Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've been messing with stem plants lately and wanna know what y'all dig the most. My tank's a 20 gallon with CO2, high light, and Fluval Stratum. Currently got some Rotala H'ra but it's kinda finicky. What's your go-to?

Rotala H'ra can be tricky if your lighting isn't consistent. I prefer Ludwigia Repens, it's hardy and turns a deep red under strong light. My 30 gallon has it thriving with a simple LED setup and weekly ferts.

Ludwigia Repens is solid, but have you tried Hygrophila Corymbosa? It grows like a weed even in low-tech tanks. My shrimp love hiding in the thick stems, and it doesn't need much fuss.

Yep, Hygrophila's a champ. My 10 gallon's got it with just sand and root tabs. It's chill and doesn't mind my lazy water change schedule. Plus, the fish dig it.

Duppy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 31, 2025 5:35 am Rotala H'ra can be tricky if your lighting isn't consistent. I prefer Ludwigia Repens, it's hardy and turns a deep red under strong light. My 30 gallon has it thriving with a simple LED setup and weekly ferts.

What's your fert routine? I've been using Thrive but my Ludwigia's still pale.

Pale Ludwigia usually means low iron. Try adding an iron supplement or switching to a more comprehensive fert like Easy Green. My tank's been lush since I made the switch.

For stem plants, I'm all about Bacopa Caroliniana. It's slow-growing but super forgiving. My 40 gallon has it with moderate light and no CO2, and it's still thriving after a year.

Bacopa's cool but it's kinda boring, no offense. I'm team Limnophila Aromatica—crazy colors and grows fast if you give it enough light. Just gotta trim it weekly or it takes over.

Never tried Limnophila. My tank's low-tech, so I stick with Anacharis. It's not fancy, but it gets the job done and my goldfish don't destroy it too fast.

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Gonna grab some Ludwigia and Limnophila next time I hit the shop. Appreciate the tips!