# Plant newbie needs help IDing his plants



## scuba_steve (Jan 21, 2005)

Hello everyone, i just setup my first real planted tank, but i have no idea what i have. I got all these as a mystery package off ebay, and the seller keeps avoiding my question of what are they. I am probally underwatted right now, 1 wpg, so try to let me know whats gonna die too if you can. Here are the pics!
























Thanx in advance,
Steve


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

I can identify the obvious ones, like anarchis (elodea), amazon sword, i think i see bacopa, and i think maybe cabomba? the very far left corner is i think some kind of valsneria.

Are those buenos ares tetras? i have 3 in a semi planted aquarium, watch out, they like to nip plants. they will probably mess up the anarchis the most. they like broad leaved plants like the amazon sword to spawn on, and maybe to nip. the main plant i notice them taking a few bites out of is my cryptocoryne.

i dont think 1 watt per gallon isnt enough.


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## Milo (Feb 16, 2005)

I think I see water sprite.


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## turtlehead (Jan 28, 2005)

I think you should have put more substrate in up to about 3 inches, your plants will love you and stay in place.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Please resize pic.
You have melon sword, anacharis, ludwigia ovalis, and what looks like cabomba. Cat really get a good look at all the plants, and jungle val. I don't see any bacopa but I could have missed it.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

is this bacopa?


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## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

Get more substrate as mentioned, preferably one meant for planted tanks and/or Seachams latrite to get at least 2 1/2 to 3 inches high.
Left to right
1. Straight Val or Italian Val, great hardy plant will do well in almost any tank (probably your best survivor)
2. red plant looks like a Ludwigia, may do well if enough fish poop is present. Mine lost the leaves one by one, never polluted the tank but just did not do very well, I believe you need CO2 injection for them.
3. Amazon sword, good hardy plant, should do ok with 1 watt per gal, mine do
4. Ludwigia
5. green plant in foreground. Had it but it died. Can't remember what it was either. Sorry.
6. Anacharis does good in a tank with lots of fish poop and does well floating, Goldfish love to nibble on it but it grows fast enough to where the plant can handle the goldfish abuse (If you have enough of the plants that is :lol: ) I use it for this purpose only. It keeps my other plants relatively safe from the constant nibbling. There are different varieties. One keeps blue/green algae from growing good to have.
7. Ludwigia
8. Jungle Val or Straight Val in rear
9. Water sprite or Wisteria not good plants for beginners I have killed several of them and will not try again.
10. Cabomba. A fast growing plant, loved by goldfish, pollutes tank if it dies and I have had bad experience with it as well. May need high wattage and CO2 injection to do well.
11. Amazon Sword.
12. Green plant unkown as above.
go to www.plantgeek.com and search the plants we have pointed out and I'm sure you will find the rest there as well. None of the plants you have are a rare find and are pretty much the common stable at petsmart and like places.You may have paid a lot more then they were worth. But plantsgeek will give you some help what kind of conditions they like and wether or not you just may want to pull them out prior to them polluting your tank or if you want to invest in a CO2 system and/or a better light bulb. 
I only have a CO2 system in one tank and the rest of my 11 tanks have moderate to low light. The easiest and hardiest plants for those set ups I have found to be Walmart bulbs (lilies and aponts) valisneria, lucky bamboo, crypts, sword plants, java moss and java fern, anubias of any kind (probably my favorite and I know otos love them). I have had success in one tank with hornwort but in 2 other tanks it did a cabomba and just disintegrated before my eyes, so that is a plant you just have to try.
Quite honestly I have found taking care of plants to be more challenging then keeping the fish healthy and happy. A whole other world. But beautiful if you succeed, so it's worth a try.


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## midiamin (Feb 16, 2005)

my guess is thus:

Anacharis
Cabomba
Echinodorus tenellus, or grisabachia (spelling?)
Ludwigia palustris
Giant Val Green
Val Red Torta

If you are really interested, take them to your local natural history museum and approach one of the aquatic biologist. Betcha he could help!


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Thanks shev. Where is the amazon sword everyone sees? I see melon sword but thats about it. As far as the ludwigia, I think your right midiamin. Its not ovalis. Hard to believe it was sold in a mystery package though as its not as common. Watersprite and wisteria are great first plants. Just add water and light and there you go. But I don't see any.


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

> Quite honestly I have found taking care of plants to be more challenging then keeping the fish healthy and happy.


I haven't found taking care of plants to be very difficult. Of course they take some time to plant, but other than that, all I've done to them was remove from the tank the leaves that have fallen off, and trim back leaves that are looking soft, like they're rotting away. But then, I've only had a planted tank since last November, maybe tomorrow it'll all go pear shaped!


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## midiamin (Feb 16, 2005)

Could even be a Ludwigia peruensis?


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## scuba_steve (Jan 21, 2005)

thank you very much everyone! btw the only reason i kept the pics so big is so you wouldnt have trouble seeing some of the plants good. also i decided that if im gonna do the whole plant thing i might as well do it right, ill be adding an inch of flourite, i ordered a 55 x2 power compact, and i built a diy co2 injector!


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