Low Light Plants to Grow out Aquarium Top

[Deadeye]

Hello all,
Since my Buenos Aires tetras don’t really like me growing plants in their tank (they even take out hornwort faster than it grows), I was wondering about plants to grow out the top.
I already have lucky bamboo in there, but was looking for other things to grow as well.
The problem is that the room the tank is in doesn’t get too much light, so I don’t think plants like papyrus or mangroves would do too well.

 

[tlindsey]

Hello all,
Since my Buenos Aires tetras don’t really like me growing plants in their tank (they even take out hornwort faster than it grows), I was wondering about plants to grow out the top.
I already have lucky bamboo in there, but was looking for other things to grow as well.
The problem is that the room the tank is in doesn’t get too much light, so I don’t think plants like papyrus or mangroves would do too well.

Pothos may work.

 

[Ansorgii]

An underwater plant to hard for them to chew on would be crinum natans, only the really big Myleus can bite through it but rarely do. Just make sure its not a baby plant.

Cyperus alternifolius still grows in suprisingly little light, and a well sized plant is a great place for smaller fish to hide in, again, make sure its not a baby plant.

Nephrolepis exaltata grows like crazy in little light and looks really good, all it needs is some grip and its roots in the water.

 

[Midwater]

Homalomena Rubescens

 

[benzjamin13]

How much are you feeding them? I've had people recommend Java Ferns and Anubias, but I would notice some tears and bites every other day and new growth was impossible. I've had BA Tetras in the past and they'll demolish plants unless they're fed A LOT. I used to do 1-2 feedings a day, but since my plants were getting chewed on, I started feeding them 3-5 times a day and found that 5-7 feedings was when they stopped on the plant munching. And normal flake food didn't cut it for them. It was a lot of frozen bloodworms, brineshrimp, and pellets mixed. I ended up just giving up on plants while I had these guys in there.

 

[Midwater]

 

[Deadeye]

How much are you feeding them? I've had people recommend Java Ferns and Anubias, but I would notice some tears and bites every other day and new growth was impossible. I've had BA Tetras in the past and they'll demolish plants unless they're fed A LOT. I used to do 1-2 feedings a day, but since my plants were getting chewed on, I started feeding them 3-5 times a day and found that 5-7 feedings was when they stopped on the plant munching. And normal flake food didn't cut it for them. It was a lot of frozen bloodworms, brineshrimp, and pellets mixed. I ended up just giving up on plants while I had these guys in there.

Tbh I don’t feed as often as I should - right now I do once every day or every other day. They get mostly hikari cichlid gold with occasional frozen bloodworms.

 

[Ansorgii]

I don't think that feeding them so much that they stop their natural Behaviour of eating plants is a healthy or viable option, but its interesting that it is possible.

Maybe offering them an alternative like salad or spinach might work, it should be a lot easier to eat than ferns or anubia.

But going for plants that wont be affected by them is propably still the best choice.

 

[duanes]

One of my favorite terrestrial low light plants is Dieffenbachia.

As you can see, although it gets ambient light, because it is situated under an eave, it gets little direct light, and is now about 5 ft tall.
Its root system in the 180 gal tank is quite substantial.

and the fish occasionally use it for cover.

 

[Cal Amari]

These terrestrial plants, can they be put in planter baskets directly in the top of the tank with the stalk and leaves above the water line or do they still require soil that is wetted by the tank water?