I really like Bucephalandra. They are kind of slow growing but super hardy and even put out little flowers. And it stays relatively small while still spreading, I started with it on a piece of driftwood and it filled that up and then continued to spread off the log and started rooting into the substrate.
I’d also like to hear opinions. I just set up a 10 gallon planted tank with Java ferns, a cryptocoryne, a dwarf water lily bulb, and some dwarf hair grass.
The dwarf hair grass is not doing well, turning white in many places. Not enough CO2? That would be a bummer, I’m not setting up an expensive CO2 infuser for a 10 gallon tank.
The others seem to be doing fine. Half on the java ferns are producing plantlets, the crypt sprouted a new leaf, and the lily is growing new sprouts every day.
The plant is Corkscrew val! It’s the smaller variety. It was a “free” plant that got scooped up with fish at the store.
It was happy at first, then started dying due to a lack of minerals. I started dosing the water with supplements, and it seems to be slowly improving again :)
For dwarf hairgrass, CO2 is what you need for it to grow quickly and thickly. It'll grow more slow, otherwise. Also make sure to have some root tabs in the substrate nearby.
Also, that water lily, if its the kind you can get at PetSmart, will probably be the biggest plant in your tank.
I really love Cryptocoryne when it starts to “carpet”. It looks great and stays short. Also if you are having trouble with algae lowering the light intensity or leaving them on less is the best way to control it IMO.
I love crypts, java ferns, and valisneria, although val can grow more than a foot tall if you let it. Anything fast-growing can help control nitrates.
Another thing you can do is reduce your light brightness or have your light on for fewer hours a day. I usually keep my lights on eight hours a day and that, along with a good population of cherry shrimp and ramshorn snails keeps the algae under control.
Heck yeah! I have a decent number of cherries and an Otto and corys. I probably leave the light on a bit too long. The hair algae is fairly manageable, just beating back a bloom from when I was away on a vacation.
More plants would be welcome, though, thank you for the recommendations!
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