plant my tank!!!!

[betta4ever]

so, I've completely tore down my 10 gallon aquarium. I'm picking up a bag of eco- complete plant gravel in a week and I'm also planning to buy the proper lighting wattage. I have a DIY CO2 system as well. I'm looking for plants that would be good in a heavily planted med-high 10 gallon? including background , mid ground (?), and front. Also, whats will be the proper wattage for my tank??? heated and filtered as well

~thank you

[Hadouken441]

Its not about watts anymore. Its about bulb type and the correct kelvin

Jungle Val in the very back
Ludwigia in the Back
Blyxa Japonica as midground
Glossostigma for carpet.

Mix in some manzanita wood and it would look great.

Heres my tank mixed with everything that i Just named

[weluvbettas]

What type of planted tank do you want? Low light , medium light or high light?
On a low light tank you should be looking at 2.5 watts per gallon. In a low tech tank the plants grow very slow , you hardly notice anything.
On a medium light tank you should be looking at 4.5 watts per gallon. In a medium tech tank the plants grow well and you notice the growth but you dont have to keeping trimming the plants all the time. ( I recomend this option)
I cant help you on what wattage you need on a high light tank but you need a lot and the plants grow fast you have to trim them loads.

EASY PLANTS!
easy begginers plants are,.....
Anubis nana "petite"
Java fern.
Comboda
Wystereya
Hornwort

Plants to stay away from.
Lucky bamboo (it will rot in its leaves are in the water.)
Fountain plants (will survive for a few months but it will rot.)

Also if you want a cheaper alternitve to eco complete you could try the minerlized top soil method were you take natural potting soil (no additives or chemical.) and add it to the bottom of your tank then topp it off with some sand.

I hope you enjoy having planted tanks there just as addicting as bettas!!

[Alex09]

Actually, I'm pretty sure low light tanks are ~1 WPG (watt per gallon) medium light = ~2-3WPG, High light = 4+WPG. You also want a bulb in the 6500k range. For medium-high light tanks you will NEED Co2. Whether that be by dosing excel, DIY, or pressurized -- unless you do a Walstad tank. I made my tank almost ~3 WPG for a while and despite the fact I had a DIY c02 I had an algae explosion that I couldn't control. I had to remove the c02 and lower the light to ~1.5 WPG. Algae has mostly stopped bothering me. To be honest I think low light tanks are easier to maintain. You don't have to worry as much about c02, nutrients, algae, pruning, etc. Easy plants have already stated above. I would also like to add Hygrophila, Anacharis, and Apongetons (often sold as dry bulbs). Floating plants could include Frogbit, Water Lettuce, and Duckweed. They are great ammonia/nitrate absorbers.

[TharBePirates]

All of these lists are great. However I'd add Riccia to the list of plants. It does very well in medium light, and thrives in co2 (I use it in my non-filtered setups to help oxidize the water. While it is a floating plant it can be wrapped around decor with fishing line for a beautiful effect. One of my betta's favorite sleeping spots is a Riccia carpeted piece of bogwood, and the shrimp love the floating bits to cling to.