Nano Tank Plant Choices

[dSerk]

Just looking for general comments and experiences from you guys that have planted very small aquariums. What plants have worked and not worked? How do you deliver CO2 to such a small setup? Do you bother?

I was thinking of trying Hemianthus callrichitoides and a stem of myriophyllum or a small bit of hygrophila corymbosa. The Hygro will eventually get too big but they don't grow fast.

[ingg]

Corymbosa grows fast and is WAY too big.

I do DIY CO2 into my nano for the competitions, I have started a paintball regulator setup on a 5.5g (that completely melted, lol, I need to get it replanted before the meeting! )

[Judi]

I do diy co2 for my nanos, sometimes supplemented with Excel.

Hemianthus callitrichoides ("HC") is one of my favorite nano plants. Other nano plants I am growing or have grown are anubias nana "petite", downoi, Mayaca fluviatilis, Ludwigia arcuata, Rotala "colorata", dwarf hairgrass, Blyxa japonica, and Rotala hippuris.

[dSerk]

Maybe it's just because I have only had really ultra fast growing stem plants so far.... I considered the hygros to be kinda slow. Alright.... so I have no patience

Downoi and blyxa japonica sound pretty good and appeal to me. I'd thought about putting in a sprig of Rotala, just never thought it'd get enough light or CO2. I've got lots of R. macrandra in my other tanks. Plenty of Ludiwigia, too... at least wouldn't worry about that one growing.

Judi, do you plant that Anubias on a piece of wood or will it grow in the substrate?

How do you y'all diffuse the CO2? Simple bubbler/airstone? Hmmmm.... I'll bet a ladder would be good in that small space.

Also, I had planned on just doing CO2 until everything had established themselves. So, until I get a fish in the bowl I'm not really worried about portability or aesthetics. After everything's been established, I don't think I want alot of growth.

[Judi]

The roots of anubias can be in the substrate, but you don't want to bury the rhizome. I superglue it to a chip of rock. Sounds nutty, I know, but it works.

I run the co2 tubing into the filter intake. I had a glass diffuser in one of my nanos, which worked quite well. Until I broke it, that is.

[dSerk]

I guess I'm not really building a "nano tank" as much as I'm just going to try to grow some plants in a large glass of water, hehe. I was planning on not using a filter of any kind. I guess I'll be lucky to get anything to grow.

I seem to remember some pics (maybe from our gallery) of someone growing hairgrass in glass tumblers. I already have some (acicularis methinks) so maybe I'll just go with that.... doesn't seem to need added CO2.

But, while the plants are getting started and as long as there's no fish in the water, I suppose I could just cover the top and run the DIY CO2 tube into the water. If the bowl is well covered that should keep CO2 in contact with the water.

I superglue it to a chip of rock.

Neat. I woulda thought that superglue was a no-no. Poison, even. Is Gorilla Glue fine? I see that everywhere now. I guess the rhizome doesn't need to be completely dried for the glue to stick and it doesn't need much time to dry before I can stick it back in the water......

[kerokero]

You could also just use fishing line or cotton threading to tie it to a peice of hardscape.

I'd be interested in figuring out some of the smaller rosettes other than the anubias. The crypts I've gotten keep getting too big :-/

[magsdez]

I have an acutally fish bowl in the bathroom that I've been cycling crypts into for cleaning purposes. That's where my shrimp are and the crypts I've put in there came from my 75gal which was having algae problems. Anyhow, I have the bowl, as small as it is, with a nano heater (foster and smith), DIY CO2 with a glass diffuser, and high lights (acutally, it's a very old reading light I got back in 1993/4ish and never changed the bulb-says' it 9.9wts ). Everything I put in there seems to do well and the shrimp are in the process of producing the next generation. The co2 diffuser is just a nano glass one that kinda attaches to the sides (likes to pull off every once in a while). So, that set up works for me.

[kerokero]

I'm tossing around more ideas for the nano contest, and plan on having some mosses of course But I'm also hoping for some Java fern (young needles or tridents, unless I can get my hands on some of the smaller forms? What *are* the smaller forms?). I'm trying for no CO2 lol

Flipping around the net, here are a list of "foreground" plants I dug up that may be useful for creating the mini landscape (please give care needs/experiences) - I tried to keep the list to plants typically 6in or less not including stem plants that can be kept trimmed:
- Elatine triandra (foreground even in a nano! I'm playing w/ this now)
- Lilaeopsis brasiliensis Micro Sword, Lilaeopsis sp mauritius (possibly for low tech tanks - who works with this specific species?)
- Dwarf Sag, Sagittaria subulata (6-8 in tall can be more of a "background" plant in 2.5g nanos)
- Echinodorus tenellus, Echinodorus parviflorus var tropica (to 6in, smaller in weaker light, again a pseudo-bg plant in the nanos), 'Aquartica', Echinodorus quadricostatus magdalenensis
- HC/HM
- Dwarf Hairgrasses (Eleocharis acicularis)
- Lobelia cardinalis small form
- Glossostigma
- Utrcularia graminifolia
- Pogostemon Helferi
- Marsilea hirsuta (can take low light)
- Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compact'
- Samolus valerandi (likes light and nutrient rich substrate)
- Acorus gramineous pusillus (to 4in, unheated tanks)
- Ranalisma rostrata

[Cristy Keister]

Well, IMHO, the Sags, E. quadricostatus, E. parviflorus, Hygro compact, and lobelia are too big for a 2.5g - at least at their full size. If they're young or stunted, they could work.

The Samolus and Acorus aren't aquatic plants.

The others are good. If you can get the Utricularia graminifolia growing it is pretty neat looking.