Natural planted tank

[weluvbettas]

I would like to do a nano planted tank in my 5 gallon would you give me a list of things you need to start one of. could you give me the prices for things so i know roughly how much it will cost. can the plants live on natural sunlight because the tank dosent have a light would one of these work?




so here is my tank that i plan to plant at the moment it has 2 marimo moss balls and a small amazon sword plant

[Oldfishlady]

This link should get you started

http://thegab.org/Plants/setting-up-...nted-tank.html

[kelly528]

You'll want a clip on light or even a high-wattage desk lamp like the Hamilton Bay desk lamp. The only plant I have ever seen thrive purely on sunlight is algae!!!

The folks on plantedtank.net could probably suggest a suitable desklamp for you.

[weluvbettas]

oldfishlady do you have to have crushed oyster shells ans soil? or can i just stick with sand? wot lamp do i need?

[Oldfishlady]

If you have soft water then you may need oyster shell, but if not then no you don't need it.

The NPT is a soil based tank and the soil is what help make it what it is and so you don't have to add ferts because the nutrients in the soil will feed plants along with the waste from the fish and other livestock, by using just sand you will not get the same effects....

You can successfully have NPT soil based tank with just the natural sunlight, however, having an added light will help on those cloudy days
You will need to start off with stem plants along with the other type of plants you have, sword are slow growers and I don't know much about the moss balls to be honest......It takes lots of active growing stem plants to make this type of tank be a low care reduced water change NPT

Sword can be grown with low light of just sunlight, naja grass is another that would work well.

[weluvbettas]

i will take the sword out. is hornwort a good choice of plant? i heard its fast growing.

[Oldfishlady]

Hornwort is a good floating plant, however, they do tend to drop needles if they are not happy with your water, I like water lettuce for my floaters

I would use the sword in the NPT, you just need to add stem plants along with it. But with soil and high nutrient at its roots it may out grow your tank pretty fast. I have a baby sword in one of my 3g and I have to keep its leaf cut back a lot and replace it every 6 months...lol....but give that sword some good root food and it may give you some baby swords....lol.....

[weluvbettas]

the sword plant you see is a baby sword from the mother plant. she gives me 2 babies each month and she is in my 6 gallon with only natural sunlight. so when i go to the petstore next week wot do i need to buy?
i will get potting soil . do you add about a 1 inch of it and the rest sand?

[Oldfishlady]

Make sure you have the needed plants on hand before you start a soil based tank or it could end badly

Look for potting soil that is all natural with no additives 11/2 inch and 1in sand on top of that, add water to 1 inch above this carefully so not to disturb the layers and plant the stem plants and sword, fill with water, and then do a couple of 50% water only changes and then fill, add the heater and filter if you plan to use them and sit on a east or south window, if the water clears up and you have enough plants add the fish and other livestock and then make 50% water only change every day or so, monitor the temp so not to cook the fish and plants

If you have trumpet snail add them if not poke the soil with something every day or so until the stem plants start growing to prevent anaerobic dead spots until the plants start bring oxygen into the soil.


A little tricks-
add your potting soil and then water just to cover but not enough that you have pools of water and then top off with dry sand and then cover with more water an inch above the sand and then plant
You don't have to rinse the sand, the back to back water only changes will do this
You do want to sift the potting soil and get any big pieces of wood out and clumps

[weluvbettas]

wouldent haveing it on a window make the temp go up and down? do you have any pics of your small planted tanks to show me?