Help! So confused!

[emerald76]

Hi everyone! I love the look of planted tanks but don't have the money or time for big, fancy setups. I have a tank that I am setting up, 17 inches high, 36 long, and 12 deep. Will be stocked with red fantail guppies, cories, and a pair of either apistos or GBR. I was planning on doing a mound of driftwood in the center of the tank with maybe some branchy pieces coming out from it and a bunch of plants in the wood. I only have a fluorescent bulb, what would work? The substrate is going to have to be one of these as I can't get sand I don't think. the driftwood is just some of the pieces I have

 

[aqua_chem]

17" is not a trivial depth for fluorescent bulbs, so that may depend on what light you have, how many you have, and what you want to grow. You'll probably end up on the lower end of light with that, which can absolutely grow plenty of plants as long as you are cognizant of that when picking plants. Fortunately, most of the epiphytes that grown on wood (java fern, anubias, etc) are very low-light tolerant.

Of the substrates you've shown, the middle would probably work best. The right one would also work but it's not really ideal. The left one should be avoided.

 

[emerald76]

Okay thank you! The middle is Flourite so I think that's good for plants, right? I can always put some sand in for cories if I can find anything cheap in a small bag later on. I don't think I will fill up the tank all the way, maybe fifteen inches or fourteen ish so I can get that nice waterfall sound from the filter. So I will try to find some of those plants at my LFS- planting recommendations for wood? I have to set up the tank today because I'm emptying my ten so I'll have to plant the plants later on. Ideas on how to do this?

 

[aqua_chem]

As far as plants go, mosses, java fern, and anubias all work very well for wood. I personally like java fern as it's very attractive, not demanding, and easy to grow in many conditions.


Can you elaborate on your second question a bit?


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[emerald76]

How to plant with a full tank?


Emerald76

 

[emerald76]

This is what the tank looks like now with some fakes in for cover for the female guppies.
The light has a bluish cast and is powerful enough to light up my entire room in the morning.


Emerald76

 

[BBradbury]

Your Tank

Hello em...

Welcome to the real world of "Having a Nicely Planted with Little Money". Most of mine like this. I have some used tanks with gravel substate, Cories do very well with a little polished gravel. I use shop light strips and lighting from the hardware store. A dual light strip and two bulbs are less than $20.00. Plenty of light for Hornwort, Anubias, Java fern and Cryptocoryne. I feed the fish a little variety and they provide the fertilizer. No extra ferts are needed. If you're not very careful, they tend to mess up the water chemistry anyway.

Change the tank water often enough and you need only a small filter, another $15-$20.00. Change the water more often and you don't need any filtration nor water testing chemicals.

Decorations are driftwood and rocks found in the area.

B

 

[emerald76]

Thank you! I currently have three filters on, one from my old tank, two I had lying around. They are-
Secondnature Tetra 5
Tetra 10i
Aquaclear 150

So I'm going to try to go to the LFS today, what plants should I pick up?


Emerald76

 

[rockyofhockey]

these are my live plants, 5-6-7 prices of anarchis (low light plant) and Anubias which is on the driftwood which is in my 40 gallon bowfront with a single t-8 bulb and look how lovely they are. Also I plan to get swords and ferns!!!

 

[rockyofhockey]

and look how the anarchis just sprout out of now where haha and u can trim and replant them easily

 

[emerald76]

Pretty! Are thy growing well?


Emerald76

 

[rockyofhockey]

this is when I first got them.... They grew
So much I had to trim a lot of and replanted them behind my other ones

 

[emerald76]

Wow!


Emerald76

 

[tiger terror]

Here are some pics of some low tech setups I've had going for awhile.All lighting is led.

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[tiger terror]

Sry but the pics did not upload.

 

[Fresh2o]

Em - PetSmart should carry a variety of plants in the Topfin gelpacks (clear baggies, not tubes!)
Look for low light plants such as Cryptocoryne green, crypt red, Bacopa carolinana, and moneywort (I think it is a other Bacopa sp). I've had good luck with those in a low light setup (Dual t5 normal output bulbs)


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[emerald76]

Okay I grabbed a pair of nerites and a single anubias nana and one val.


Emerald76

 

[rockyofhockey]

Okay I grabbed a pair of nerites and a single anubias nana and one val.


Emerald76

Wow that was fast post the pics and well guide u through the first plant!!!!

 

[emerald76]

Okay! They told me to tie down the nana to the wood with cotton thread. Is that right?


Emerald76

 

[rockyofhockey]

Okay! They told me to tie down the nana to the wood with cotton thread. Is that right?


Emerald76

What I did with my Anubias is that I put a thin rubber band around it for 2 months and it's leaches on by its self. Once that happens take off the band and it looks natural