# i would like to know



## igauresh (Nov 28, 2006)

What aquatic plant is widely used or the most popular and why?
Anyway what are the categories for choosing a plant? Does it depend on it's adaptability or does it depend on the type of fish you are taking care of?


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## Sprite42 (Mar 10, 2006)

It mostly depends on your lighting and water nutrients. Some plants will tolerate low light better than others. I use standard hoods with standard lights on my bigger tanks and can grow crypts, najas grass, hornwort and vals fairly well, java moss and java fern do well too. On other tanks, I use standard hoods with the screw in flourescents. Those will grow amazon swords, sunset hygro and corkscrew vals.

In the sand substrate tanks, my plants are potted with fertilizers cuz my loaches won't leave them planted. In the gravel substrates, they are just anc****************d by the roots. The hornwort and najas grass, I just leave floating.

I have very soft water with little buffering power, my hornworts tend to be very, very soft. I gave my sister some of mine and a month later they were stiff and course. My endlers will pick apart the hornwort, too. But, most of my other fish leave the plants alone. Certain breeds of apple snails will demolish any and all plants like it is their own personal salad bar.

Hope that helps. I am all for the very little maintenance kind of aquatic gardening.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Depends on who you ask. Java fern, anubias, and crypts are up on the list. Many people after getting into the hooby start to search for more exotic species like bacopa sp. Uruguay and fissidens. Common plants are usually easier plants and used by all to break in a tank. Tank busters are used in the cycling process to keep algae at bay and then removed for what we really want. Hygrophilia species are great for this and thus are used often.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

Damon said:


> Depends on who you ask. Java fern, anubias, and crypts are up on the list. Many people after getting into the hooby start to search for more exotic species like bacopa sp. Uruguay and fissidens. Common plants are usually easier plants and used by all to break in a tank. Tank busters are used in the cycling process to keep algae at bay and then removed for what we really want. Hygrophilia species are great for this and thus are used often.


agreed. crypts and java/moss/ferns will grow anywhere.


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