[GreenAcres]

Hello all,

This is a follow up to my post in the Fish forum regarding setting up my Asian tank, for which I received extremely helpful feedback. Current fauna are wild type thick lipped gourami, harlequin rasbora, rice fish, badis badis, bamboo shrimp and amanos.

Right now the plants in my tank are pretty much just a lot of echinodorus, which are easy and fill a tank with green pretty nicely. But now I want to slowly switch them out for appropriate Asian plants.

The tank is at tropical temperatures with a sponge filter. Water is hard (although I do have driftwood and add almond leaves regularly). Light is medium but with floaters. I don't plan to use CO2 and I don't currently fertilize but I would be willing to follow an easy protocol. Part of my challenge is to make this tank easy to maintain.

So, I'm looking for easy to grow Asian plants. My tastes do trend toward broader leaves rather than wispy stems (and the wispier plants tend to get mowed down by my Japanese snails). I don't love crypts, but maybe I could learn to? I also like the look of a lot of plants of a limited variety. I am also OK with established invasive plants.

Any suggestions? I've been learning so much from the responses to my fish suggestion request.

 

[bigbadjon]

Well java fern is the go to and will probably make up the bulk of you planting.

 

[d33pVI]

There are a nice variety of Java ferns to choose from, as well as cryptocorynes. Hygrophila corymbosa and limnophila aromatica are pretty common Asian stem plants. You could also get into the bucephalandra varieties from Indonesia.

 

[GreenAcres]

Thank you for the suggestions. I really like that hygrophila and I think that will be one I will try for sure. Definitely my style.

 

[jry19]

Senegal tea plant? very hardy with big broad leaves. one of my favourites
Hygrophilia corymbosa is also a good one

 

[GreenAcres]

I'm having trouble finding a good source for the broader leaved hygrophila. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking mostly at plants of Myanmar and India. The senegal tea plant has been introduced to India, so it works for me. I'll look into it.

 

[Aquarium_Alex]

Hygrophila Polysperma is an easy asian plant. So is lindernia rotundifolia.

If youre looking into rosette plants then besides java ferns, buces and crypts there are Bolbitis species as well as Lagenandra species.


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[Oso Polar]

AFAIK Bolbitis is from Africa.

 

[GreenAcres]

I think bolbitis is African, but I am definitely going to get the hygrophila polysperma. It looks like it exactly fits in with my preferences. I'm going to look for the lagenandra and lindernia. I haven't come across those yet, but I like the way they look.

OK, now I need to find some lagenandra for sale. It's beautiful.

 

[Aquarium_Alex]

Oh my bad about the bolbitis.

Yeah its very nice. The "sunset" variety of H. polysperma is especially nice as it can get a nice pinkish on the tops of the leaves.


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[GreenAcres]

I managed to find some lagendandra. There are some complaints of it melting, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Still working on the H. polysperma but I think I have found what I need. That may be it for now, as I think a limited variety looks more natural in the tank and I'm going for more natural over landscaped. I'm keeping my eyes open for the tea plant. The same seller of the lagendandra has it, but I want to see how the lagendandra looks first.

Everyone's advice has been invaluable, as usual.

 

[GrampsGrunge]

From my short experience with Crypt. Undulata, it seems like it would be an 'easy' Cryptocoryne to keep. That I originally got mine as near melted on discount and it's now putting out 3"~4" new leaves with vigor I've never expected from a Crypt, is saying a lot about them.

They are considered easy, and they are from Sri Lankan highlands, also means that they tolerate cooler waters.

 

[Aquarium_Alex]

From my short experience with Crypt. Undulata, it seems like it would be an 'easy' Cryptocoryne to keep. That I originally got mine as near melted on discount and it's now putting out 3"~4" new leaves with vigor I've never expected from a Crypt, is saying a lot about them.

They are considered easy, and they are from Sri Lankan highlands, also means that they tolerate cooler waters.

I've also had a great experience with C. Undulata. It ended up growing leaves over 8 inches long.

 

[GreenAcres]

Any compact crypts? I understand that the lagenandra is going to grow pretty big and I'm wondering if I should be looking for smallish crypts to put beneath it. Or will the hygro fill in pretty well?

I put in val spiralis tonight and I really like how it looks. I may get the lagenandra tomorrow and I'm pretty excited. I get new fish tomorrow too. I'm really enjoying being able to focus on one tank (though now the husband is talking about starting a tank with the echinodorus I'm removing).

 

[GrampsGrunge]

Any compact crypts? I understand that the lagenandra is going to grow pretty big and I'm wondering if I should be looking for smallish crypts to put beneath it. Or will the hygro fill in pretty well?

I put in val spiralis tonight and I really like how it looks. I may get the lagenandra tomorrow and I'm pretty excited. I get new fish tomorrow too. I'm really enjoying being able to focus on one tank (though now the husband is talking about starting a tank with the echinodorus I'm removing).

How big is' compact'? I had a forest of C. Affinis as a teen that never got beyond 5" average in height. But this was in a 10 gallon tank.

C. Parva is your best bet for 'compact', but it's painfully slow growing, needs extra light and benefits from potassium and iron supplements. I think C. Wendtii tends to stay small. It's the easiest to grow.

There's a lot of new Crypts that are not carried by PetCo, et al, that are smallish. Finding them will be a challenge.

 

[GreenAcres]

It's a 50 gallon tank, so 5" is probably compact enough. I looked at Parva, but I think its needs are more than I want to meet. I will probably just pick up some Wendtii. I am asking around on the local club pages on FB, but my experience is consistent with your observation that it is challenging.

 

[Aquarium_Alex]

Wendtii "green" is quite small in low light, under 6". Willissii is even smaller but grows slower.


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