# Need help with plant selection!



## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

Hi, i have a 13 gal and i need to choose some plants for it. I want the back to be completely covered, a few in the mid-ground and perhaps 1-2 in the foreground... problem: i'm no gd with plants!
To me a plant is a plant... please help!


----------



## Guest (Dec 31, 2007)

How much light is over the tank? That will decide which plants you can grow.


----------



## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

well i have 2 flouresent lights on the hood, but i only use 1 at any 1 time... i could use both if needed. The light is on 8-10 hrs a day (could be changed if needed).


----------



## Guest (Dec 31, 2007)

Can you find the wattage on the bulbs? Or, if you can't find the wattage, can you measure them to get the length?

I could guess, but I really don't know how long a 13g tank is, as we don't see those over here.


----------



## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

they are 11w


----------



## Guest (Dec 31, 2007)

Alright, thats great.  I'd use both of them. That will allow you more plant options.

For background plants, try some small leaved stem plants like Rotala rotundifolia, Anacharis/Elodea, Hornwort, and Moneywort (Bacopa monneri).

For the middle, you could try some Anubias Nana or Anubias coffeefolia. Those would need to be attached to wood or rocks though, but would make nice mid-ground plants. Cryptocorynes grow slow, but alot of them get pretty large. If you have a larger tank to move them to that would work, or trade them in to the LFS when they outgrow the tank. Some easy Crypts are Cryptocoryne wendtii and Cryptocoryne petchii.

For the foreground, you could get something grassy, like Dwarf sagittaria.

Hope that helps!

Also, plant choice will depend on what you can find. Just remember that plants need different levels of lighting and your light is in the medium-low category. I'd make sure you know what kind of plant you are getting before just buying anything. Hopefully the links from the names will help you. You could write down the names of these plants before you go see what the LFS has. That way you will hopefully buy something that works in your tank and lighting.


----------



## Steve155 (Aug 28, 2007)

Thanks for the help, i will definately look into the plants you have shown me.


----------

