# Plants that will do well in gravel



## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

I'm debating switching to (at least some) real plants in my aquarium. I'm currently disinfecting my 10 gallon and it's contents, and will be getting it ready for a new boy. 

As much as I love the planted tanks and would love to have one with soil and all, my aquarium is at work and I kind of need it as low maintenance as possible. 

So my question is, if I decide to add a few live plants to the tank, what types do okay in both aquarium gravel with no soil, and a basic LED light hood? So basically - something I can't kill. I should mention I am the opposite of a green thumb. Red thumb - if that's a thing. 

I'm prepared for you guys to say "nothing!" So don't hold back your input  

If a planted tank isn't in my future that's okay, I think my tank looked okay for not being legit  
Maybe I can start a planted one at my house! An excuse to get another betta! Oh dear


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## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

I have horrible luck with live plants but swords are pretty hardy.

I just do with silks though, less hassle for myself. 

Your tank is really pretty though!


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## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Oh, well thanks! 

I fooled a couple people with the silk/plastic. 

I just barely threw out the grass-looking one. It was silk and it started fraying already  looked nice in there but didn't last very long!

And I'm glad I'm not the only "red thumb" out there lol


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Java fern, anubias , amazon swords ( root tabs are great to put under them every few months) , water sprite .. Those are all fairly easy ... I plant the heck out of my tanks .. And gravel or sand never dirt.. Those are by far the easiest plants IMO 


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Thanks agent13! I'll look into those!


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## Sylerwin (Jun 10, 2013)

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but in one of my tanks I couldn't keep plants to save my life (no idea why, all my other tanks were fine), so I just bought a ton of moss balls and it looked fun.


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## ForAnAngel (Apr 5, 2014)

Anubias attached to driftwood is easy! Also, looks amazing when it attaches. Took mine 3 weeks to attach! I also crammed them in some nooks. Amazon Swords like posted above are also easy. I use gravel from petsmart with Seachem Flourish tabs. They are slowly growing, but growing! My Crypto melted though! womp womp.


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## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Awesome thanks guys! 

The tank is at my work still for now. So still undecided if I'll take the plunge with real plants there. 

Thinking maybe I'll try a couple along with the silks one day, and then maybe start a planted tank at home! 

Again, mostly just an excuse to get another betta, hehe.

The info is great! Now I'll know where to start!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You don't need dirt to have a planted tank. I use CaribSea Tahitian Moon Sand. I've used gravel but prefer sand and that's really what substrate is: A preference. IMO, there are four basic rules beyond substrate:

1. You need to determine if you have low, medium or high light and buy the plants that fit (most aquarium kits and hoods come with low-to-medium light), so any combination of Anubias, Java Fern, Swords, Marimo Moss Balls, Cabomba, Anacharis, Hornwort, would be good to start. BTW, these are known as "Beginner Plants" for a reason. 

2. Use root tabs for rooted plants (Swords, Anubias, Java Ferns) and something like SeaChem Flourish for floating plants (Anacharis, Cabomba, Hornwort). You can plant Anubias and Java Ferns but you have to be careful to only plant the roots and not the rhizomes. Place Swords directly on root tabs but make sure to plant root tabs every few inches even if there isn't a plant close by.

3. Avoid Dwarf Baby Tears and any plant whose description says "needs CO2" and Crypts (which have a bad habit of melting but usually come back) until you understand aquatic plants and their needs and decide you want to get into planted tanks more deeply.

4. Ask if the plants were grown submerged or emersed and only buy if grown submerged.

I hope this wasn't TMI but I love a planted tank and really, really want people to be successful.


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## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Not at all TMI! Thank you so much! Great info!


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## KafkaDream (Dec 30, 2013)

If you're looking for floating plants I actually have had minimal luck in GETTING RID of duckweed and frogbit. At one point in time I was having to get rid of it! Frogbit is a medium light plant while I believe duckweed will do alright with low lighting. The only requirement for duckweed is it likes low flow, still water to grow in.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

KafkaDream said:


> If you're looking for floating plants I actually have had minimal luck in GETTING RID of duckweed and frogbit. At one point in time I was having to get rid of it! Frogbit is a medium light plant while I believe duckweed will do alright with low lighting. The only requirement for duckweed is it likes low flow, still water to grow in.


I hate lesser Duckweed (not the big variety)! It is so invasive that it gets into the filters and on my nerves. If I could track down the person who sent me plants with Duckweed I would.....well, you know. 

However, I did find a way to get rid of it: Riccia. I floated Riccia in my tank, the Duckweed was attracted to it like a magnet. I swirled the Riccia around and it picked up 90% of the Duckweed. The rest I scooped out with a Duckweed-dedicated net. Now if I find a piece or two I pluck them out the minute I see them.

Red Root Floaters are nice, colorful floating plants; fertilizing and added Iron really make the roots a deep red.


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## KafkaDream (Dec 30, 2013)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> I hate lesser Duckweed (not the big variety)! It is so invasive that it gets into the filters and on my nerves. If I could track down the person who sent me plants with Duckweed I would.....well, you know.
> 
> However, I did find a way to get rid of it: Riccia. I floated Riccia in my tank, the Duckweed was attracted to it like a magnet. I swirled the Riccia around and it picked up 90% of the Duckweed. The rest I scooped out with a Duckweed-dedicated net. Now if I find a piece or two I pluck them out the minute I see them.
> 
> Red Root Floaters are nice, colorful floating plants; fertilizing and added Iron really make the roots a deep red.


I totally understand! Lol. I personally love duckweed, and will toss it to my goldfish when I have too much. I've never had it get stuck in my filters but I only have sponge filters in the tanks growing it. 
I also love red root floaters, as earlier stated. They're super easy and add some contrast ^^


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## tlatch89 (Apr 26, 2013)

You have a nice setup! I would recommend transitioning to a planted tank. Go pick up some anubias and java fern, if you can keep those alive (dont bury them) you are set for more plants.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

tlatch89 said:


> You have a nice setup! I would recommend transitioning to a planted tank. Go pick up some anubias and java fern, if you can keep those alive (dont bury them) you are set for more plants.


+1 Forgot to mention how much I like your set up. My bad. :roll:


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

My tank is gravel I mixed in laterite which adds tace minerals. I have crypts, anacharis, water wissteria and bacopa planted in the gravel (I use root tabs). I also have java fern, anubias and windelov java fern tied to little pieces of driftwood. I use Flourish liquid once a week and Excel every other day. 

My favorites are the water wisteria, windelov java fern, bacopa and cryptocoryne wenditti.


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