need help with plants

[steeledarren]

hi there i have a 15 gal tank and want to know what is the easiest plant to look after i can put in. i would like to be able to plant it straight into the gravel. i have my light on for about 12 hours a day. thought it would be a good thing for my otto to eat algea off, also i was wondering if i could put shrimp in the tank too, and what type you would recomend. thankyou

 

[fort384]

Ottos may eat smaller shrimp like red cherries. You may be ok with some adult Amano shrimp, which are great algae eaters.

As far as the plants, it depends on a few things -- what kind of light do you have (florescent, incandescent), how many watts is it, and what color temperture is the bulb.

Even for the easist plants, you still have to have light in the proper spectrum, intensity, and temperature to grow plants.

Now for the species themselves -- it sounds like we are talking about a low light, no fertilizer, no CO2 type setup. There are many options available. The easiest plants to grow are java ferns, java moss, some types of anubias, and some types of crypts. Depending on your answers to the questions above, you can probably put these in your tank safely.

Beware when you do go and buy plants -- many stores (large chain stores included) sell plants that are labeled as Aquatic Plants, but they are not aquatic. They will die if submerged in your tank. If you are unsure, post in the plant forum on this site, and someone will be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[steeledarren]

hi there, thanks for your advice, i have a 15 w white flourescent bulb

 

[fort384]

My guess would be you may need to change out the bulb. If it is the stock bulb that came with the tank, it is probably 4,000K. You need to find a bulb that is between 6500K and 10000K in color temperature.

15W may be enough to grow the lowest light plants, but it will be close. You could pick up some java ferns and a crypt and see how they do. If they don't do well, you could always upgrade the light later on. My guess would be they would at least stay alive, but may not grow much.

 

[skye144]

12 hours a day on the light is probably not the best, go with 8-10 hours.

 

[fort384]

12 hours a day on the light is probably not the best, go with 8-10 hours.

Agreed -- 12+ hours a day could lead to a lot of excess algae buildup, especially when you first set your tank up. Providing lighting in the wrong spectrum for plant growth, once you get some, can also cause algae to grow, even though the plants don't respond well to it.

The more your plants grow, the less algae you end up with, as the plants outcompete the algae for available nutrients.