[Blackheart]

How easy are these two plants to grow? Would they be considered beginners plants? And could they grow fine in just regular plain gravel?

 

[Lia]

I have dwarf sag and corckscrew val (not jungle) in plain gravel with no fertilizer for about two months now ,no fish yet and both were spreading well but the leaves began to look "veiny" ,I started DIY CO2 yesterday and maybe it is my imagination but both seem to be spreading like crazy and looking better.

This is last weeks pic , I only had 1/4 this many plants if even that when I started and under non ideal conditions they spread alot.

I suspect with fish waste and DIY CO2 there will be big improvment but either way in plain gravel they did spread nicely.

 

[zimbo]

I have had jungle val and sag grow quite well in straight gravel, but with decent light and a fair bit of liquid ferts.

They really do take off with a soil based substrate, however. I use the miracle grow organic potting mix with a gravel cap. I can fully carpet a 75 i have with the dwarf sag within a month, and that's with no CO2 and just a T5HO dual strip. I tend to have to throw it away by the handful. The jungle val definitely grows easier than the corkscrew. I've had mixed results with corkscrew. There are times when it grows like crazy and other times when it hangs on by a thread, even with CO2, LEDS, etc,...go figure.

 

[Lia]

I have had jungle val and sag grow quite well in straight gravel, but with decent light and a fair bit of liquid ferts.

They really do take off with a soil based substrate, however. I use the miracle grow organic potting mix with a gravel cap. I can fully carpet a 75 i have with the dwarf sag within a month, and that's with no CO2 and just a T5HO dual strip. I tend to have to throw it away by the handful. The jungle val definitely grows easier than the corkscrew. I've had mixed results with corkscrew. There are times when it grows like crazy and other times when it hangs on by a thread, even with CO2, LEDS, etc,...go figure.

My friend has soil mixed with clay (non chemical pure clay kitty litter) substrate and her spiralis plants are amazing.

 

[Higher Thinking]

I grow them both easily with pressurized co2 and gravel and sand substrates. These are certainly beginner plants.