# red or rich green low level plants...



## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

I have alot of low level plants in my tank (banana plants, water sprite, java fern, hair grass, anachis,) the water sprite and banana plants or the only ones that is growing well, I was wondering if there are any red or dark green plants that I can grow in there? I have a 4x30 watt coralife fixture on it, with a Hagen C02 system on it and I dose Flourish Comp and Leafzone once a week...


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

what is your suubstrate? you could do some cryptocorines, they add nice colors and are pretty hardy. crypt becketii, walkerii and mohelmanii are a good size suitable for medium aquariums well (they won't become mosnters!!) you can also try some anubias, coffefolia is a darker green one, very hardy!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

You could also do a nymphea maculeta or zenkiri. They will do well in low light and have the deep red color.









Crypt. wendtii var 'Tropica'2 has a nice bronze look. Crypt. becketti is the skinny green leaf in the background to the left.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

My substrate is Flourite, I got two bags of it, I usually just buy my plants from petstores but they usually have slim pickings unless you catch them on a day when they just got a shipment in and the pet stores that have good selection of plants year-round try to bend you over! (I mean...$14.99 for a potted Water Sprite?) I would like to mail-order but scared of plants dying before they get here...


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Fissidens is a dark/rich green and low light plant.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I don't know where you are but I buy my plants from other hobbyists. You get the best, selection, price and quality. Usually you get more plants as well. I've only had an issue with quality one or two times and both times the plants were replaced at the sellers cost.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> I don't know where you are but I buy my plants from other hobbyists. You get the best, selection, price and quality. Usually you get more plants as well. I've only had an issue with quality one or two times and both times the plants were replaced at the sellers cost.


+1. ANd if you are afraid of a dead shipment arriving, order in the spring or fall (before temps get to one extreme or another). I've never had plants die when shipped in those seasons. Even in summer I've only ever lost 1 species of plant (_Nymphoides sp._ , which does not ship well to begin with).


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## Ekrindul (Jul 3, 2010)

Sicamore_Tree said:


> I have alot of low level plants in my tank (banana plants, water sprite, java fern, hair grass, anachis,) the water sprite and banana plants or the only ones that is growing well, I was wondering if there are any red or dark green plants that I can grow in there? I have a 4x30 watt coralife fixture on it, with a Hagen C02 system on it and I dose Flourish Comp and Leafzone once a week...


Is this the 29 gallon tank you mentioned in earlier posts? And is 4 bulbs correct on the fixture? and is that T5HO lighting? If so to all, I recommend removing all but 1 bulb honestly. You just don't need more than 1 bulb of T5HO on a tank that size. The plants will starve; algae will take over. Personally, I would go with just 1 bulb, the other 3 bulbs can sit in reserve as replacements; and I would dose the Flourish and Leafzone at least 2 times a week if you are doing CO2 enrichment. With CO2, plants will grow much quicker and need the nutrients.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

The light fixture isn't T-5, they're the regular bulbs that comes with that fixture, I think 10000k, I had an algae outbreak about two weeks into it, but my chinese algae eaters and snails made my tank spottless now, I got plants that are growing really well in my tank and I do think the light is a bit much, but I got it for a steal($50bucks) it's heavily planted (about 15 plants not counting the banana plant pieces that's floating)


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## Ekrindul (Jul 3, 2010)

What is the make and model of the fixture. I can look it up and see what you have. Four bulbs on a 29 gallon tank is quite a lot of light.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

Coralife 30 Inch Aqualight W/ 2-65W Straight Pin Base And 2-3/4W Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED Lamps, I think it is alot of light too, but it was a great deal though, I don't want my plants to starve or burn, I have Flourite substrate and I dose once a week, leaf zone and flourish comp.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

P.S. that dead plant that's draped over some of my plants wasn't mine, a friend of mines had a saltwater tank that just had sand in it and he thought that the salt was just in the water not in the sand so he filled up his tank and put plants in there! I tried to save a couple, but as you can see in these pics, I wasn't successful...


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## Ekrindul (Jul 3, 2010)

I believe it's this fixture:

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+12109&pcatid=12109

If so, I would remove 1 of the bulbs. You can store it as a replacement a year or so down the road. A single 65W CF bulb over a 29 gallon with CO2 will be much more manageable than a pair of bulbs.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

What do they call plant pieces in the freshwater planted world? I'm use to saltwater and we call coral pieces frags, anyway, the plants that are growing in my tanks are shooting off pretty crazy! I got banana plant and water sprite frags growing like crazy when I take them from floating to planting them in the substrate.
I really dont wanna jinx anything, I never had this much success with plants like I am now, I think that light got alot to do with it, because I always used diy c02 and had decent light, but everything grew slowly, I never had plants sgoot off like this...


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## Ekrindul (Jul 3, 2010)

If you want the fast growth, don't change anything. Just keep an eye out for algae growth. You don't want to let it take hold. Once you see it getting out of hand, back off the amount of light.


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## Sicamore_Tree (Feb 12, 2006)

Ok, thanks! Looking for a good deal on some red plants right now and a longer DIY mix for my Hagen C02 system...


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## lanceduffy (Jul 15, 2010)

Wanna know where the river's flowing? Algae farm. At this lighting level, you will need stable CO2. Pressurized is the way to go. Get a regulator, a bottle and a drop checker. Get a fert plan: EI or other. MHO.
I spent 2 years trying to get a tank balanced using your methods and half the lighting. Things worked but not too well. That's with half your light. I regrouped and started over with a fert plan and pressurized CO2. Much happier now.
There is a lot of information out there, I suggest you spend some time searching the forums, eg: APC and Barr report. Good luck!


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