# blackwater plant ideas?



## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

I currently keep several varieties of anubis, pelia, java fern and java moss in my tanks. What other plants do well in Blackwater a environment ? Trying to find a little more variety so all my tanks dont look so alike....


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Somethings to keep in mind is that all my tanks atm are 5.5 gal with sand substrate, and i only use seachem equilibrium, api co2 booster and api leaf zone for ferts.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have what would probably be considered blackwater tanks and I float watersprite at the surface, and also use crypts, Amazon swords, hydrilla (I think this might be a weed in the US), Amazon frogbit and duckweed.


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Cool ive thought about amazon swords, but ive been told that they dont fair well in sand , and after substrate i only have about 8" to the water line. Mabe ill give dwarf swords a shot...


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

That's weird. I have seen a number of apistogramma keepers use Amazon swords and the substrate has been sand. 

But yes, they do get big. I only use them because my wild bettas like a lot of cover and I figure they are a cheap way of crowding the tank.


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Oky doky i 'll give them a shot!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

If you are going with straight sand, maybe you should look into picking up some root tabs to supplement your other ferts. Swords are heavy root feeders and perhaps the reason someone said they may not do well in sand is because there is not enough nutrients for them. I think API makes root tabs, as does Seachem and in a tank of your size, you would only need a few.


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Ill pick some up and do you think my mts will up root them? Some of them spread through the tanks are on the monstrous side lol. One in particular is well over an inch long and quite gerthy.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

My MTS haven't managed to uproot the root and iron tabs I use. But watch... tomorrow there will be tabs all over the tank. -)

Swords do really well with iron tabs. Ken of Bama Plants suggested I get iron tabs and the difference in the Swords is amazing.


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

I picked up a couple of narrow leaf chain swords and some +iron root tabs crossing my fingers, btw according to directions for my tank i only need 1 per month, but nothing on placement. Should i just place it between the two chain sword starter plants? A couple inches from each?


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Reread the directions, i needed to use 3. Anyway all was ok till i went to insert the third tab! The darn thing went all fizzy and turned to powder before I got it deep enough. Is there an easier way !?.. well i hope i didnt OD the tank and not to mention Oni decided to eat part of the tab that I was having issues with. I hope he dosnt get a belly ache! Ugh...


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

Oh and i forgot to mention im testing the swords and tabs in one of the tanks before i go all gang buster on them.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I've been told with root tabs 1 tab per a 3 square inch area,but these were for different sort of root tabs (contain multiple ferts) and last 6-9 months.
Be careful as you can hurt plants by giving them too much ferts like you can but not giving enough (they will show different deficiencies though from the imbalance).


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## PiscesPlunder (Aug 30, 2014)

I will definantly be mindfull of that. The tabs i got are the api roottabs w/ iron. Got them for theswords im giving a try. I put 3 in for a 5.5 gallon. My concern was with the tab that desolved before i could get it inserted deep enough. Ugh now iam worried my plants are going to go on the fritz.


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