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Aquarium Plants?

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Drift 
#1 ·
I'm still learning a lot about how to keep my Betta happy, and how to run an aquarium in general. Can someone please give me a crash course in aquarium gardening, because I would love to add some into my tank.
Thanks alot!
 
#2 ·
Proper lights are a big factor in success with live plants, what kind of lights do you have on your tank and how old are the bulbs.
On standard tank lights-they are usually good enough to get started with low light, low tech type plants-like, anubias nana, java fern, java moss-do best when tied to something like driftwood, decorations of some type, rocks.
Plant like sword plants, crypts, val, sags, naja grass, wisteria, anacharis are nice plants planted in the substrate
Water lettuce, duckweed are good floating plants
Feeding the plants-depending on what type of plants, size of tank, substrate, number of fish/livestock can be a simple all purpose aquarium fert or root tabs and fish food and fish waste can also be part of food for the plants.

Active growing stem and floating plants are great to help with ammonia uptake to help keep the water quality better for the fish and can help them feel safe and secure.
 
#5 ·
Proper lights are a big factor in success with live plants, what kind of lights do you have on your tank and how old are the bulbs.
On standard tank lights-they are usually good enough to get started with low light, low tech type plants-like, anubias nana, java fern, java moss-do best when tied to something like driftwood, decorations of some type, rocks.
Plant like sword plants, crypts, val, sags, naja grass, wisteria, anacharis are nice plants planted in the substrate
Water lettuce, duckweed are good floating plants
Feeding the plants-depending on what type of plants, size of tank, substrate, number of fish/livestock can be a simple all purpose aquarium fert or root tabs and fish food and fish waste can also be part of food for the plants.

Active growing stem and floating plants are great to help with ammonia uptake to help keep the water quality better for the fish and can help them feel safe and secure.
Fish waste is plant food? I didn't know that. What would you use to tie anubias to rocks, driftwood, etc.? Also would you remove the string(?) after a certain amount of time?
 
#3 ·
A good substrate or sand, most of the time pea gravle.. you need good water quality, and you need good light. I would say for a good planted tank without co2 need's about 4 watt's per gallon. If you want more light then get a better light but then the plants are going to be asking for more co2, which mean's you have to buy a co2 kit, not cheap,,,
So you just have to look at it this way, Taking care of a planted tank can be just as hard as taking care of a saltwater tank if you want to go that far.

If you get some good substrate and some fertilizers and 3 - 4 watt's per gallon you can have a really nice low maintenance tank. Without having to add co2 and all that crap. But just remember if you upgrade your light the plants are going to start asking for more fertilizers and co2. you got to find a nice balance between all them. Light, Water, Fertilizers and co2.
Or you can do what most of us do and have a low light, easy to care for planted tank..
 
#4 ·
If you go up to 4wpg you will need CO2 or you could end up with an algae farm
For non-CO2 planted tanks it is best that you stay under 3wpg-IMO/E

Low-light, low tech-planted tanks are generally kept in the 1.5-2.5wpg

There is a great sticky on low tech planted tanks written by Byron in the sister forum of this site, I think it is called Tropicalfishkeeping-but not sure- I would link you to it but I don't know how, hopefully a moderator will help us with that.
 
#6 ·
$ watt's per gallon is nothing. Algae? the only time thats going to happen is if your leaving the light on more than 8 hour's a day. My friend has a 55 gallon with one 40w 48'' bulb and he grew algae, Thats .75 watts per gallon not even a whole watt per gallon. I looked at his timer to shut his light's off and he had 14 hours a day light on.
I have 4.5 watts per gallon on my 10 gallon, no co2 and just API root tab's and a little liqued ferts.. and everything is fine. I have one bushy nose pleco. I have dwarf hair grass and sword's.. with 8 hour's a day light
 
#7 ·
Fish waste is manure-great plant food for aquatic plants and it is also great for your house plants too, great place to use your waste water after a water change.
If you use cotton thread it should degrade/rot on its own with time, usually by the time the plant anchors itself to what it is tied to the cotton thread will degrade/rot and you don't have to worry about it.
 
#8 ·
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