By Brian Torreano, MAS

Intro: Well, by now, hopefully, you have enjoyed the first two installments in this series: creating a tank for species that prefer low-current conditions and creating a tank for species that prefer medium to high-current conditions. This installment deals with setting up a tank for natives that prefer planted conditions. You will notice that some species presented here were listed in one or both of the last two installments. This is because those species prefer more than one type of habitat. In this section, I will be placing less emphasis on the fish that occupy different levels of the tank. A good rule of thumb to follow is that Blackstripe Topminnows live in the surface zone, most other minnows live in the middle zone of the tank, and the darters occupy the bottom of the tank. Although I will only be discussing natives, the setups described here can also apply to non-native fish that live in similar environments. Also, all of the fish I will be describing here are community fish, so they can be kept with just about any other community fish. The fish that are compatible with the planted tank are: the Banded Darter, the Blackside Darter, the Iowa Darter, the Spotfin Shiner, the Spottail Shiner, the Brook Stickleback, the Central Mudminnow, the Bluntnose Minnow, and the Blackstripe Topminnow.

First, I will be discussing plants I have had success with in the planted natives tank. I have grown all of the plants I will be detailing under standard aquarium lighting and without CO₂ injection. Secondly, I will be discussing setups and some other general information. Let’s get started talking about the plants to use.

Najas Grass (Najas quadalupensis): I have used Najas Grass with great success in the planted aquarium. It is a floating plant in the aquarium, although I have had it send out roots. It is great cover for surface to mid-water fish and their young. Under standard aquarium lighting it will grow so well that you will have to thin it out every couple of weeks. Najas Grass works well in taller aquaria as you can still have other plants growing under it. Keep in mind, though, that rooted or bunch plants in the same aquarium will have to have lower light requirements than the Najas Grass because it will block some of the light from getting to the submerged plants in the aquarium. It can be obtained at just about any pet store and usually at fish club meetings as well.

Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana): Java Moss is a great plant to keep in the natives aquarium. It has lower light requirements than Najas Grass and can be grown underneath it. Java Moss will attach to driftwood and rocks if tied down. It provides great cover for young fish. Java moss can be obtained at just about any fish store or fish meeting.

Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus): I have had really good success keeping Java Fern in the natives aquarium. This is another plant that thrives under Najas Grass. In addition to the "standard" variety of Java Fern, I have had success with the "Windelov" variety. Java Fern, like Java Moss, will attach to rocks and driftwood if tied down. Java Fern can be obtained at just about any fish store or fish meeting.

Anacharis (or Elodea, or whatever you want to call it): Anacharis is a great natives tank plant. It is a great oxygen producer, which is especially good if you have darters in the tank. It may be grown under Najas Grass, but will do better under full standard lighting. Anacharis is usually sold as a bunch plant that will root if the bases of the plants are pushed into the substrate. I have had this plant do so well that I had to trim it every couple of weeks. As the Anacharis grows, the original stems become "leggy". In that situation, I have replaced the old growth with the trimmed new growth. That way you always have fresh-looking Anacharis. Anacharis can be obtained at just about any fish store or fish meeting.

Cabomba (Cabomba sp.): Cabomba is a good natives tank plant. It provides great cover for fish at all levels of the tank and their young. It should receive full standard aquarium lighting. Cabomba can be obtained at just about any fish store or fish meeting.

Cryptocorene wendtii: I have had good success with this plant. The darters like to lurk around the short stems and sit up on the leaves (if they are big enough). This plant grows best under full standard lighting. Cryptocorene wendtii can be obtained at just about any fish store.

Amazon Swords (Echinodorus sp.): I have had really great success with Amazon Swords in the natives tank (as Aquatics Unlimited on Hwy. 100 can attest). The base of a Sword makes a great place for the darters and other bottom-dwelling natives to hang around, and some fish, like the Banded Darter, like to perch on the leaves. This plant can be obtained at just about any fish store. It likes full to partially-obscured standard lighting. This plant, in my experience, also does well under Najas Grass. In my experience, this plant flourishes in the natives tank. Amazon Swords can be obtained at just about any fish store.

Pygmy Chain Swords (Echinodorus tenellus): This plant makes a neat "lawn" in the natives tank. It can be obtained at just about any pet shop. It likes full to partially-obscured standard lighting. Darters like to perch on the "lawn". Pygmy Chain Swords can be obtained at just about any fish store.

Baby Water Lettuce (young Pistia stratiotes): I have had really good success with Baby Water Lettuce in the natives tank. The Water Lettuce is a floating plant and sends out branching roots that topminnows and their young like to hide among. The plants grow by asexual propagation, sending out runners that new babies grow on. Under proper conditions, the plants grow so well that they have to be thinned-out every couple of weeks. This plant is hard to get a hold of at the small size needed to keep in the natives tank, though. Due to the difficulty of obtaining these plants, a good substitute is the next plant, Amazon Frogbit.

Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum): Amazon Frogbit is a good natives tank plant. It floats and sends out roots, but they are not as branching as the Baby Water Lettuce. Blackstripe Topminnows like to hide under the leaves of this plant. Amazon Frogbit can be obtained at select pet stores, at fish shows, and on the Internet.

Easy Setups: Well, by now you’re probably wondering how to use these plants together in the aquarium. Any or all of these plants can be used together as long as you follow the light requirements as detailed in the specific plant sections. Any size tank will work, given that you follow the size restrictions for each plant. Some exceptions do apply, though. You may not think that an Amazon Sword would work well in a 10-gallon tank. If you get the Sword when it is young with the intention of selling it when it outgrows the tank, you will get a good couple of months out of a really great plant. Maybe you can turn it in for some BAP points too.

In my experience, substrate for the tank is not really important. I have had great success with just small-grain natural colored pea gravel. If you really want to give your plants a boost, though, you may use Turface®.

Extra considerations: There are some extra factors to consider when setting up a planted tank for natives. If you intend to have darters in the tank, have at least one extra airstone to keep the oxygen level up. You could also use a powerhead with a Venturi adapter to create extra oxygen. Remember also to include some rockwork or driftwood in the tank for your darters to perch on or hide among. Another must-have for the planted tank is Amano shrimp. These are small crustaceans that religiously clean the leaves of plants in the aquarium. Fine-leaved plants, whose leaves would clog with debris without the shrimp, will thank you.

Blackstripe Topminnows among Baby Water Lettuce and Cabomba

Spotfin Shiner and others among Cryptocorene wendtii

Amano Shrimp