Recommendations for fast growers

**WhistlingBadger** · 02-10-2012, 04:37 PM

Good morning, fellow aquariists! I need some recommendations for fast-growing plants to put in a 10 g low-tech tank. It was suggested in another thread that I add some fast-growing plants to help cure an ongoing algae bloom in the water. Being pretty new to planted tanks, I'm wondering what my options are.

My setup has no CO2; lightly stocked with fish, 1.5 wpg fluorescent light (I could increase that the 3 wpg if necessary, once the algae clears up) on about 9 hours/day. I currently have a small flame sword and several miniscule corkscrew vals at the moment. All of them look healthy enough, but none of them are really growing.

I can't really change my set up in any big way, so please don't suggest that I need CO2 injection or anything like that. :) Just buying some plants will be enough of a strain on my tiny aquarium budget.

So, recommendations? What would grow fast, look good, do well, and suck up lots of nutrients in my tank? Also, I need things that are fairly common and easily available, since my tiny LPS will have to special order them for me.

Thanks!

Tom

**WhistlingBadger** · 02-10-2012, 05:26 PM

Mexican oak leaf (Shinnersia rivularis) looks interesting...

**Cliff** · 02-10-2012, 05:52 PM

How about pennywort or hornwort

IME, they grow very fast and take up a good amount of nitrates

Not sure on the spelling

**Goes to 11!** · 02-10-2012, 06:08 PM

+ 1 to cliff

Java moss is almost indestructible imo, Two more easily available easy plants are:

Water Wisteria [Hygrophila difformis] It's almost indestructible, Handles a wide variety of water parameters & is easily available.

Brazilian Pennywort [Hydrocotyle leucocephala] Same as above but a floater.

**Brhino** · 02-10-2012, 06:46 PM

elodea/anacharis. There's a reason it's considered an invasive species in most places.

**WhistlingBadger** · 02-10-2012, 07:54 PM

Ooooh, water wisteria is pretty. Maybe I'll try that, and some of the floating brazillian pennywort...

Thanks for the ideas. Nothing like the voice of experience.

**homemadepopcorn** · 02-19-2012, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Brhino

elodea/anacharis. There's a reason it's considered an invasive species in most places.

My anacharis must grow anywhere from 4 to 6 inches every 10 days or so without fertilizers. I just put it in a clear bowl by the window which receives no direct sunlight, but it does have plenty of light coming in from morning till night.