20 Gallon. Let Me Know.

[fishtankfish]

I have a 20 gallon tank and i'm thinking of planting it. I've never planted before. All i could find at the store for planting was some gravel mixture and some underwater plant food. Yet, i keep hearing you guys talk about CO2 pumps. How come you can't get those in stores? Do i really need one for a 20 gallon tank anyway? What are your thoughts?

Also, if anyone has (or knows of) pics of planted tanks about the same size, i would love to see them. Thanks.

 

[Endgame319]

CO2 pumps are only necessary on aquariums bigger than 30 gallons or are brighter than 3 watts per gallon. You should use DIY co2 injection that can be done cheaply and easily.

The most important part of a planted aquarium is the lighting. 20g aquariums are 24" long and 24" NO flourescent bulbs are 20 watts, you'll need at least 2 watts per gallon to grow plants, if you could get a double bulb hood then you will be fine.

Special plant substrates are useful, but not neccesary, but you need a very small gravel or sand.

For fertilizers, I reccomend the basic seachem liquid fertilizer and maybe some root tabs.

As for pictures, you could try looking in the photo galler under member's tanks. I'm sure there are some in there.

 

[Menagerie]

It can be done (not by me, but I have seen it done well). Good luck!

 

[fishtankfish]

Thanks a lot guys! I have a question though. I use a syphon tube thingy to clean my the gravel bed that i have now. What could i use if i had a sand bed?

 

[medge00]

same thing, but you'd be more careful about vacuuming up stuff. You'd use a 'lighter' hand. Heavily planted tanks don't need that much vacuuming. The plants use that fish poo, and with all taht stuff in the substrate, its hard to navigate between plants.

 

[BrianNY]

If you go with a low light tank, you needn't bother with CO2. Some plants such as crypts, java fern, and annubias do very well in those conditions. Gravel vac carefully so as not to injure any rooted plants.

 

[fishtankfish]

So i can still use my syphon?


And about what amount would you consider a low light tank?

 

[medge00]

2 wpg