# High PH tolerant plants



## Water Park (Jan 27, 2015)

I figure most of you on this forum would be the best source for this information so I want to ask it here. 

Could you name several aquatic plants that do well in high PH. One of my side projects is starting a small shell dweller tank and besides a few tall rocks I'd like to throw in a couple of real plants to break up the scenery. The majority of the aquarium floor will have shells in the substrate. BTW - I will either use some form of crushed coral or sand as substrate.

I just viewed a YouTube video of an aquarium tht contained L. multifasciatus and there were several banana plants growing in there.

Thanks,


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## Izzy- (Jun 11, 2014)

What exactly do you mean by high pH?


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## Sergeant Dude (Mar 7, 2014)

Tiger lotus, most Aponogeton species, mosses, ferns, anubias, and jungle val...just to name a few.

Most plants affected too much by pH. Look for things native to Africa, and go from there.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Throw swords in as well. I have 7.8- 8.0 for PH and they grew out the top and flowered. Tiger lotus did well and about over ran the tank. I keep the bigger, tougher, stuff to match my fish and never really find the PH limits me. 
If the substrate seems off for the plants, I might suggest just leaving them in shallow pots or trays buried under it. I use composted dirt from my wife's operation to plant them in. I like having them in trays even though they are not that nice looking but it does give me a hedge on what I want where while things get going. 
I tend to grow out the plants and fish in this tank until I want them in a display in the other room so appearance is not the top priority here. I just kind of let it go with the flow and don't stress over the small stuff? 
But there is Mexican oak leaf on the left, red tops are on ludweigi, a couple different "hornwort" types and at the right is crpty wendetti bronze. Ph is not a major problem. Light is four CFL twisty bulbs (6500K), No ferts other than a spot of Excel, No other CO2. 4-6 yellow labs and 4-6 yellow tail acei.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Most aquarium plants will grow at a wide range of pH, GH, KH, and TDS, as long as the TDS is not from salt. 

Lake Tanganyika water is not salty, just high in minerals. 

However, the aquarium plants will pretty much all grow in it. There are a very few that do not thrive in that environment, but they are usually known, and labeled for soft water only. 

Now, there are some plants that really thrive in hard water. These are the ones that can use the carbonates as a source of carbon. About half the plants we grow in the aquarium can do this. 

The plants that I have had that do best in hard water, not so good in soft water include:
Valisneria
Guppy Grass
Hornwort

If you want to stick with plants that actually are native to Lake Tang.... 
I am not sure there are any available in the trade. 
There is a Vallisneria that grows in the lakes (not sure which lakes), Vallisneria aethiopica so going with Vals (any) would at least represent the lake. V. aethiopica MIGHT be a synonym for V. spiralis.


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