Hard Water

[Longstocking]

What plants have worked for everyone in thier hard water tanks?

I have tried quite a few plants... some work some do not.

Crypts.... they seem to all work in my tanks.

Anubias.... Only if they are large. Other wise I can keep them alive for about 6 months and then they die.

Vals kind of work for me. I don't kill them but they don't thrive.

Amazon swords.

Java fern and moss.

These are pretty much the only plants I have been able to keep alive in 8,2 ph and a kh of 15 or so. Everything else seems to melt away on me. Of course I have sand in my tanks as well... so that presents a problem.

What has everyone else tried with success??? Looking to add a few more plants to my tanks.

[CJC]

I've kept;
Jungle Val, my 75G, the whole bottom is nothing but. The fish growing out love it.
Amazon Swords did very well for a long period of time.
Water Sprite did well for a few years. I got rid of all of it a few years back and now, just can't get it to start back up.

[joe_jaskot]

Anubias, najas, bolbitis, java moss, java fern (all easy to grow low light plants). Amazon swordplants and cryptocorynes can also be grown. Some take time to adjust to the higher pH and hardness.

[Longstocking]

I've wanted to try bolbitis ... I like the way it looks and the fact it's a darker green color.

[the_watcher]

Try using potted plants for the Vals and some of the other that you have... The sand is also a problem...
Hide the pots with rocks etc... This will give your plants and excellent change to get adapted to the hard water.... My water out of the tap is 8.6+... The mineral content is off the chart... Excellent for Tangs.... I plan on loading my tanks up with a lot of the plants that you have mentioned... I had tanks with tons of plants before (when I only had 20 - 30 tanks) ... Those days are here again with my encounters with PETROS..... Also as your plant has grown acustomed to your new water you can repot or try removing the pot... but if it aint broke dont fix it...

[fischfan13]

I currently have several Swords growing in a sand-bottomed Mbuna tank...and one is huge.
All different types of Anubias seem to do well.
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to grow Vals in African tanks...they have seemed to rot away. Madagascar Lace not only didn't make it, but the bulb was eaten!

[foamerdave]

I have had fair luck with Madagascar Lace in Hard water but fish/plant friendly tank with some good lighting and adding fert's

[dbondi]

I just went and picked up some jungle val and java fern today for my newly redone tang tank. I hope they do well....I also want to get a blanket of moss on some of my rocks in my mbuna tank for the fishies to graze on

[emartin]

Various Aponogeton THRIVED in my hard water tanks. I had one plant produce a 5ft long (not joking actually measured it to be approximately that length) flower stalk and flowered several times until it went dormant for about a month.

I did not have to add any fertilizers (actually I added Flourish Excel but I don't think that did anything at all as another aponogeton in a different tank without the flourish excel also thrived) but lighting definitely helped.

The only issue I had with plants...well in my water was hair algae growing on the leaves and then killing the leaves. Eventually I bought true SAE and they are doing a good job on the remaining anubias. I don't keep aponogeton anymore after my last one died (HUGE BULB! Must've been old).

Swords did well in my tanks until I managed to kill them though...