What are the best plants for a 10g tank?

Colorblizzle · 01-10-2013, 10:39 PM

I'm in the process of setting up my 10g it's low-tech so I will not be using CO2. Which plants will thrive the best in a 12" deep tank like this? Hoping to get a good list to choose from

junglefowl · 01-10-2013, 10:57 PM

I think anubias, moss, and java ferns work well in a low tech.

Colorblizzle · 01-10-2013, 11:05 PM

I'm leaning towards an Anubis but I have really bad luck with java fern. Had it 3 times killed it each time.

junglefowl · 01-10-2013, 11:09 PM

With java fern...when you place it in the tank...don't move it around, just leave it...you think they're dead, but they will come back nicely

Colorblizzle · 01-10-2013, 11:20 PM

They've all died. Waited months til they eventually turned brown and fell apart :/ the one that did the best actually was planted in the flourite. Your not supposed to do that but that one was the healthiest it grew good for about 2 weeks

GMYukonon24s · 01-10-2013, 11:28 PM

Have you had any luck any plants? Some anubia nana would look good in a 10g. What kind of lighting do you have in there?

Colorblizzle · 01-10-2013, 11:30 PM

I had great luck with 1 plant years ago don't remember what it was called Myrio? Grew probably 3" a day and that was just a regular t8 bulb. I don't have my light yet but I'm going to be using the fugeray LED. My only other options were a 15w t8 fixture or a dual t5 putting out 34w. And I would need CO2 at that point right?

GMYukonon24s · 01-10-2013, 11:49 PM

I've never used LED's yet but that fugeray I've seen people have. Yes with T5's that would be a lot of light. Depending on the intensity of the light you can always raise the light fixture.

Colorblizzle · 01-10-2013, 11:57 PM

What about this...can I just put 1 bulb in a t5 fixture? That would be 17w and in the range I want. Don't know how many PAR they produce tho or how to find out. Mounting the lights above the tank isn't an option I'm in an apartment and they frown on holes in the ceiling lol

skindy · 01-11-2013, 07:09 AM

How did you plant the java ferns? I think you might be planting it wrong since you mentioned you planted it in your substrate. The rhizomes need to be exposed for it to survive which is why you'll normally see it attached to rocks and wood. They'll die when their rhizomes are buried.

I currently just use my stock led and filter (cheap and low-tech) from my Chi and have had positive results with java ferns, moss, anubias, banana plant, wisteria, rotala (they just weren't red), anacharis, and ludwigia repens. No co2 and just Floramax as my substrate. I'm currently experimenting with rotala butterfly at the moment :P

Colorblizzle · 01-11-2013, 12:02 PM

Sounds like quite the stock list

and yeah I know it's not supposed to be buried but I just shoved it in the sand and kinda partially buried it. I had flourite dark covered by white sand in a 29g. Then I went to my LFS and bought 20 something plants. 1 of everything pretty much and I bought flourish, excel, and liquid iron. All if this without knowing anything about plants at the time. Just browsed the aisles a few too many times.

jemminnifener · 01-11-2013, 05:06 PM

Just to put in my 2 cents. I've got a 10G low light, no C02, weekly Flourish doses.

The plants I've had luck with are anubias, marimo moss balls, and water wisteria. I've had no luck with java ferns or java moss, and bolbitis heudelotii looks too much like java fern to me.

skindy gave you a good list. I wouldn't recommend banana plants though. The cute banana-like tubers shrink as the plant uses up the nutrients in them and they like to shoot up long leaves to the surface of the water. Sounds like more maintenance than I want but it may be something you'd be interested in.

Also, crypts and water sprite are often recommended for low light, low tech setups. No experience with these.

Seattle_Aquarist · 01-11-2013, 05:09 PM

Hi Colorblizzle,

One picture = 1000 words.

10 gallon;2X10 watt screw-in CFL's; no CO2; Seachem Flourish Comprehensive & Excel

creekbottom · 01-11-2013, 05:12 PM

Crypts, so many choices...

Colorblizzle · 01-11-2013, 08:50 PM

Thanks everyone. I'm writing all these species down on a list to go thru. That tank looks great! I'm trying to stay away from screw in bulbs tho as I have a glass canopy and prefer to use those. In thinking in just gonna do a single tube T8 fixture with a Hagen 15w life-glo bulb. And the flourish...does that take the place of me adding dry ferts??

01-10-2013, 10:39 PM	#1
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	What are the best plants for a 10g tank? I'm in the process of setting up my 10g it's low-tech so I will not be using CO2. Which plants will thrive the best in a 12" deep tank like this? Hoping to get a good list to choose from

01-10-2013, 11:28 PM	#6
GMYukonon24s Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2009 Location: MICHIGAN Posts: 2,780	Have you had any luck any plants? Some anubia nana would look good in a 10g. What kind of lighting do you have in there? __________________ 110g Tropical Community & Sakura Shrimp 55g BN Breeding Grounds, Peacock Gudgeons, Panda, Pygmies, & Smudge Spot Cories, Rili Shrimp 10g RCS and show guppies MIAPG - Come join us - Plantedtank - MI - Greatlakesaquaria

01-10-2013, 11:49 PM	#8
GMYukonon24s Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2009 Location: MICHIGAN Posts: 2,780	I've never used LED's yet but that fugeray I've seen people have. Yes with T5's that would be a lot of light. Depending on the intensity of the light you can always raise the light fixture. __________________ 110g Tropical Community & Sakura Shrimp 55g BN Breeding Grounds, Peacock Gudgeons, Panda, Pygmies, & Smudge Spot Cories, Rili Shrimp 10g RCS and show guppies MIAPG - Come join us - Plantedtank - MI - Greatlakesaquaria

01-11-2013, 05:09 PM	#13
Seattle_Aquarist Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (25/100%) Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 2,025	Hi Colorblizzle, One picture = 1000 words. 10 gallon;2X10 watt screw-in CFL's; no CO2; Seachem Flourish Comprehensive & Excel __________________ *Roy* 45 Gallon Tall; 96 Watt AH Supply CF; 6700K; & 30 Gallon Long; 2X36 Watt AH Supply CF; Press. CO2; UGF; Heat Treated Montmorillonite Clay Greater Seattle Aquarium Society (GSAS)

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01-10-2013, 10:57 PM	#2
junglefowl Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Charlotte Posts: 322	I think anubias, moss, and java ferns work well in a low tech.

01-10-2013, 11:05 PM	#3
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	I'm leaning towards an Anubis but I have really bad luck with java fern. Had it 3 times killed it each time.

01-10-2013, 11:09 PM	#4
junglefowl Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Charlotte Posts: 322	With java fern...when you place it in the tank...don't move it around, just leave it...you think they're dead, but they will come back nicely

01-10-2013, 11:20 PM	#5
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	They've all died. Waited months til they eventually turned brown and fell apart :/ the one that did the best actually was planted in the flourite. Your not supposed to do that but that one was the healthiest it grew good for about 2 weeks

01-10-2013, 11:30 PM	#7
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	I had great luck with 1 plant years ago don't remember what it was called Myrio? Grew probably 3" a day and that was just a regular t8 bulb. I don't have my light yet but I'm going to be using the fugeray LED. My only other options were a 15w t8 fixture or a dual t5 putting out 34w. And I would need CO2 at that point right?

01-10-2013, 11:57 PM	#9
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	What about this...can I just put 1 bulb in a t5 fixture? That would be 17w and in the range I want. Don't know how many PAR they produce tho or how to find out. Mounting the lights above the tank isn't an option I'm in an apartment and they frown on holes in the ceiling lol

01-11-2013, 07:09 AM	#10
skindy Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 143	How did you plant the java ferns? I think you might be planting it wrong since you mentioned you planted it in your substrate. The rhizomes need to be exposed for it to survive which is why you'll normally see it attached to rocks and wood. They'll die when their rhizomes are buried. I currently just use my stock led and filter (cheap and low-tech) from my Chi and have had positive results with java ferns, moss, anubias, banana plant, wisteria, rotala (they just weren't red), anacharis, and ludwigia repens. No co2 and just Floramax as my substrate. I'm currently experimenting with rotala butterfly at the moment :P

01-11-2013, 12:02 PM	#11
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	Sounds like quite the stock list and yeah I know it's not supposed to be buried but I just shoved it in the sand and kinda partially buried it. I had flourite dark covered by white sand in a 29g. Then I went to my LFS and bought 20 something plants. 1 of everything pretty much and I bought flourish, excel, and liquid iron. All if this without knowing anything about plants at the time. Just browsed the aisles a few too many times.

01-11-2013, 05:06 PM	#12
jemminnifener Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 206	Just to put in my 2 cents. I've got a 10G low light, no C02, weekly Flourish doses. The plants I've had luck with are anubias, marimo moss balls, and water wisteria. I've had no luck with java ferns or java moss, and bolbitis heudelotii looks too much like java fern to me. skindy gave you a good list. I wouldn't recommend banana plants though. The cute banana-like tubers shrink as the plant uses up the nutrients in them and they like to shoot up long leaves to the surface of the water. Sounds like more maintenance than I want but it may be something you'd be interested in. Also, crypts and water sprite are often recommended for low light, low tech setups. No experience with these.

01-11-2013, 05:12 PM	#14
creekbottom Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Edmonton, Canada Posts: 212	Crypts, so many choices...

01-11-2013, 08:50 PM	#15
Colorblizzle Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 236	Thanks everyone. I'm writing all these species down on a list to go thru. That tank looks great! I'm trying to stay away from screw in bulbs tho as I have a glass canopy and prefer to use those. In thinking in just gonna do a single tube T8 fixture with a Hagen 15w life-glo bulb. And the flourish...does that take the place of me adding dry ferts??