# Plants that like hard and alkaline water?



## asincero (Mar 25, 2006)

I'm looking to setup a planted, molly-only, tank. Based on what I've been reading so far, the ideal molly environment is hard and alkaline (dH of 20 to 35 and pH of 7.6 to 8.0). However, is it true that in general plants don't like water with these parameters? What kind of plants would work well in such an environment?


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

I would start with Java moss, ferns and crypts.


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## freshreef (May 14, 2004)

vallisneria n potamogetons are good choice


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Hopefully folks who are raising mollies will chime in here as well. 

Unless your water parameters are really, really extreme, you will be able to grow most plants with hard water. My water is kh 10, gh 12-13, here's a partial list of what I have or have grown: Vals, L. aromatica, C. helferi, B. japonica, B. aubertii, C. wendtii, C. spiralis, L. repens, java fern and moss, Anubias, Bacopa, H. micranthemoides, Downoi, ... Point I am trying to make is that there are certain plants that require soft water, Eriocaulons, Toninas, but you should be able to grow most anything you want in hard water.


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## mrbelvedere138 (Jan 18, 2006)

The only plant I can't grow in my liquid brick water is R. Wallichi. There are several more out there, but not any you are likely to come across on a foray to the LFS. In fact, if you can find a tonina, eriocaulon, or fussy rotala, consider yourself lucky.


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## asincero (Mar 25, 2006)

Thanks for the tips, folks. I was under the impression that plants + hardness + alkalinity = dead plants. I'm glad that apparently I was wrong!


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

If the water is alkaline, that means that you are not supplying CO2. If you were supplying CO2, you could get the pH down below 7.0 even with the hardest water. Plants that do well when CO2 is low are the old fashoned plants that were first used when the aquarium plant hobby was in its infancy. These are mostly plants that must grow submersed and have thin or very finely divided leaves, such as Eigeria (Elodea, Anacharis), Najas, Vallisneria & Potamogetons (as mor_b suggested) and Ceratophyllum.


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