I manage a tropical fish dept, and I have a supplier who can provide me
with over a thousand types of plants, all identified by their scientific
names. I am not a specialty store, but I encourage the use of natural
plants and I want my customer's first experience with plants to be a good
one. Our water originates from the river, it's soft (2-3dgH, 2-3dkH),
slightly alkaline (7.5pH) and they typically have 0.8 to 1.4w/g of
fluorescent lighting available in tanks which are 16 to 18" deep.

I have six 60g plants tanks, so I can accommodate about 18-20 types of
plants. They need to be relatively easy to grow/maintain in my
conditions, and nothing too expensive. I am willing to group my
purchases so I have 2 tanks of low light, 3 tanks of average light and 1
tank of high light. Each tank (or light category) should include 1
foreground plant and 1 floating plant. I would like to carry a few
exotic plants, but I need to clearly identify them as such.

With the expertise in this group, I realize this is not a very exciting
post to answer, but it will benefit many people just being introduced to
aquatic plants ). I did try to research this myself, but had minimal
success, and even less confidence in my findings, so I am looking for
your experience for guidance.

LOW LIGHT, EASY
1) One foreground?
2) One floater?
3) 4 or 5 good growers

AVERAGE LIGHT, EASY
4) One foreground?
5) One floater?
6) 7 or 8 good growers

HIGH LIGHT, SOME CHALLENGE
7) One foreground?
8) One floater?
9) 1 or 2 exotics

For some floaters, I was thinking about a nitrate sponge (Hornwort?) and
something for Bettas/Gouramis (Water Lettuce?).

ps: it would help if you provided the sci. names, but I can do some
cross-referencing.
TIA
NetMax

In article , NetMax wrote:
Each tank (or light category) should include 1
foreground plant and 1 floating plant. I would like to carry a few
exotic plants, but I need to clearly identify them as such.

You don't mention this, but what about background plants? I've had
trouble finding a wide variety of plants that grown high, especially
some that won't be devoured by fish in a few hours ::-).

LOW LIGHT, EASY

Definately Anubias - I picked up a pair of anubias on the cheap from a
Petco. It was part of my first planted aquarium ever, and it's still
alive. Slow grower, but man, you'd have to try to kill this stuff! I'm
afraid I don't know exactly which variety I have.

I use water sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) as my quick growth
plant. It grows well in any light, and most conditions I've thrown at it.

Java Fern is another obvious choice, but I'm not a fan of those huge
Java ferns. Your mileage (and people's opinions) may vary.

AVERAGE LIGHT, EASY

I'd suggest some Myrio here - the green variety looks nicer (IMHO), but
the red variety seems quite a bit more resiliant.

Hygrophilia is a good one. Grows fast, looks nice. I'm a fan of Sunset
Hygros (Hygrophilia polysperma).



--
Ross Vandegrift


A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.

I wish my LFS would ask me.

Fourteen hardy and attractive plants which only need low to moderate light
(except, maybe, the Ludwigia) and no special care...

1. Bacopa caroliniana
2. Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite)
3. Cryptocoryne wendtii
4. Cryptocoryne willisii
5. Echindorus amazonicus (amazon sword)
6. Echindorus bleheri
7. Egeria densa (waterweed)
8. Hygrophila corymbosa
9. Hygrophila polysperma
10. Ludwigia repens
11. Microsorium pteropus (java fern)
12. Rotala rotundifolia (toothcup)
13. Sagittaria subulata (dwarf sag)
14. Vesicularia dubyana (java moss)

kush

"You can't have everything - where would you put it?"

NetMax wrote in message
.. .
I manage a tropical fish dept, and I have a supplier who can provide me
with over a thousand types of plants, all identified by their scientific
names. I am not a specialty store, but I encourage the use of natural
plants and I want my customer's first experience with plants to be a good
one. Our water originates from the river, it's soft (2-3dgH, 2-3dkH),
slightly alkaline (7.5pH) and they typically have 0.8 to 1.4w/g of
fluorescent lighting available in tanks which are 16 to 18" deep.

I have six 60g plants tanks, so I can accommodate about 18-20 types of
plants. They need to be relatively easy to grow/maintain in my
conditions, and nothing too expensive. I am willing to group my
purchases so I have 2 tanks of low light, 3 tanks of average light and 1
tank of high light. Each tank (or light category) should include 1
foreground plant and 1 floating plant. I would like to carry a few
exotic plants, but I need to clearly identify them as such.

With the expertise in this group, I realize this is not a very exciting
post to answer, but it will benefit many people just being introduced to
aquatic plants ). I did try to research this myself, but had minimal
success, and even less confidence in my findings, so I am looking for
your experience for guidance.

LOW LIGHT, EASY
1) One foreground?
2) One floater?
3) 4 or 5 good growers

AVERAGE LIGHT, EASY
4) One foreground?
5) One floater?
6) 7 or 8 good growers

HIGH LIGHT, SOME CHALLENGE
7) One foreground?
8) One floater?
9) 1 or 2 exotics

For some floaters, I was thinking about a nitrate sponge (Hornwort?) and
something for Bettas/Gouramis (Water Lettuce?).

ps: it would help if you provided the sci. names, but I can do some
cross-referencing.
TIA
NetMax

I manage a tropical fish dept, and I have a supplier who can provide me
with over a thousand types of plants, all identified by their scientific
names. I am not a specialty store, but I encourage the use of natural
plants and I want my customer's first experience with plants to be a good
one. Our water originates from the river, it's soft (2-3dgH, 2-3dkH),
slightly alkaline (7.5pH) and they typically have 0.8 to 1.4w/g of
fluorescent lighting available in tanks which are 16 to 18" deep.

I have six 60g plants tanks, so I can accommodate about 18-20 types of
plants. They need to be relatively easy to grow/maintain in my
conditions, and nothing too expensive. I am willing to group my
purchases so I have 2 tanks of low light, 3 tanks of average light and 1
tank of high light. Each tank (or light category) should include 1
foreground plant and 1 floating plant. I would like to carry a few
exotic plants, but I need to clearly identify them as such.

With the expertise in this group, I realize this is not a very exciting
post to answer, but it will benefit many people just being introduced to
aquatic plants ). I did try to research this myself, but had minimal
success, and even less confidence in my findings, so I am looking for
your experience for guidance.

LOW LIGHT, EASY
1) One foreground?
2) One floater?
3) 4 or 5 good growers

AVERAGE LIGHT, EASY
4) One foreground?
5) One floater?
6) 7 or 8 good growers

HIGH LIGHT, SOME CHALLENGE
7) One foreground?
8) One floater?
9) 1 or 2 exotics

For some floaters, I was thinking about a nitrate sponge (Hornwort?) and
something for Bettas/Gouramis (Water Lettuce?).

ps: it would help if you provided the sci. names, but I can do some
cross-referencing.
TIA
NetMax


I wish you were my LFS!! LOL!!

It's already been said, but lots of fast and easy growers, keeps customers
happy that their plants are doing well...

You didn't ask this, but IMO, if you had PLENTY of books on hand to sell,
you could reference them to new customers, maybe sell them a book a plant
and a fish too!!

Foreground plants! IME these are the hardest to find. If I could just find
some riccia fluitans and some glossostigma I would be happy. If you have the
resources to outfit one tank with CO2 and high lighting, I think you could get
a lot of people into plants. I find that the average person has never seen a
"real" planted tank and expects most plants to die. Seeing a wide variety of
plants THRIVE is what got me into this hobby. Also an experience: when I was
looking to setup a planted tank, I knew about CO2 and lighting solutions, but
was intimidated by the high cost. One LFS picked up on this, and told me
about DIY CO2, shop lights, and the krib. They gave me lots of options,
instead of just trying to sell me flourite and carbo plus. Now I try to do
all my shopping there, when possible. Without this experience, I would still
have but a lonely 10gallon aquarium with bright blue gravel, dreaming about
they day when I could afford the commercial systems. If I had the good
fortune of running an LFS, I think I would display a high-tech planted tank,
but also inform people of the DIY solutions. I would hope that those
successful in DIY endevours would come back for fish, food, etc.

In article , "NetMax"
wrote:
I manage a tropical fish dept, and I have a supplier who can provide me
with over a thousand types of plants, all identified by their scientific
names. I am not a specialty store, but I encourage the use of natural
plants and I want my customer's first experience with plants to be a good
one. Our water originates from the river, it's soft (2-3dgH, 2-3dkH),
slightly alkaline (7.5pH) and they typically have 0.8 to 1.4w/g of
fluorescent lighting available in tanks which are 16 to 18" deep.

I have six 60g plants tanks, so I can accommodate about 18-20 types of
plants. They need to be relatively easy to grow/maintain in my
conditions, and nothing too expensive. I am willing to group my
purchases so I have 2 tanks of low light, 3 tanks of average light and 1
tank of high light. Each tank (or light category) should include 1
foreground plant and 1 floating plant. I would like to carry a few
exotic plants, but I need to clearly identify them as such.

With the expertise in this group, I realize this is not a very exciting
post to answer, but it will benefit many people just being introduced to
aquatic plants ). I did try to research this myself, but had minimal
success, and even less confidence in my findings, so I am looking for
your experience for guidance.


__
"Insert witty comment here."
-John

Hehe, here ya go.

"NetMax" wrote in
:

LOW LIGHT, EASY
1) One foreground?

Java Moss, order it once, propagate your own colony in the store

crystal wort, same concept

2) One floater?

Water Lettuce for sure, easy to grow under low light, 15W in 20G tank gave
me loonie sized plants, under the 40W in my 27G I got 2=3" heads, more
light you get pond supplies

crystalwort and hornwort

Duckweed sucks for the new beginers and needs some more light than people
realize to do well.

3) 4 or 5 good growers

Echindorus Bleheri, very good size

java fern, slow growth and black leaves will throw some people off but once
it goes

Val's any will do nicely, corkscrew doesn't form as dense a carpet

jungle val

lilies, I got a nice little one red tiger slow but prolific grower.

AVERAGE LIGHT, EASY

4) One foreground?

haven't found one yet.

5) One floater?

duckweed, but advise purchasers to make thier own containment rings from
sytrofoam backing material for wreaths, I did this for myself with a white
foam ring from white rose.

6) 7 or 8 good growers

Alternanthera reineckii "roseafolia" Red Temple, any alternanthera would
be good.

cryptocoryne beckettii "petchii"

Ludwigia Repens

Coffee Leaf Annubias - Anubias barteri "coffefolia"

Pygmy Chain Sword - Echinodorus tenellus (mine is having trouble in the 27G
adding laterite to the tank tonight

Brazillian Micro Sword - Lilaeopsis brasiliensis

Banana Plant - Nymphoides aquatica check out chuck gadd's site his flowered
looks freaking amazing

HIGH LIGHT, SOME CHALLENGE

7) One foreground?

Cyperus Helferi, barely alive under the 40W in 27G, it faded away in my 20G
over a period of 4 months

8) One floater?

Amazon frogbit - Limnobium Laevigatum (duckweed relative)

Hydrocotyle ramunoides - Hydrocotyle ramunoides

9) 1 or 2 exotics

Madagascar Lace, that's my next challenge

For some floaters, I was thinking about a nitrate sponge (Hornwort?) and

something for Bettas/Gouramis (Water Lettuce?).

definately water lettuce, enough space between leaves that they can form
bubble nests.

NetMax

I wish the manager in my neck of woods, of the same chain that netmax is
with would get a 'puter and follow this thread too

"kush" wrote in
:

I wish my LFS would ask me.