looking for stem choice advice

[shrimpNewbie]

I'm doing all stems in my starfire 50 cube, i want loads of color, i have l inclinata red and I have L aromatica 'broad' which both are beautiful, the ludwigia came to me almost dead but some of the 16 stems are growing, and red-orange. I also have s. porto vehlo and repens for my foreground, although will mostly be porto vehlo, any other stems i could bunch together in this cube? I'm looking for beauty not just rarity no bland plants and nothing super common, tank is very very high light and co2 will be constant via inline reactor, and as with all my tanks alot of flow, i have two locline outlets and a tunze 6015 is planned substrate is heavily fertilized with osmocote and is turface.
I only really want stems in this tank with the exception of ug around the center in the rockwork. any tips welcomed, I get the cube on friday and am super excited to set this up.

suggest away.

also which is the hygro that is pretty but is banned in some states? i want it, pics would be appreciated as well as a name

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by shrimpNewbie

I'm doing all stems in my starfire 50 cube, i want loads of color, i have l inclinata red and I have L aromatica 'broad' which both are beautiful, the ludwigia came to me almost dead but some of the 16 stems are growing, and red-orange. I also have s. porto vehlo and repens for my foreground, although will mostly be porto vehlo, any other stems i could bunch together in this cube? I'm looking for beauty not just rarity no bland plants and nothing super common, tank is very very high light and co2 will be constant via inline reactor, and as with all my tanks alot of flow, i have two locline outlets and a tunze 6015 is planned substrate is heavily fertilized with osmocote and is turface.
I only really want stems in this tank with the exception of ug around the center in the rockwork. any tips welcomed, I get the cube on friday and am super excited to set this up.

suggest away.

also which is the hygro that is pretty but is banned in some states? i want it, pics would be appreciated as well as a name

I really like this website for looking at different plants.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...c/plantfinder/

the plant that is on the noxious weed list is hyrgorphilia polysperma with the sunset version being the most common of them. As long as your state does not have it banned you can obtain it from someone within state lines. you cannot however ship it or purchase from across state lines as it is on the federal noxious weed list.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...type&spec=Stem


If you are looking for smaller stems, I really really like Rotala Rotundifolia 'green' I have only found it through other plant keepers, and it is a great robust little plant.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...type&spec=Stem

My all time favorite stem is Pogostemon stellatus 'Broad Leaf', although it may look too much like your broad leaf aromatica.

Ludwigia inclinata 'cuba' is a great one as well.
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'

And Pogostemon Erectus is a great smaller plant with a slower growth speed, great for mid ground.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...type&spec=Stem

[shrimpNewbie]

im gonna be getting both cubas for their coloration, also looking for something that looks good in mid ground, i love stems that grow tall and flower over the water, my tank is 20 inches deep top to bottom

[shrimpNewbie]

what other polyspermas look better than sunset?

not gonna transfer over state lines already figured that would be a problem =] just like the pink in it, im afraid it might need bi weekly trimming under my lights and co2... also didnt mention im up for challenging plants that dont cost me $5+ per 5 inch stem

[Aquaticfan]

Noahama beat me to it... hyrgorphilia polysperma.. Aka Indian Water weed. Ive looked and yet have been able to find one thats as nice looking as the Sunset Hygro.

Another plant to check out I like the burnt orange color it gets is L. ovalis. Or how about Nesaea pedicellata 'Golden'. Nice yellow little more difficult. Or R. macrandra.

[shrimpNewbie]

i've heard r macrandra likes to creep and so does colorata is this true? skipping the hygro. hopefully someone has some of these they can let go

[wabisabi]

Originally Posted by shrimpNewbie

what other polyspermas look better than sunset?

not gonna transfer over state lines already figured that would be a problem =] just like the pink in it, im afraid it might need bi weekly trimming under my lights and co2... also didnt mention im up for challenging plants that dont cost me $5+ per 5 inch stem

Weekly trimming would suffice for H. polysperma 'sunset'.

R. macrandra doesn't creep, at least I've never seen it do this.

How's about:
Persicaria odorata
Rotala 'butterfly'
Proserpinaca palustris
Hottonia palustris
Hygrophila odora
Rotala 'sunset'
Rotala mexicana 'Araguaia'
Rotala indica
Hyptis lorentziana

[HybridHerp]

I like R. macrandra, I also got some ludwigia glandulosa that I think is pretty
also, I am a sucker for any and all Hygrophilia, and since I have a large tank corymbosa is something that excited me, especially cause it can get some reds in it too and just be an incredibly beefy plant
H. difformis also looks pretty, though my fish de-leafed it, and...I'm drawing a blank actually, but there are nice places to start I think

[shrimpNewbie]

As of right now I have plants in my current tank that are moving over, l. Aromatica 'broad' s Porto vehlo and repens, l. Inclinata var 'red' and I have some plants on order including r macrandra and macrandra 'Japan' and maybe a syngonanthuS sp

[shrimpNewbie]

Hygros are out for this tank for now, also adding l Inclinata verticulara cuba