[Hobbes1911]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a fast growing easy to care for feathery plant like L. sessiliflora. I know there are restrictions on L. sessiliflora, hence the question. Does anyone have any other good plant ideas? I don't want cabomba as those require higher light etc. and this is for a blackwater breeding tank.

Simon

 

[Plinkploop]

I think you're going to have a hard time finding a fast growing blackwater plant that's not a floater. Blackwater breeders are usually floaters and maybe some anubias, moss and ferns. You could check out marginal/ bog plants if you're willing to maintain the growth up out of the tank. Pond plants as well. Good luck in your search!

 

[ElleDee]

Do you mean a real blackwater setup with acidic water and crazy low TDS, or just low light? If that's the case, it's a touch environment for plants and getting a true fast grower might be tricky. I have had java moss, java fern, and salvinia do ok in an unfertilized, low light tank. They didn't grow fast, but the nutrients in the water column were so, so lean I hardly had any algae at all. I also threw in extra anacharis for fish cover, but it didn't grow at all, just wasted away very, very slowly.

I have read there are some crypts that are supposedly suited to blackwater environments, so that might be something to look into too.

 

[Tiger15]

You may consider Myriophylum. It looks like Ambulia in bushy featherly form, but fragile, easily break apart. Another option is Mermaid weed, which has rigid feathery leaf structure, but less bushy and more light demanding. It’s hard to find perfect replacement of Ambulia for beauty and ease of growth.

 

[Hobbes1911]

Thank you for your ideas. I'm breeding some apistos which don't require the battery acid conditions that some others do. I just wanted to feathery plant that grows ok in low light conditions and acts as a nitrogen sponge. I already have floaters so that's covered. I was just wondering if there's a plant I'm missing, other than L. sessiliflora.

 

[Plinkploop]

Myrio would most likely work. Most commonly kept/ bred apistos are more clear soft water than blackwater. There's quite a few options out there if this is the case.

 

[rzn7z7]

Some alternatives

Limnophila Indica 'Ambulia'
Hottonia Palustris
Myrio Mattogrossense

 

[Hobbes1911]

Myrio would most likely work. Most commonly kept/ bred apistos are more clear soft water than blackwater. There's quite a few options out there if this is the case.

Yup, very true, and I guess I should specify "blackwater" with "tannin water from leaves and roots". I won't add any substitutes as far as tea or leaf extract to color the water, but it's not clear. I don't like the bare bottom looks, and I think leaves etc. provide a good source of biofilm and microfauna that is hard to replicate artificially. Thanks.

 

[minorhero]

Hornwort. It doesn't root, but you can stick it in the substrate for aesthetics. Its featherily and absurdly fast growing (the most fast growing of any purely submersed plant?). It will grow in low light just fine. Its also native to most of the world.

 

[ElleDee]

Oh yeah, hornwort is the obvious move here.