🙂

 

[Manisha]

Why not microsorum Pteropus trident 🙂

Thanks - why do I not have java fern already? I really should & there's such variety of species. I guess as I have anubias already - I wanted to limit the amount of slow growers but guess not shouldn't worry as I've other established faster growing stems 🙂

Microsorum pteropus 'Needle Leaf'
Cryptocoryne Balansae

Not sure how these would do,
Cyperus helferi
Blyxa japonica

I'd love to try cyperus helferi or blyxa but worry it might not do too well, I'm leaning towards balansae - it looks great in Lindy's 'going large' tank 🙂

Cryptocoryne sivadasanii perhaps?
Or Echinodorus latifolius.

Those look great sivadasanii is new to aquaessentials - but delivery to N.Ireland has been pricey before (£17.50) but might check if its less for a small order 🙂

Crypt spiralas.. 🙂 Depends on the substrate it grows relatively better on clay based or probably also mineralized soil, regarding low tech.. And there are several variations.. I chooose the Shola, this one resambles a valis the most, others can have a curly or hamered leave structure. Shola is straight and smooth. In my case it grows better on Akadama than it grows on lava based substrate,, Actualy all crypt do.. Blyxa is about the same, very picky on substrate.
Java Needle leave in low tech? Got it 🙂 and grows very, very slow, even in high tech it takes over 6 months to get relatively long leaves, but one of my favorite java ferns. If you want some mass rather go for the Java Taiwan this one grows bigger and easier to obtain.

Maybe an aponogeton sp. could be suitable, also depends on light and substrate, but some can be a good low tech plant.

Low tech it is always difficult to say how it will work out.. Substrate and its maturity is one of the most importend factors in low tech. 🙂

Oops, forgot to mention substrate & dosing - its ada aquasoil from April-ish & dose tnc complete. 24mls 3 times per week would be ei levels, so I guessed 10mls 3 times per week would be better suited to my light levels 🙂 Again think the crypt spiralis would be closest to what I'm looking for - I do have an aponogeton ulvaceus but I'm having a bit of trouble with it - need to get some photos & troubleshoot the ukaps team 🙂

 

[alto]

I doubt your water runs softer than mine 😉
KH 0-1
GH 0-2
pH 6ish depending on the waterboard's latest scheme
- it came out of the taps one day at 9.5 ... not a good day to have done a water change without checking that tap is pH 6 - 6.4 like the last 100 checks 😳 lost almost every fish & shrimp
I know to check tank vs tap, I just got complacent
(turned out that new main water pipes had gone in & that was the first day through new concrete ... so maybe it was the pH + a little something else)

Anyway back on track, these have all done well
Tropica's Vallisneria spiralis 'Tiger' was always intent upon tank domination (good for tidy sums of credit at the lfs)
Tropica crypts always din fine (including crispulata etc)
Tropica Cyperus helferi
Tropica Aponogetons

I mention Tropica brand as it can make a difference in the apparently "same" plants - eg, I had alternate sourced Valisneria's that pined or grew, then melted

As the water is so devoid of nutrition, I always begin with a nutrient rich substrate layer (such as Tropica Growth Substrate), then small sand/fine gravel or aquarium soil ... I'm erratic with fertilizer (Tropica mostly) & CO2 & photoperiod, generally timely with water changes 😀

 

[Manisha]

A pH of 9.5! Usually its the chloramine we worry over...that's terrible & so unfortunate as like you say fairly stable usually 🙁

Interesting that you mention alternatively sourced Valisneria that haven't done so well. So much good advice & ideas...if only I'd asked in the beginning... As the tanks mostly stocked I've only room for one species, I'll have trouble choosing which 😀

 

[PARAGUAY]

How about tall hairgrass

 

[Manisha]

That looks good too - though possible a bit narrow in scale compared to my other plants ☺