# What plants for High Alkaline water?



## darkstar22 (Oct 10, 2009)

I am setting up an African Rift Lake tank. It is a drilled tank with a refugium. I want to plants in the refugium only, none in the display.
My PH is high 8.6
I am adding Cichlid Salt and Tanganyikan buffer. Substrate is Aragonite so this water is as hard as rocks! 
What plants will do best in my refugium?
Thanks


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## trackhazard (Aug 24, 2006)

Anacharis/Elodea (Egeria densa) 
any of the various Vallisneria species
Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum)
many cryptocoryne species

-Charlie


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## darkstar22 (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks Charlie sounds like a good starting point for me!


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I am keeping the following species of plants in our very hard mountain water:

Crypt Wendtii
Crytp Lutea
Crypt Parva
Java Fern
Java Moss
Flame Moss
Christmas Moss
Dwarf Sagitaria
Rotala Indicia
Anubias Nana
Anubuas Petite
Guppy Grass
Amazon Sword
Tiger Lotus
And a few mystery Stem plants 

I am also keeping glosso with high Co2

Question: Is this for aesthetics, filtration (improved water quality) or both?


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## darkstar22 (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks for the list EntoCraig! This is mainly for filtration purposes, and because I want a refugium to put fish in case of fighting or even a possible place to put fry if I have babies! Many people on the cichlid forum do not use refugiums, but I have been keeping Reef tanks for many years, and I can see the benefit in a freshwater setup as well.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

In that case I would Highly recommend Mosses or java fern as they feed heavily from the water column and will be the most beneficial in water quality aid. You could also do a bunch of guppy grass. Both the mosses or the guppy grass will be a great retreat for Fry, not to mention java moss and guppy grass are super cheap and relatively easy to acquire.


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## trackhazard (Aug 24, 2006)

Any of the faster growing plants would be suitable for nutrient export.

Anacharis is nice because you don't even need to plant it. Just leave it floating (much like a ball of chaeto) in the corner of the refugium.

-Charlie


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

darkstar22 said:


> Thanks for the list EntoCraig! This is mainly for filtration purposes, and because I want a refugium to put fish in case of fighting or even a possible place to put fry if I have babies! Many people on the cichlid forum do not use refugiums, but I have been keeping Reef tanks for many years, and I can see the benefit in a freshwater setup as well.


I think your going to need fast growing plants to make the filtration work so I don't think Anubias would be useful. Vals seem to be a good fit for what you want. From what I read a plant can't live above a ph of 8.2 without using bicarbonate as a substitute for CO2 and vals are famous for using bicarbonate.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I have plants in 8.4 with no bicarbonate sources. And the tank had crushed coral for the substrate so the hardness is very high. the plants are all African plants and are thriving.


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## darkstar22 (Oct 10, 2009)

EntoCraig are those the palnts on your list? 
You said the mosses.
Java Moss
Christmas Moss
Java Fern. Yes I'm looking for nutrient export


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Yeah I keep Java, Flame and Christmas moss in our water no prob.
I also keep Java Fern


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

EntoCraig said:


> I have plants in 8.4 with no bicarbonate sources. And the tank had crushed coral for the substrate so the hardness is very high. the plants are all African plants and are thriving.


I don't know what you mean by no bicarbonate sources. CO2 will react to form bicarbonates so they will be in the water.


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## astrosag (Sep 3, 2010)

Thats correct. CO2 and water form H3CO2 which is a weak acid that breaks into bicarbonates and hydrogen ions....which makes the water more acidic. If CO2 is inject, bicarbonates will be present.


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

I meant no ADDITIONAL sources. (No Co2 or supplements)


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## kuni (May 7, 2010)

Hornwort is pretty mighty when it comes to removing nitrates, but it can be very messy. Egeria najas does well in tropical temps (anacharis does not) and isn't as messy.

HOWEVER...if your goal is to reduce nitrates, what you really want are floating and emersed plants. Those will get free access to CO2 from the air and grow much faster, 

I've had great luck with frogsbit in my pH 8.2 water, and parrot's feather is quite good at removing nitrates. Try floating a bunch of parrot's feather in your refugium.


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