# Fast Growing plants



## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

So many plants. I'm looking for help to narrow my search. 

I'm in the process of setting up my 1st NPT tank and next on my list is plant purchase. Walstad's method suggests fast growing plants to start off with. So some names of fast growing plants would be helpful!

Edit: 

Hygrophila corymbosa
Shinnersia rivularis
Rotala rotundifolia
Ludwigia repens
limnophila sessiliflora
Hornwort
Riccia

broad leaf amazon sword
Green Cabomba (Cabomba Caroliniana?)
Dwarf Hygrophila (Hygrophila polysperma)
Jungle Val (Vallisneria americana gigantea)

Sunset hygro 


FYI, please see my WTB thread. Looking to purchase some plants.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

The hygros grow fast, this is true (from personal experience). Another very fast growing plant is wisteria. Riccia grows fast, but needs a LOT of light and high levels of fertilizers suspended in the water (again, from experience). Everything else I'm not familiar with.


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## MissPisces (Jun 8, 2011)

I don't have any experience with any of those plants, but I do know that water wisteria (hygrophila difformis) grows extremely quickly, and even in low-light setups like mine. I first put a couple of 6-7" wisteria in my 10 gallon about two months ago. In just a month, they had completely covered the back of the tank! They look nice, they get really full once they start to bush out, and they're easy to find. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with, though!


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Thanks for the feed back.

Perusing the fs forum, I’m hoping to pick up some Ludwigia and Jungle Vals. I’ll pick up some wisteria and hygros as well.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Apongetons can be fast growers too once they take off.duckweed too.Rotala rotundifolia grows slow in my tank for some reason.Wisteria is very fast and easy to propagate.Its a hygro too as mentioned.Sunset hygro is fast,and the top leaves will be a very pretty pink if the nitrates are low.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What light do you have?




majerah1 said:


> the top leaves will be a very pretty pink if the nitrates are low.


That is a myth.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Not really.In my 29 when I was dosing nitrates,the leaves were green.I stopped and they did turn pink.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Go make that same statement on TPT. There has been much discussion over reds in low or high nitrate tanks in the past. Not just for that plant, but many of them. It gets pretty heated and then Tom rolls in and quiets it all down with all his bright reds.

FWIW, my nitrates have stayed 80+ in my 75g for weeks consecutively...no change to my hygro.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

IDK.I know nitrates has been low in the 20 and 25 and the hygro was nice and pink on top,but the 29 it was not.I did dose nitrates in that tank.When I stopped to check it out,they turned pink again.Thats the high light tank too,with the CO2.

I think what Ill do is start to dose again and see what happens.Then Ill get back to ya on it,lol.


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

The lights I have are (2) 36" T5HO. They came with a 10K and a "Freshwater" bulbs. Will change bulbs accordingly if needed. Light to top of substrate will be around ~15". (May need to raise lights) All this on a 37gal tank.

According to the charts, I'm in the high to very high light range.

Thank you for the additional suggestions. There are some new ones that I hadn't come across yet. Off to go see what they look like!!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Are the fixtures single bulb fixtures?


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Elodea also grows super fast. I could cut mine every two days!


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## FishFlow (Sep 13, 2011)

Two bulbs, one fixture(reflector) So now not quite sure where I sit as far as light. 

Thanks for the additional plant suggestion! 

I've picked 20plants so far, hoping two have most of them this week.


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