Hardy plants

[Caliban07]

Hi people.

What plants are good beginner plants for a general community tank. I don't know why but I struggle to keep plants alive. They go brown. I've heard this is an iron deficiency. My nitrates are always very low 5ppm.

It's a 46gal bow front tank with t8 fluorescents. They I have 1 x natural daylight and one colour as recommended by the LFS to bring out the colour in my fishes.

The tank is under stocked with 10 neons 8 harle's and 2 swords and has no plants in it right now.

I can't remember the colour temp or the spectrum for the lighting they are made by JBL.

Tap water ph and tank ph is 7.6 temp 26 (going to lower to about 24)

Filter is a fluval 205.

Any other tips/recommendations of any plant supplements that can me added would be a bonus. If need be not the root tabs.

I am interested in setting up a co2 system in the future but not right now. Unless this is overwhelmingly recommended.

Thanks

 

[blueparadise]

First off, I would recommend you switch out the color bulb for another daylight bulb. Or just get a new fixture entirely, maybe t5s. If you want to grow a wider variety of plants that is.
Some plants you should be able to get away with are: anacharis, Anubis, java fern/moss, hornwort, and possibly jungle Val.
And you definitely don't need a co2 system.
Hope I helped!

 

[Caliban07]

Thanks. Other than size, what is the difference between 2 x t8 day lights and 2 x t6 day lights?

I was dubious about the colour bulb. My fish look more colourful but it gives a weird orangey tint. He said two day lights would be overwhelmingly bright.

I'll purchase a variety if those you mentioned and take it from there. It's a gravel substrate by the way.

 

[Caliban07]

Edit 2 x t5s

 

[blueparadise]

T5s are stronger. Right now, you have low light, but a t5 would allow you to grow a lot more, depending on whether you use a dual or quad fixture. I have a dual t5 and I can grow just about whatever I want save carpeting plants.
But just keep in mind that higher light will allow for more variety of plants, however higher light plants tend to require more attention, namely fertilizers and co2 injections.
So, if you're up for the challenge, I would say upgrade but it means more work. But if yore not, just switch the color bulb for another daylight bulb and stick to the plants that I listed prior.

 

[blueparadise]

And when I say "stronger", I mean that they're able to penetrate the water better and reach a deeper level than t8s.

 

[Caliban07]

T5s are stronger. Right now, you have low light, but a t5 would allow you to grow a lot more, depending on whether you use a dual or quad fixture. I have a dual t5 and I can grow just about whatever I want save carpeting plants.
But just keep in mind that higher light will allow for more variety of plants, however higher light plants tend to require more attention, namely fertilizers and co2 injections.
So, if you're up for the challenge, I would say upgrade but it means more work. But if yore not, just switch the color bulb for another daylight bulb and stick to the plants that I listed prior.

Hmm sounds expensive. Swapping to t5's. My other tank has t5s but it's all fake plants lol!

As long as the plants you mentioned will do well with t8s I'll stick with them.

 

[Caliban07]

I'm just wondering if I could swap the fittings over on my 2 juwels and get bigger/shorter tubes. Ones a rio and ones a vision.

I'd had to swap the fittings over if poss and get shirt mm t5s?

 

[Sk3lly]

Caliban one of my favourite professional aquascapers at the moment, James Findlay, explains it very well in one of his videos.
Imagine all aquatic plants as a paint palette. You got hundreds of shades/colours to choose from. With low light levels, such as your t8, your limited to maybe 20 of these shades. With higher lighting your options begin to open up to not only other shades of green but reds, pinks, purples and oranges. It allows you to be a lot more creative.

Now its not saying you cant have a great low tech tank, because you sure can. Just in my opinion a high tech tank will always look nicer

 

[Caliban07]

Caliban one of my favourite professional aquascapers at the moment, James Findlay, explains it very well in one of his videos.
Imagine all aquatic plants as a paint palette. You got hundreds of shades/colours to choose from. With low light levels, such as your t8, your limited to maybe 20 of these shades. With higher lighting your options begin to open up to not only other shades of green but reds, pinks, purples and oranges. It allows you to be a lot more creative.

Now its not saying you cant have a great low tech tank, because you sure can. Just in my opinion a high tech tank will always look nicer

Thanks skelly. I will get the t5s or swap the fittings if at all possible. Or just buy a t5 lighting unit for my vision. I might even buy a whole new tank and sell this vision. With it being a second hand it was pretty scratched so if I'm gonna go aquascaping I might as well have a nicer looking tank.

Will be checking this guy out too.

 

[Sk3lly]

If your going down the high tech route you will need co2 though

 

[Caliban07]

Does high light levels necessarily mean co2 injection?

 

[Sk3lly]

Pretty much yes. I think medium light levels you can get away with DIY co2 if the tank isn't too big or liquid carbon such as excel

 

[blueparadise]

The necessity of co2 varies in the lighting you choose. If you go with a dual t5, which is plenty for most plants, you won't need co2. IMO, quad fixtures are overkill unless what you're going for is short, carpeting plants like baby tears or dwarf hair grass. In which case you would need to consider attaining a co2 system.

 

[blueparadise]

But there's few plants that actually NEED super high lighting.

 

[Sk3lly]

I would certainly look into LED if I were you Caliban. Build my LED, finnex Ray two and current usa sat plus and fixtures that get talked about a lot