BRand NEw to the game....

[abomb]

Alright heres the scoop....

Have never had a planted tank before and would liek to try one in my empty 15 gal tank. Currently has a 19 wat lighting fixture but sounds like that may need to be upgraded?

PLan on useing Eco-complete substrate

and from what informaiton i gathered in my tropical fish hobbyist mags and other places i dont necesarily need a co2 injector.

WOuld like to use some low light plants woudl these plants work.....

ground cover
-MArsilea Quadrifolia
-Echinodorus Tenellus (pygmy CHain sword)

Then im stuck on some other plants

any help suggestions, pointers, tips.....I have read through most of the forum but figured i would post now and ocntinue reading...

Adam

 

[rubysoho]

well, you're lighting is perfect for low light plants, you'll definatly want to upgrade if you want plants that require higher light. I suggest checking out this website. ( http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?siteid=26&pCatId=766 ) They have a bunch of easy to get plants which your LFS can order, plus a good guage on how much light the plants will need.

*edited to add* I really like anubias plants. They are great in the foreground. Amazon Swords may have a too large of root system in a 15 gallon tank and could potentially choke out the other rooted plants. I've been told wysteria sheds like crazy, but IMO it looks nice. Never had it though. Anachris is a safe bet, though I've found people either love or hate it. Hmmm... that is about it on my plant experience HTH!

 

[TankGirl]

The clover plant you mention is a decent one for lower light setups, but if you have the 15gal I am thinking of it is a very tall plant and the clover might have a struggle with that amount of light.

With the light you have you can grow most Cryptocoryne species, Anubias species (as mentioned) java fern and java moss. I have hornwort growing in one of my low light tanks but it is a bit leggy. Start with those, read the stickies at the top of the forum, and see how you do.

 

[travis simonson]

I would avoid any of the Echinodorus (e.g. E. tenellus) species as they tend to like medium or better lighting. M. quadrifolia, IME, does great in ~1.5 or better light or possibly in lower light if it isn't shaded as TG suggests. I'm a huge fan of Crypts and Anubias too and can highly recommend them for your proposed set up. There is a great variety to choose from and you can spend a long time just learning how they grow. Good stuff