First planted tank attempt. (plant ID needed)

So after seeing planted tanks and thinking I should give a shot at my own I contacted PokeSephiroth and he gave me tips. I got Organic Miracle Grow, black sand, and some plants. I knew that this was going to be my green spotted puffers tank as I had read they prefer planted. So I started at it. About an inch to inch and a half of soil and the same for the sand, and two lonely plants I had in a rock bottom tank that had been kicking around in a betta cup for about 3 weeks   after I moved. One plant didn't make it but the other started growing new leaves.

(Prior to new leaves coming in on small plant on right side)
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Then because I needed snails to help him with his teeth I made the trek to our LFS which is 50 mins away. Bought snails and some other plants. And of course can't remember the name of any of them. If you know what they are feel free to tell me! I'd love to write it all down. So I get home put the plants in place and don't think it turned out too shabby. This is my first planted tank so we will see how things go. I need to add some lower level plants and maybe some more color variation. Maybe a few shrimp that aren't anything special in case the puffer decides to munch on them. He still hasn't touched the snails and it's been over 2 weeks with them in there. So I gave up on that.

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He's such a cute little guy. He has never grown in the year I've had him. I'm not sure why either. He's ate freeze dried blood worms since I got him and now has krill that should be here tomorrow from Ken's as well.

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Of course you can only get pictures of him that are decent when you catch him being lazy. He poses well though

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Looks like you got some cabomba in there. And those snails are lucky. Hopefully he takes a liking to them before they cover the tank with snails! (maybe they are too big for him?)

He's a cutie. Have you named him?

Good luck with the plants. I like looking at others' planted tanks, but I'm terrible with aquatic plants.

MRTom wrote:Looks like you got some cabomba in there. And those snails are lucky. Hopefully he takes a liking to them before they cover the tank with snails! (maybe they are too big for him?)

Which one is the cabomba? When I got the snails I got a variety of sizes from pin head to my thumb nail in size he hasn't touched a single one! Lol

Betty wrote:He's a cutie.  Have you named him?  

Good luck with the plants. I like looking at others' planted tanks, but I'm terrible with aquatic plants.

I call him Mr. Pea Body because I was originally told he was a pea puffer. I found out other wise later :/ so his name doesn't really fit now.

Super cute puffer, better not let my wife see this.. ha ha!!! Looking good so far

Lol I was considering some friends for him if anyone has any ideas. I know they tend to be fin nippers but since he hasn't touched the snails I'm thinking maybe he won't be? Cardinal tetras? Something small. Its a 10 gallon tank and he used to be in a 20. But when I moved I tried out the smaller tank and he seems happier in it. The 20 gallon he just laid around mostly. He's more active in the smaller tank. He did have a platy and a molly with him when I got him but both were sick so they got quarantined and ended up dying. He's been alone since. I do have other tanks the tetras can go into if he starts nipping.

This is a brackish water tank too. Currently on the very low end. So "friends" must be somethinng that can adapt to the change.

KaraWolf wrote:I know guppies and mollies will both acclimate to full saltwater and anywhere in between

Oh good to know! I need to make my way to olympia and find some new fish stores. Petsmart and petco are about the only places I know :/ eek. And our LFS isn't that good either. I need to research the astoria/warrenton area. They are just as close as olympia for me.

So, tetras are out of the question. Molly's and guppies are about it from what I can find that will stay smaller sized. And even molly's would be bigger than the puffer

guppies are fun, i say you should look around for a nice strain or two of guppies that you like and get a few. before you know it you will have more than you know what to do with.

i like the puffer too, i'm thinking about going to get a real pea puffer because of those pics haha

I've had some guppies and they don't seem to last too long for me. Maybe they just have short life spans?

Olympia doesn't have any good pet stores either.   

The cabomba I think is the one right behind the puffer. Check [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. I still want to know what your other plants are.

The LFS called it purple something. So maybe its a darker strand of it? I'd like to know what the other plants are too.

Yep, there is a purple cabomba.

Ah! Woo we know one of them! I want to say the one in the back and is kind of twisty was called a cork screw something.

corkscrew vallisneria? ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) Maybe... looks a little too crooked to me, but I'll take that.

The front plant looks to me a little like a dracaena species... but I hope I'm wrong. (as those are not underwater plants). Maybe someone else can jump in and ID it.

... I tweaked the title to beg for help, hope you don't mind!

Ooh you have special powers? Lol. And nope not corkscrew vallisneria. That starts right from the base as wide. This had a stem and then the leaves open to corkscrew like fashion. It is light green and has a bulb base.

As for the other plant are you referencing the tall one with a single stem and then branching out into leaves? My LFS keeps it under water and I've had one other that lasted quite a while in a guppy rock bottom tank. But that doesn't mean my LFS is correct. They have gotten many of things wrong. Makes me a little sad I have to know what I'm looking for as opposed to them being able to help me find what I need. If anyone has brackish plant ideas as well that would be great. I'm just now starting to transition to brackish water so it is on the very low end right now and trying to see how the current plants will with stand it.

MRTom wrote:
The front plant looks to me a little like a dracaena species... but I hope I'm wrong. (as those are not underwater plants). Maybe someone else can jump in and ID it.

Yes, looks like dracaena to me. Enjoy them while they last! They'll grow emersed, but submersed is a stretch. Unfortunately, many stores still sell them as submersed plants.

What are ideal conditions for them then? Are they more like a house plant lol

You can grow them emersed - roots in the water, foliage out. The foilage doesn't like to be submersed for long - florida aquatic gardens says up to a month submersed. That's possibly why yours are so tall and thin with all those leaf nodes below the leaves.

Weird. The last one I had was close to a year fully submersed. When I moved is when it died.

Apparently no one told your dracaena it wasn't supposed to grow submersed...   

lol I guess not.

A little update. Whatever plant that is the swirly one in the back has grown quite a bit. However, the purple cabomba apparently has been attacked by the snail in the tank and the end result isn't pretty. I think the snail needs to find a home in one of the other tanks where its fattness won't break the plants into pieces.

It does appear though that after giving the puffer freeze dried krill he figured the smaller snails in the tank looked good to try! I have found 3 empty shells with the openings broken. I'm assuming that is from him munching away!

If anyone knows what the taller swirly plant is (has a bulb base) please let me know! I didn't write it down at the store. And they aren't always accurate in their labeling either.

Growth progress already from atleast one plant:
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And the unfortunate purple cabomba :/ (picture isn't the best because I took it at night but you can still see the destruction)
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Crap, I did turn the first image before I uploaded the tag. Sorry bout that. I can't seem to get it fixed.

Cabomba... that's what always happens when I try it. Someday I'll figure out how to grow it. As for your wavy plant, I didn't realize it has a bulb! You should search for images of aponogeton. Crispus maybe?

Yeup! I'm pretty sure its crispus! Man its taken off in that substrate. Now to find some brackish water plants that will survive.

Whatever the litle plant in the front is has become the puffers "bed" when he's resting he goes under it. That was dying from the move and now there are 2 new leaves that have come as well. I just need to get some more plants in there.