Foreground plant question

[Lady Hobbs]

I need a foreground plant for my 55 gallon with 130 watts. So far, I have found Pearl Weed, Sagittaria subuta or pygmy vals that all do OK with medium light. Most of the others require higher lighting.

Of those 3 mentioned, which would you prefer or other idea's welcome, too.

[geowashlaw]

Lady Hobbs,

You know I'm a newbie, but here is my input. I was looking at the Sagittaria Subulata for my planting plan as well. I decided against it because of this blurb on Tropica.com, which concerned me:

"This plant may cause problems because in certain conditions it suddenly grows to a height of 50 cm when it grows older. But if it is then moved into the background it may become low again. In the aquarium it sometimes sends a long flower stem to the surface, and small white flowers unfold just above the water surface."

As for preference, I guess it depends on the "look" you want. I was originally looking at the subulata because I wanted something "pointy" to contrast with other plants with a more rounded leaf structure.

Beyond that, I'm not much help, because I still haven't gotten my first planted tank actually put together and growing yet :hmm3grin2orange:

[Wild Turkey]

i agree dwarf sag is one of my favoritesthumbs2:

[Lady Hobbs]

Lady Hobbs,

You know I'm a newbie, but here is my input. I was looking at the Sagittaria Subulata for my planting plan as well. I decided against it because of this blurb on Tropica.com, which concerned me:

"This plant may cause problems because in certain conditions it suddenly grows to a height of 50 cm when it grows older. But if it is then moved into the background it may become low again. In the aquarium it sometimes sends a long flower stem to the surface, and small white flowers unfold just above the water surface."

As for preference, I guess it depends on the "look" you want. I was originally looking at the subulata because I wanted something "pointy" to contrast with other plants with a more rounded leaf structure.

Beyond that, I'm not much help, because I still haven't gotten my first planted tank actually put together and growing yet :hmm3grin2orange:

Strange you should mention this as I also read something similar that often it grows 7-8". That would be no foreground plant in my book. If it gets smaller moving it to the back, and then it becomes smaller again, what's the point? LOL Your suggestions are very welcome......newbie or not!

Thanks

[Lady Hobbs]

There's another I forgot from my first post and that would be the Star Grass plant. or Juncus repens or Creeping Rush. Another plant with several names. LOL

[geowashlaw]

Thanks!

What concerned me was the 50cm (that's 19 inches) ... if you had that in the front you wouldn't be able to see into the tank ... so it grows tall if you put it in the front and short if you put it in the back ... what use is a plant like that?

[Lady Hobbs]

LOL Guess you just keep moving it back and forth.

ppttfffffffff

[karbomb]

i'd put an anubias in the foreground somewhere, they are beautiful hardy and slow growing. IME my pearl weed keeps drifting upward, even after i attached it to my driftwood. it has done best in my tank floating at the surface, possibly because i also have medium light and it needs more then it's getting.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks!

What concerned me was the 50cm (that's 19 inches) ... if you had that in the front you wouldn't be able to see into the tank ... so it grows tall if you put it in the front and short if you put it in the back ... what use is a plant like that?
There is a dwarf version. Sounds like yours were not the dwarfs, really.

[geowashlaw]

I didn't buy any ... I just ran across that when researching possiblities ... they list the size of the plant as 5 - 30 cm, but then put that in the write up ... here's the link

http://www.tropica.com/go.asp?plant=079

[Fishalicious]

Echinodorus Tellenus is a really easy and undemanding foreground plant that looks great once it carpets up.... it propogates fast so it doesn't take long and even grows great in low lights.

My fave is Pogostemon helferi but it needs high lights to grow thick and bushy

[Wild Turkey]

Actually a have read the same, dwarf sag can just shoot up to 50cm for no reason. From what ive gathered its very rare though.
A while back a bought some Dsag that was up to 7 or 8 inches tall...when i planted it though the longer leaves died immediately, the shorter ones stayed and it started growing runners immediately...so it must have something to do with the environment, otherwise you would think they would continue to grow tall, right?

[Lady Hobbs]

Echinodorus Tellenus is a really easy and undemanding foreground plant that looks great once it carpets up.... it propogates fast so it doesn't take long and even grows great in low lights.

My fave is Pogostemon helferi but it needs high lights to grow thick and bushy

I was looking at that one, Jess, but it didn't appear to be a grassy plant but I may have to rethink that one. Thanks, gal.

Turkey, some of the ground covers will stay compact and spread with more lights. Too little light and they will get taller and spread less.

[Naturestee]

I vote for dwarf sag. Also check out the "petite nana" variety of Anubias nana. It stays small and has tiny little leaves, so cute!

[Wild Turkey]

lights. Too little light and they will get taller and spread less.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks hobbs

[bushwhacker]

dwarf sag is a good choice, or just loading it up on anubias, blyxa japonica also stays fairly low