Trying the planting again.

[Anitax3x]

Okay so I've seriously downsized. I have a divided 10 gal that I have between two boys that I'd like to totally tear down and do all natural.

Ive got anacharis and moss balls in the tank now. I'd like to do some good rooting/carpet plants. Any websites you guys get good plants from???


Also, I heard it was bad to use carbon filters while using plants , is this true and why? If so, what filters do you recommend if any. I have a frugal nano with adjustable flow I'd like to use. It uses carbon.

I want to do a Npt, I had serious problems keeping the dirt from coming up, and how many trumpet snails would I need to keep from anoxic spots in the soil?

I'm planning on using good lights, where do you guys find them cheapest?

Anywho I'd love input on good plants to try, is amazon sword good for a 10 gal?
I heard those were too big but they have good root systems so idk.

I really appreciate the input guys!!! I'm trying to do this the right way so I figure if I take my time it will turn out great.

[kfish]

http://www.plantedaquariumscentral.com/

I've bought from there quite a few times. Use coupon code BETTAFISH at check out for 10% off. :)

I haven't heard anything in regard to carbon filters, but I don't use them anyway or I leave the cartridge in forever so the carbon isn't doing anything anyway, lol. They do remove tannins, but that's not harmful to the plants.

Trumpet snails breed up to eating capacity then stop. Probably safe to start with 4 or 5 and see what happens. If there's excessive food, the population will explode. In general, you won't see them most of the time because they'll be burrowing.

Make sure you have a sand cap (about 1/2 inch thick) to keep the dirt down. And you can majorly reduce cloudiness when you fill it by laying Ziploc bags across the bottom, putting a plate on top of that, and pouring the water down your wrist and into your open hand on top of the plate. Keep your hand right on the water level.

I just get lights like this: http://www.amazon.com/89091-15-Watt-...4974402&sr=8-4

You want color temperature around 6500K for daylight and 1-2.5 Watts per gallon for low light (low tech) tanks.

I have an amazon sword in my 10 gallon and I think it's fine. I love vals, too. They have great root systems and spread like crazy.

[Anitax3x]

Wow thank you so much for that! You are awesome! I'm def going to check that out!!

[sourgrl]

i second planted aquariums central. ordered a beautiful anubias coffeefolia from her. shipping was fast and it was very well packaged.

[Anitax3x]

Ok that's great! I'm looking to see what to order. Does anyone know how many of each type of plants i should get for a soil based Npt? I'm thinking some micro swords, amazon sword, floating Anubis and anacharis, what else? Any suggestions are welcome.

[kfish]

Get some fast-growing floating plants, as well. And more stem plants. 2-3 types of stem plants (pennywort, wisteria, anacharis, hornwort, etc... lots of types on planted aquariums central), a nice mass of floating plants (can use anacharis, wisteria, and pennywort for this, or, moneywort, frogbit, duckweed).

So, about 5-6 stem plants total (or more if you want!), 3-4 floaty plants, and a few rooted plants. That's minimum, though, you can plant as much as you want!

[Anitax3x]

at the moment, I have 10k lights, t5 bulbs (boyfriend bought me a new light hood ! yess!) I have not done the npt yet I am just using sand substrate until I can re do the tank in summer after my mcat. I have anacharis, anubias, and Micro sword. I have root tabs and liquid ferts with iron to keep them alive until I switch to npt. Is that okay? I'm so SO SO excited to have a hood that uses the correct bulbs. Before It was impossible to get lights. EEK!

[Anitax3x]

the bulbs are daylight spectrum as well. just fyi

[Oldfishlady]

Kfish has covered everything pretty good, but I wanted to make a couple of thing clearer....with soil based tanks it is really important to start out with enough of the right species of plants...Stem plants are really important-stem plants are generally sold in bunches of 5-12 stem per bunch-usually without roots either rubber band or lead weight together-You need at least 3+ bunches of 3-4 different species of stem plants for a 10gal to start-

About 75% of the floor of the tank needs to be planted with stem plants-you can plant them around the other species of plants and once the tank has matured you can slowly remove or move the stem plants to different areas.

Good stem plants for soil based tanks-naja grass, water wisteria, other hygrophilia species, rotala, ludwigia to name a few that have worked well in my NPT's

You also need floating plants like water lettuce, frogbit or duckweed at least 10%

Lights-it is best to stay in the 5500-7000k area...Daylight 6500k being ideal....the 10k bulb may cause poor plant growth but good algae growth in a soil based tank...

I get my Daylight 6500k bulbs in the lighting dept at walmart, home depot, Lowes for a lot cheaper than in the aquarium shop-You also need to change out the tube every 12 months since intensity is lost with use-you can see the light but the plants can't for photosynthesis.

Photoperiod I would start on 10h/day and increase based on plant to algae growth....With planted tanks its all about balance.....you have to provide the plants with the tools to out compete the algae for lights and nutrients.

Carbon is not needed especially for planted tanks since they can remove important nutrients, minerals that the plants need.

As for filters-I only use filters in my NPT's on start up-then I remove them once the soil is mature and plants growing well in my 10gal and smaller tanks-HOB, canister, sponge all work well-you want to limit to much surface agitation so not to drive off the natural CO2

Amazon swords can get too big for a 10gal-there are several different sword plants that stay smaller that will work well-sorry can't remember the names-also, crypts are a nice rosette plant for small NPT's and you can get different colors-I keep the bronze crypts-they help give the tank more color contrast....

This thread will give you some more info on NPT's
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=84915

Also, in my album you can find more information and pic on some of my smaller NPT's.....

[Anitax3x]

Ok so my 10,000 k daylight bulbs are not good enough? I have micro sword would that be good for stem plants? Thank you OFL !!