need help in choosing plants for the nonco2 method

[beachroadbum]

Hi all,

First let me say that this site is fantastic! I kept a planted 29gallon several years ago...with low light and hagen diy co2...flourite substrate and greg watson ferts. The tank was a great sucess. I ended up moving and started keeping reef tanks...but the planted tank bug has bit me again. After reading Tom's great article on non co2 low light tanks I plan on using that method. I will be using a 46 gallon bowfront which is 36x15 and narrows to 12inches at each side.
I know it's very important to stock the tank fully with plants right from the start. If anyone could suggest what type of plants do best to start in this system that would be great. Also how many bunches of each and pots etc...
I need to order the plants online so I don't want to order too many or too few. I will have two pieces of driftwood about 12 inches long to fill up some space. Hopefully this will give you guys an idea of how many plants I need to start. Thanks!

best,
jared

 

[VaughnH]

Most commonly available cryptocoryne plants will do well with non-CO2, low light tanks. And, there are several varieties of Java Ferns now available, which do well in that type of tank. Anubias do well. With just those plants you can easily aquascape the whole tank. Recently I bought 3 pots, as I recall, of crypt Wendtii, possibly the "gecko" variety, and they were plenty to cover the substrate of a tank with about a 15" X 30" footprint. They now completely fill the bottom 1//3 to 1/2 of the tank. In addition I have about 6 small narrow leaf Java Ferns, tied to small pieces of drift wood, and about the same number of anubias. Also in the tank is a medium size piece of bogwood root. That should give you some idea about how many of that type of plants you would need.

 

[beachroadbum]

Thanks vaughn,

What stem plants do you think would fit well using this method?

best,
Jared

 

[Henry Hatch]

For stem plants I would try rotala indica and lugwigia repens.

 

[VaughnH]

For stem plants I would try rotala indica and lugwigia repens.

I'm trying Ludwigia repens in my 10 gallon tank, non-CO2, low light, and it is beginning to do well there. After about 3 weeks, which is no surprise.

 

[Mooner]

Hi Jared,

Welcome to the forum.

Echinodorus tenellus, Ludwigia repens, Sagittaria subulata, Water Sprite, Moss Ball, Sunset- Hygrophila, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Dwarf hair grass, Rotala Indica are some of what I keep in my non-carbon tank. Any more I will try anything that I keep in my CO2 tanks. Most make it but they grow way slower and to some extent smaller. My non-carbon tanks are based on this method http://www.barrreport.com/articles/433-non-co2-methods.html

 

[beachroadbum]

Thanks mooner!