Plants for low maintenance tank

[uklau]

Hi all,

Since low maintenance tank is gaining it's popularity nowadays, I think it would be good to create a list of plants that do well in low maintenance tank & make it handy to beginners, like me.

My defination of low maintenances are:
1) No CO2
2) No or very little fertilizing
3) No water change or few times a year
4) 1.5 to 2.0 WPG of lightings
5) No filter or small filter for circulation
6) No chiller but may have fan.

I'll begin with a few plants that I know of. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks in advance.

a) Anubias
b) Java fern
c) Mosses - Java, x'mass, taiwan moss, spiky moss
d) Japanese hairgrass (requires fertile substrate to start with)
e) Crypts
d) Echinodorus
e) Cyperus helferi
f) Hemianthus micranthemoides (HM, MM)

[valice]

For japanese HG or even normal HG, it is assumed you have a fertile substrate to begin with so that there is an avenue for nutrient uptake. Else you will still need root tabs fertilisation.

Mine not doing well in a substrate of lapis sand only. Inserting Ferka root tabs helped it along...

[puffer07]

i dun really think hair grass are low maintenance.

[bryan]

Having base fertilizer is a one time affair so if it helps the plants, why not?

[uklau]

i dun really think hair grass are low maintenance.

Not even under low light & without CO2?

[|squee|]

Hairgrass is low maintenance under low light and non-CO2 conditions. Mine are growing slowly in ADA Aquasoil.

I add in to the list:
Crypts
Spiky moss
Echinodorus
Cyperus helferi
Hemianthus micranthemoides (HM, MM)
These are the plants that I have in my non-CO2 now.

Actually, all plants can be grown in non-CO2 low light conditions. It's only how nice they look, and how fast they grow.

[valice]

squee, you using ADA (there is some nutrients in there). Try using only lapis. No base fert. They just stay stunned and die after that.

[|squee|]

Only lapis and no KNO3/KH2PO4? I've not tried that

[uklau]

Actually, all plants can be grown in non-CO2 low light conditions. It's only how nice they look, and how fast they grow.

Thanks for this valuable advice, Terence .

Any idea if HC can grow well in low light & non CO2 environment? Thanks.