Live vs fake plants

[tallpaul003]

To make you feel at ease, I'm a complete beginner and started with a sand substrate and planted live straight away - hate the way fake plants look... fake !!! No idea what type they are, there's 3x different types, but they're flourishing and in the relatively short time I've had the tank running, the plants are growing well and the fish (2x boesmani rainbowfish, 7x cherry barbs, 6x glowlight tetras) love them.

I haven't added plant food or anything, just planted and let them get on with it. It's only really as difficult as you want to make it.

 

[Fresh2o]

Is a co2 system necessary? I've read conflicting information on this

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This depends on the lighting. Low and low medium lighting do not usually need it. However, most plants will benefit from the addition of carbon whether in the form of pressurized or DIY or liquid supplement (excel, API co2 booster, Glutaraldehyde).


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[Just Another Fish Guy]

I really enjoy the look of a true planted tank, but my current setup has all fake decor. It's basically a saltwater look with freshwater fish. I would like to add some real plants in the future if I ever redo the aquascape, but for now I'm happy. I will say that one of the advantages to fake plants is that if you get tired of looking at them, there's no harm in pulling them out of the tank. You don't need to worry about killing a plant or what not.

 

[eddyk]

36 gallon bowfront with rummynose and dark phantom tetras, harlequin rasboras, Cory cats, a betta, and I'll be adding African dwarf frogs soon

Is a co2 system necessary? I've read conflicting information on this


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CO2 is not necessary but it helps.

You can dose with Excel ( which gets pricey) but can also use Gluteralderhyde ( same stuff just don't get the glut with the detergent additive. Glut is a medical /surgical disinfectant, but the chemical make up provided the necessary carbon for plant growth)

I have medium lighting using finned fudge ray planted plus LED lights. I opted to spend the money on Ecocomplete and Flourite substrate.

The first pic was 5 months ago when I first started to plant the tank. The second pic was taken mid Sept. The tank made an exponential jump in growth with the addition of CO2.

CO2 can be expensive on the front end, but it will last for almost 8-9 months. I just added co2 to another tank from the same bottle.

Fertilizers are cheap and easy. I use PPS pro method.

This is my first planted tank.

 

[Polkadots]

So Anubis, Java moss, and Java fern... What other low light, beginner plants so you recommend?


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[Polkadots]

And if someone wants to move this to planted tanks, go ahead.


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[eddyk]

Polkadots,

I am still a novice on plants. I just followed the advice of some very smart contributors to this forum.

After following their instructions, it came together pretty quickly. Lower light plants take a lot longer to grow. There are some exceptions.

If your budget allows $125.00 or so for a Fugeray planted plus on Amazon, will put you in a different set of plants, which really pop with those lights.

Here is a link for low light plants. Hope this helps....

Low Light Plants

BTW with a fully planted tank, with a reduced bio-load I have not done a water change in 2 weeks and don't anticipate doing one for quite some time.

On a completely different note, there are many people who claim water changes are a must. I know 3 people on this forum who have not done changes in months, just replenish water due to evaporation. I am striving for that, We'll see.

 

[Polkadots]

Good to know. Thanks!


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[Fishobsessed7]

Some aponogeton varieties do well in low light. Also hornwort


Fishobsessed7

 

[ktomminello]

Handful of cryptocoryne, monosollenium tenerum, aponogeton ulvaceaus (I highly recommend this plant in bulb form- will grow with even the very slight light in a basement apartment without any lights whatsoever and no fertilizers to speak of. Odds are 50/50 that the bulb will take, however), green ludwiga, echinodorus rotundifolia... If you have a clamp light you can use 50/50 cfl bulb and be able to add rotala indica, echinodorus 'red rubin', nymphaea spp, elodea canadensis (not sure on spelling), ludwiga repens.... Depends on what you like

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[Polkadots]

Thank you for all of the very helpful advice! I don't like the way my fake plants look, so I'll slowly be transitioning to a planted tank sooner or later, but I'm going to keep it simple and low light- for now, anyway.

Yet another question: what's this about not using carbon in the filter?


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[Fresh2o]

Thank you for all of the very helpful advice! I don't like the way my fake plants look, so I'll slowly be transitioning to a planted tank sooner or later, but I'm going to keep it simple and low light- for now, anyway.

Yet another question: what's this about not using carbon in the filter?


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Regarding the carbon, it's great for removing meds or toxins but it's useful life is rather short. Removing toxins via water changes is a more practical route. Also, for tanks with plant fertilizers, it may bind some of them.


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