Questions about a planted aquarium

[mitchfish]

I have a 26 gallon tank that has been running good for a year now, and I think I want real plants. I will probably get a couple nice pieces of driftwood, and then order from live aquaria. I am also gonna get a t5 fixture with one 10000k and one 6500k bulb.

I am thinking:

Amazon Sword
Anacharis
Anubias Nana
Java fern
Banana Plant
Dwarf hairgrass

Freshwater Plants: Freshwater Aquarium Plant Species for the Home Aquarium

I will get seachem flourish liquid and tablets.

Anything else I should get? Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[paytertot]

I don't know anything about those last two plants but that all sounds pretty good to me

 

[Coursair]

I have a 26 gallon tank that has been running good for a year now, and I think I want real plants. I will probably get a couple nice pieces of driftwood, and then order from live aquaria. I am also gonna get a t5 fixture with one 10000k and one 6500k bulb.

I am thinking:

Amazon Sword
Anacharis
Anubias Nana
Java fern
Banana Plant
Dwarf hairgrass

Freshwater Plants: Freshwater Aquarium Plant Species for the Home Aquarium

I will get seachem flourish liquid and tablets.

Anything else I should get? Any suggestions?

Thanks

The Dwarf Hairgrass is a slow grower without CO2 but try it.

I would suggest trying a Crypt
I love mine. I have low light tanks.
C wendtii is very easy.

You might try a Ludwigia species. Mine are easy and get some color. L repens is nice.

 

[Coursair]

Btw you can get great deals on plants by joining The Planted Tank. Saved me a bunch !!!

 

[mitchfish]

Freshwater Aquarium Plants: Red or Green Cryptocorynes

This is the Crypt Right^? 1'4 is pretty big lol, do they grow more up or to the sides?

Another thing, I dont have special plant gravel. Will the seachem flourish get the job done? (And I dont want to deal with CO2 injections or anything like that, I dont need super fast growth)

And I might go for a water sprite too.

 

[Coursair]

Freshwater Aquarium Plants: Red or Green Cryptocorynes

This is the Crypt Right^? 1'4 is pretty big lol, do they grow more up or to the sides?

Another thing, I dont have special plant gravel. Will the seachem flourish get the job done? (And I dont want to deal with CO2 injections or anything like that, I dont need super fast growth)

And I might go for a water sprite too.

Crypts are slow growing . I have them in my 10gs and my 5.5g. When they get too big I'll sell them.

I grow mine in plain gravel , plain sand and fancy scmancy AquaSoil. I add root tabs to the sand and gravel.

I don't use CO2 in any of my tanks. I add a little Excel once in a while to one tank.

I have Crypt. wendtii "Mi Oya" as my centerpiece in my Shrimp Jungle. Click on my avatar to go to my profile. You can view my tanks there.

 

[Coursair]

You can buy baby Crypts from hobbyists here or on The Planted Tank. If you explain your tank size and light they will pick the easiest Crypts for you. Gordon Richards is a Power Seller on TPT he was very nice when i asked questions and with a good rep. Lots of different Crypts.

 

[mitchfish]

So root tabs near every plant?

And will this grow plants good if i switch a "colormax" bulb out with a 10,000k?

Aquarium Lighting Fixture Coralife Freshwater Aqualight T5 Dual Linear Strip Fixture, 2X14 Watt, 24 inch

 

[mitchfish]

The light is only 1 wpg in my tank, but it is T5, and I have read that it should be plenty, but not so much that i need co2. I probably wont even dose excel, but i will get quality ferts. The growth will be slow, but I dont mind, less trimming lol

 

[Coursair]

The light is only 1 wpg in my tank, but it is T5, and I have read that it should be plenty, but not so much that i need co2. I probably wont even dose excel, but i will get quality ferts. The growth will be slow, but I dont mind, less trimming lol

T5 uses different rules.
Keep the 6700k
You can swap out the Colormax, but don't go Actinic ( useless for plants ). You could do a second 6700 K or try other Kelvin ratings if you like the look. Just keep at least one bulb in the 6500K range ( most useful for plants ). I'm growing plants under 5,500K because it was what I could get at the time. Plants still grow.