[Kidmoe]

I have a 55 gallon tank that I'm setting up and need some advice on low tech background plants. I have a Coralife 2x28w Aqualight T5no light with 6700k and 10000k bulbs. I can use anubias, java fern, java moss, crypts, etc for mid ground and low lying plants but haven't a clue what will grow under my lighting to fill in the background of the 55 gallon. Any ideas? I don't want the hassle of CO2 and will only fert as needed and root tabs. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Moe

 

[FrostyNYC]

Vallisneria. Many Hygros. Amazon swords.

Not saying they'll necessarily prosper, but they should grow.

 

[Ariel301]

Green hygro. (Hygrophila polysperma 'green') I've got it in a 55 and it grows nearly an inch a day for me (medium light). You'll see slower growth, but it still fills in quickly. Also sunset hygro. Anacharis, though I don't particularly care for the look of that one. I've seen Amazon swords done in low light successfully. You could probably get ludwigia repens to do ok, but it would not be very red. Aponogetons like those bulbs you can get at Walmart/Petsmart, or Madagascar Lace. Taller crypts like Spiralis and Pontederifolia.

 

[Noahma]

Green hygro. (Hygrophila polysperma 'green') I've got it in a 55 and it grows nearly an inch a day for me (medium light). You'll see slower growth, but it still fills in quickly. Also sunset hygro. Anacharis, though I don't particularly care for the look of that one. I've seen Amazon swords done in low light successfully. You could probably get ludwigia repens to do ok, but it would not be very red. Aponogetons like those bulbs you can get at Walmart/Petsmart, or Madagascar Lace. Taller crypts like Spiralis and Pontederifolia.

I love the Anacharis (Egeria Najas) which is a narrow leaf version of the Anacharis, the only problem is getting it to stay in the substrate. It seems that ANY time I do maintenance some of it comes loose. When I first put it in my tank, it dropped almost all of its leaves, but they quickly grew back along with about 10 inches of new height within the first week!

I also have some Cryptocoryne Wendtii (red) in the back of my tank, and it is growing quite quickly and quite tall (in a ten gal.)

The amazon sword works more as a mid ground plant in a low tank setup, initially it was tall but the large leaves slowly died, and the new ones are much closer to the center of the plant.