New tank, new to planted...Am I heading down the right path?

[JHawk]

Hey guys-I hoping for a little advice from the plant experts...I have a 38 gallon tank-36"x12 1/2" x19 1/2 deep...

This is my first attempt at a planted tank so I've been trying to pick up as much as I can. Here is the light I just purchased:

1 CL53016 36" Freshwater Aqualight 96W 6700K (Coralife) So I'm in the 2.5 per gallon range.

I layered the bottom with a bag of plant substrate (like $25 a 20lb bag) form the lfs and adding some fine gravel on top of that.

1. How many plants do you start with?
2. Are there some good, durable beginer plants anyone can recommend?
3. The CO2 issue-Do I need to address it right away? Is it necessary for my tank? I have a XP2 cannister so is there a DIY system for that??


Many thanks in advance!

 

[malkore]

1. as many as you want. the ideal setup includes several fast growing stem plants, like anything in the hygrophilia family
2. green hygro is easy to find, and grows like a weed.
3. With that lighting, CO2 should be added as soon as possible. DIY is doable, but won't be convenient. The canister is a good choice, but your DIY doesn't really rely on teh filter. You'll want a good reactor..which could be an inline one on the return hose of your XP2...or it could be the old DIY gravel vac + powerhead, placed inside the tank.

 

[JHawk]

Thanks much.

What if I wanted to go with less light and not do CO2-what are my options on lights. I was almost talked into to buying a twin-tube with 2 30 watt bulbs-Would that support some low light plants and not require CO2?

Talk to you soon.

 

[Gunnie]

I don't have any special lighting on any of my tanks, no CO2, and my low light plants do just fine.

Setting up your first planted tank

Plantguide

These 2 links should help you out along with the advice already given!

 

[BASSNMAN]

I made a diy co2 setup for my 50 gal. I drilled a small hole in the bottom of the intake strainer of my eheim cannister and inserted the co2 tube in several inches. Running the co2 through the filter atomizes the gas quite well. You might try some of the plant bulbs available at Walmart or Petco. They are easy and make nice plants.