# simple plants



## logan22 (Sep 6, 2010)

..is there any plants that dont need alot of light and are eay to keep...i want some real plants in my tank but i dont know what to buy or were to buy?..i dont want to spend a fortune.. just simple and easy??


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Moss, Java Fern, and Anubias. Low light, no substrate need, just attach to wood and rocks. And fish don't like to eat them, which is a bonus.


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

^ +1. Can't go wrong with moss and java fern. Be careful with Anubias - I had one but not a good enough cleaning crew. They grow so slowly they can't outgrow the algae that gets on them without some help. It got covered in algae and died.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

There are a couple of tricks to avoiding algae problems with Anubias (actually all slower growing tough leaved plants in general).
- plant them down low where they are shaded by other plants. I plant my Nanas below the big Anubias so the Nana is algae free but the big leaved varieties are not
- if you want them planted higher, during a water change, mist the plants, once they are out of water, with a 10:1 solution of water:Excel and then fill the tank. Keeps them nice and algae free


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

I posted same question a few months ago 
What I currently have with relatively low light and no chemicals are: duck weed, hornwort, wisteria, monewart (this is one is not thriving so it eigther is a slow grower or just don't like my tanks that much), several types of moss, sunset hydro and a few more that I am not sure of the names.
There is a nice list of low demand plants in the topic I posted, maybe we should ask mods to stick it 
If you want use Search on that section with my username and you should find it easily.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Yikes, don't do duckweed. There's a reason why "weed" is part of its name. You'll never rid yourself of it. I've been fishing duckweed out of my 20 gallon for 8 months now.


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

Duckweed = that small-leaf floating plant, correct? Put a shoal of Rummy Nose tetras into a tank with duckweed and you will soon have none - mine ate it all like lettuce! Shame as I kind of liked the stuff.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

I like it too. And can't really see how it can be a pest? Maybe if you have lots of floating plants or? Maybe it is not duck weed, but water lettuce? Any way, it grows fast, but I got it out of my betta tank when I decided I didn't want it there anymore


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

interested in some water lettuce for the surface of your water? not as annoying as duckweed, but big and has long strands of roots growing down....i can also spare some stargrass for you to try out....PM if interested


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## teija (Sep 30, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> There are a couple of tricks to avoiding algae problems with Anubias (actually all slower growing tough leaved plants in general).
> - plant them down low where they are shaded by other plants. I plant my Nanas below the big Anubias so the Nana is algae free but the big leaved varieties are not
> - if you want them planted higher, during a water change, mist the plants, once they are out of water, with a 10:1 solution of water:Excel and then fill the tank. Keeps them nice and algae free


Great pointers, thanks 2wheels!

As for floating plants, I never had much luck with water lettuce. In one tank it was ok, but when moved to another it never really came back from that. Not sure if it was lighting, water quality or other.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

water lettuce, moss, duck week, hornwort, suck the water free of nitrates in the water column. i notice my water lettuce showing holes....i dose some Nitrate from my NPK mix...and a few days later, they start populating...fast!!!


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Now I am confused if mine is water lettuce or duck weed


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

i can give you a bit of java fern for free if youd like to pick it up. it grows relatively quick and itl make daughter plants for you to spread around your tank.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

duckweed is the teenie tiny ones that float around like it's a messy soup. see below photos.
duckweed:
Yahoo! Canada Image Detail for http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/Osteoglossiforms/Duckweed%20AQ%20IALG.JPG

water lettuce:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/redhen/007.jpg


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

So I have duckweed then 

Can I also have some of your water lettuce then? I think that maybe can survive my cray that is eating every other plant I try to put with her 
And that look more solid than duck weed, so it will probably be good for my 20 g, the strong flow there always make mess with the duck weed around water change, as you said. It takes a few hours till everything is settled


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

InfraredDream said:


> I posted same question a few months ago
> What I currently have .... monewart (this is one is not thriving so it eigther is a slow grower or just don't like my tanks that much)


 You might try uprooting one and using it a floating plant. That worked for me.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks, Tom, maybe I should try with one. It looks like a rooted plant though


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