Completely intimidated by plants ... And yet ...

[trennamw]

After a few rough months with fin rot and my first fishless cycle going nowhere for a month, I decided to put plastic plants in. Didn't want yet another variable in water chemistry and so on. Or more and more and more expense!!

But now the fishless cycle is almost finished ... And I'm thinking again.

So here are my concerns ... Tank is a 29 gallon Marineland with LED, I'm told it supports low light plants. It has a 200gph filter and a 175gph power head bubbling away. Substrate is beach sand and gravel (half and half but all the gravel went to the bottom).

Fish will likely be ...

Danios
Dwarf pencilfish
Dwarf loaches
Dwarf cories

So. My worries ...

The plants won't stay in the sand. I hear there are plugs but don't they have to be replaced?

Not enough light (room is dark) LEDs are 990 lux apparently.

Not enough co2

Having to add more to the water (flourish?)

My water is super soft so I do have crushed coral and some other things to get the pH stable.

 

[trennamw]

Oh. Since I'll have to do a massive water change at the end of the cycle, before fish, I'm ok changing the substrate but I love the look I have now. I am already thinking about changing it to a slightly coarser whiteish substrate, the sand is so dang messy and I hear it can damage the filter and power head.

 

[Fishdude3233]

Dot touch the substrate!!! It looks great as it is, I love the river bed look.

 

[Sk3lly]

Low light plants will do fine.

Examples are anubias, crypts, java ferns, swords, java moss, duckweed, hornwort

I have a sand substrate and my plants anchor fine without plugs or weights. Just plant them deep enough.

Low light tanks do not need co2. It will help them though. A liquid carbon will be fine. E.g seachem excel

You shouldn't need to dose ferts in a low light tank either. But again a basic fert like seachem comprehensive will help.

Now the plants i mentioned above, some have some key things you should know. Java fern and anubias like to be tied to rockwork or drift wood. They like their roots exposed so that can suck in nutrients from the water. I planted my anubias though. Its roots grow out of the substrate and back into it again. Its kind of cool. If you do this do not bury the rhizome or it will die.

Swords and crypts take in all their nutrients from the substrate through their roots. Sand and gravel are very low in nutrients. Root tabs need to be placed near these plants and replaced every 2-3months depending on plant size. Root tabs are inexpensive. Seachem do a good root tab (wow feels like im a seachem rep lol)

I think thats everything. If you'd like to know more then ask

 

[trennamw]

Sk3lly thanks that sounds easy!

Do you have a photo of the anubias, how exactly you planted them?

 

[Sk3lly]

My anubias looks funny at the moment because i removed a lot of the old leaves to promote new growth

 

[Envee]

I am oh so new to the hobby of fish keeping and plants, but I have been trying to learn, and doing tons of research and experimenting. I just thought I would tell you that the java moss was such an awesome plant as my own first plant because it grows so easily and you can do so much with it. Also, I thought I would mention that I got some betta bulbs just to see what they would do, and they are easy as heck too. Having no experience was no problem with these. We have been adding some other cool newbie plants, and also started using seachem products, and I am very encouraged. I hope you will keep trying and share your experience, because I think the live plants are so pretty. Your tank looks very nice so far. Post more pics as you add things. Don't be intimidated. You can do it.

 

[trennamw]

What are betta bulbs? I looked at bulbs at the store but they were not healthy.

I've kept container plants outside for a long time with a lot of success, but in the aquarium it seems like it's one more variable in a delicate balance.