Low maintenance plant?

[tremper]

My gal has a 29 gal w a few fish in it, and just a conventional light strip (no idea what is in it and I'm traveling so I can't check). Tap water is conditioned and used in the tank, it has a pH of 7.8-8.0, and the temp is at 78-80. Tank height is 18"

Tank has a few small angelfish in it and she would like a very low maintenance plant that could survive or perhaps thrive w/o too much additional (read zero) effort.

Does this magic plant exist?

Help please....

 

[Thai]

anubias
Java fern
cryptocorenes

 

[tremper]

Thx Anubias, I'll look for some at the next auction.......

 

[mchambers]

Plants

My gal has a 29 gal w a few fish in it, and just a conventional light strip (no idea what is in it and I'm traveling so I can't check). Tap water is conditioned and used in the tank, it has a pH of 7.8-8.0, and the temp is at 78-80. Tank height is 18"

Tank has a few small angelfish in it and she would like a very low maintenance plant that could survive or perhaps thrive w/o too much additional (read zero) effort.

Does this magic plant exist?

Help please....

Yes, it does. Java fern, java moss, and anacharis are all low light, low maintenance plants.

 

[Thai]

I wouldnt call anacharis low maintenece, it needs trimming regularly or it will take over fast

 

[crazyclowntang]

when you all say low maintenance, do you mean it needs little light no CO2, or little light with some CO2? I want a planted tank but I can not afford the whole CO2 setup.

 

[tash]

my husband doesn't want a co2 tank with the kids (he thinks it will shoot someone in the head or something :roll: ) so I have med/high light and no added co2. I do have algae, but my pleco loves the stuff (Chaetostoma sp?) and it's not bad with her help. I have various swords including kliner bar, ozelot, red melon. and java moss, java fern, and dwarf sag.....

 

[Lively]

I think I picked up Java fern at the last auction - considering I seem to have a black thumb with aquarium plants and this thing is sprouting roots on the leaves i'd say it is an easy plant. Tank is lowlight and and the only thing I've done for it is add some aquatic plant food.

 

[mchambers]

Anacharis

I wouldnt call anacharis low maintenece, it needs trimming regularly or it will take over fast

It can grow quickly, but since it is a floating plant, it's very easy to trim. Just pull up a strand and cut it.

I agree that java fern is lower maintenance. Java moss can take over, too, if you're not careful.

None of the three plants need much light and they certainly don't need CO2.

The original poster should go to some web sites to learn about these three. They have very different growth habits, which may be an important consideration.

 

[Lively]

Actually, I have the three listed and had/wanted the same requirements as Tremper. Oh, and I have duck weed, too. Like I said, I'm a complete plant novice but all four are doing well in my tanks. Have a bit of a problem with hair algae on the java moss - but I'm going to move that over to the African tank and let them graze.

From one plant newbie to another - the floating stuff can be annoying when you're doing water changes - I keep sucking it up as well and my arms are often covered in duck weed when I'm done. The java fern is nice, but I expect that I'll end up killing it and getting some new stuff (really hoping that won't be the case) and the java moss is cool looking - but again you have to be careful when you do water changes not to suck it up. I end up removing it before I do the substrate and all of it is annoying in that if it is in the wrong place, it catches food.

I'm still glad that I have live plants, they are worth the little bit of extra work.

 

[Thai]

Low maintenance IMO doesn't have a specific light requirement, just that its hardy & grows at a manageable pace w/o necessary fert dosing

Here is my low maintenance setup, although I am running a 5# bolltle of Co2 thats just my preference, it doesn't need it
Lighting: 48w of 6700k T5HO from 7-5
14w 6500k from 5-9 for viewing
Flora list:
Anubia Bateri Nana
Anubias Barteri Petite
Anubias Coffefolia
Narrow Leaf Java Fern
Limnophili Aromatica
Marselia Minuta
Blyxa Japonica

 

[iamzrad]

Jungle Val's are kinda low maintenace. But you have to trim them a little since they will grow out and block light.

 

[ingg]

Another "bulletproof" plant not yet mentioned is Bolbitis.

Gives you height, and is as easy and as slow growing as anubias and java fern.

 

[Thai]

Another "bulletproof" plant not yet mentioned is Bolbitis.

Gives you height, and is as easy and as slow growing as anubias and java fern.

Bolbitis is a little harder to find though & can fetch a higher price than most plants, looks great, grows slow, easily propogates by rhizome splitting though

 

[krisw]

Ludwigia repens grows in anything and stays mostly red. Will need trimming every once in awhile, but can be a very slow grower in less-than-ideal conditions.

Marsilea quadrifolia is another low-light/no CO2 plant, but is a slow grower.

Sagittaria subulata is a great foreground plant, and gives a "jungle" look. It's like a Val that only gets 6-8" taller, sometimes much shorter depending on conditions.

Cryptocoryne! - Most of these species (and there are a lot) will all grow in low-light, low-maintenance setups. C. wendtii is readily available. Many other crypts are both in CCA, PVAS, and especially GWAPA. There are crypts for every area of the tank, foreground, mid-ground, and background, and have all different leaf shapes for variety. If you have plain gravel, just add some root tabs with each plant, and watch them grow.