Planted Tank Noob

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Davon

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
129
Location
Piedmont SC
I have a new 65gal tank I'm currently cycling and I've been curious about adding live plants. I had a few questions from all the experts out there...

I have about 4" of gravel in my tank. Will plants grow in that?

I was afraid to bite off too much at once with being a beginner with all this and trying to maintain fish AND plants. I've been trying to read others' threads to learn. Can someone point me to a thread or article that could tell me good planted tank beginner tips and plants to start with? I have fake plants in my tank but I think I'd like to add one or two live ones just to try.

I haven't even considered what fish I want in my tank. I guess I need to learn how to find the right mix of fish and plants?
 
I started a 55 gallon planted tank 6 months ago. 2" gravel, plants doing fine. Get a good full spectrum light though
 
When it comes to the amount of money you could waste killing plants that seems a small price to pay lol
 
When it comes to the amount of money you could waste killing plants that seems a small price to pay lol



Make sure u check the specs of any light u get. If your starting out, I suggest a low tech approach to begin with. You'll want a PAR rating of 25-35 at substrate level. (More if you want to go high tech later down the track.)

Lighting is just the start of it ;)

Ferts you want:
Flourish excel
Flourish
Flourish iron
Traces.
Root tabs ( for under your plants)

4" thick substrate is a little to thick and I'd be worried about the pressure on the base of the tank. 2" is generally what most people aim for.

Good starting plants are:
Java ferns of all types
Crypts of all types
Bacopa
Most types of moss
Anubias of all types
Amazon swords of all types

Co2 is always a great option if you have enough money to get a pressurised system. DIY won't be good enough for a tank your size.
Flourish excel will be fine for low light but can become expensive in a big tank.
Co2 if going pressurised would be best distributed with a reactor, these can be brought or made from DIY plans (Google cerges or Griggs reactor)

Aim for a filter turn over of 8-10x tank volume per hour. Canister filters are great for larger tanks and the spray bar will give you good spread of flow. You want all plants to gently sway in the current. Power heads can be used in the tank to give you extra flow to eliminate any dead spots.

The main thing to remember when starting a planted tank is plant heavy from the start and start your lighting low and work your way up. Running bright lights on full power will give you issues to start with (algae growth). Also make sure your fert routine is consistent. If you change it every week your tank will never balance out and you'll have drama after drama.

This info should get you a good start :)
 
So much awesome info! Thank you! That's a lot to think about. I'm afraid I have no idea if I can manage all this with also trying to manage a new fish tank....maybe I should wait to try planting until I get my tank established with fish? It'll give me time to learn more about the fertilizers, Co2 options, and gather supplies. I'm definitely sure I want to head toward this option though.
 
So much awesome info! Thank you! That's a lot to think about. I'm afraid I have no idea if I can manage all this with also trying to manage a new fish tank....maybe I should wait to try planting until I get my tank established with fish? It'll give me time to learn more about the fertilizers, Co2 options, and gather supplies. I'm definitely sure I want to head toward this option though.



It really does make it easier to research first. I jumped straight into a high light high tech setup after about 2 months of research and still had a lot of dramas along the way. You do learn as you go though. Things start popping up so you research how to fix it and away u go ;). By going low tech u should have too much issues to be honest. Those plants I mentioned are very basic and will grow in almost all conditions.

Just buy a few and throw them in ;) they will be fine
 
If I plant heavy, do I need to vacuum gravel? If so how do I do it around the plants? For example if I buy a moss or a "grass" that takes up most of the area of the tank? I've been looking at this article here http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/planted-aquarium/low-tech-planted-tank-guide/#planting

She named some extra substrate stuff that I may attempt to get away without buying. I think my filter has the proper flow although it's not a canister filter. Do I have to use driftwood? Also, I currently have an LED light. I'll have to look at the specs on it in the morning. But would I still be able to use it or would I have to buy another? It has a bright light and a black light capability and I had already planned to put it on a timer for the fish anyway.

I suppose my questions stem from me trying to use the supplies I already have to move forward with live plants. I did not originally intend to do it. However the more I read the more I want to try.
 
If I plant heavy, do I need to vacuum gravel? If so how do I do it around the plants? For example if I buy a moss or a "grass" that takes up most of the area of the tank? I've been looking at this article here http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/planted-aquarium/low-tech-planted-tank-guide/#planting

She named some extra substrate stuff that I may attempt to get away without buying. I think my filter has the proper flow although it's not a canister filter. Do I have to use driftwood? Also, I currently have an LED light. I'll have to look at the specs on it in the morning. But would I still be able to use it or would I have to buy another? It has a bright light and a black light capability and I had already planned to put it on a timer for the fish anyway.

I suppose my questions stem from me trying to use the supplies I already have to move forward with live plants. I did not originally intend to do it. However the more I read the more I want to try.



No need to vaccum the gravel at all. The break down of the fish waste is great for your plants. You don't need driftwood but plants like Java fern and anubias can't be planted into the substrate so they will need to be attached to a rock or something ;) I'd see how you go with your lights. Low light plants really don't need much light at all. I've got Java fern anubias and moss under a single t5 fluro and they grow just fine [emoji106] as long as your light has good spread u should be fine
 
Awesome! Thank you so much for the information. I was kinda scared to try this but you've helped a lot! I'll pick some plants to order tomorrow and get something going :) Hopefully I can cultivate a pretty environment for my fish! Btw, are there any particular fish that are better for Co2 generation or do I just get what I like best?
 
Awesome! Thank you so much for the information. I was kinda scared to try this but you've helped a lot! I'll pick some plants to order tomorrow and get something going :) Hopefully I can cultivate a pretty environment for my fish! Btw, are there any particular fish that are better for Co2 generation or do I just get what I like best?



No need to worry about that ;) just make sure u don't get fish that eat plants lol ;)
 
For years I was terrified of plants in the substrate. I focused on Java ferns and Anubias. Theses all tie to wood or rock and you can move them around easy vacuum etc. they grew just fine with whatever lights came with whatever I had.

These plants come in a large variety of size and shape.

I never added ferts they grew well on the fish provided ferts.

This 20Long doesn't have a single rooted plant. Never fed or special lights. IMG_8426.jpg
 
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