From not planted to planted help!

[Cammywammy]

Hello this is my first time posting! I have a 10 gallon cycled freshwater tank with very small 1 inch baby Oscar. He has gotten big enough and figured that the ghost shrimp he used to live with are quite tasty. One of my teachers has offered to take my Oscar and provide it with its own 75 gallon tank. This allows me to restock on shrimp and possibly neon tetra. Not only do I want new fish but I also would like to make this tank planted. I plan to buy substrate and get a new hood for my aquarium in order to sustain plant life. I also want to buy/find rocks and driftwood in order to make my tank have a natural appeal. I plan to get a carpeting plant for most of the substrate and a couple java ferns. Any suggestions on what I do? Thanks!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

to AA! We hope you enjoy
I have a ten gallon betta, snail and shrimp planted tank with a police car and driftwood.
Here is a picture to give some ideas
Just a note this is a side picture as the tank is visible from all sides but on end on the kitchen counter.

 

[Cammywammy]

Thank you for the reply! I am new to planted tanks but I understand the basics. Do you have any idea what type of lighting is best? Also what substrate to use? I love the layout of your tank!

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Thank you for the reply! I am new to planted tanks but I understand the basics. Do you have any idea what type of lighting is best? Also what substrate to use? I love the layout of your tank!

I went cheap cheap on my substrate and I think I'm the only one here that uses it lol. I have kitty litter topped with sand. I think all my plants are low light plants and this tank gets a ton of sun shine threw our sliding glass door but I just use a cheap light with a plant bulb. I also stick in root tabs every so often but they do good from it so I leave it alone.

Here is another picture from the side/front and you can see how much light shines in from the glare on the glass

 

[obedey]

Is it clay kitty litter?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Is it clay kitty litter?

Yea I forgot I was going to come back and tell you about that just in case you went that route. Anyways thanks for the reminder lol

It has to be 100% pure/all natural with no fragrance or additives. I got mine at Kroger if you have one near you and its the cheapest I believe and store brand. Called Kroger value cat litter it comes in a white bag. I tryed to find a Google picture but can't but I did find a upc# 011110888976 not sure if its right tho.

 

[Cammywammy]

I have not yet decided if I want to upgrade to a 20 gallon long tank yet. I plan to make this tank for red cherry shrimp snails and a small type of schooling fish( tetras or barbs). If I do upgrade my current filter/heater is more than sufficient for the new tank. Also do you know where a good source of drift wood is?

 

[phishfriend]

I have not yet decided if I want to upgrade to a 20 gallon long tank yet. I plan to make this tank for red cherry shrimp snails and a small type of schooling fish( tetras or barbs). If I do upgrade my current filter/heater is more than sufficient for the new tank. Also do you know where a good source of drift wood is?

Well if you wait to long that oscar will decide for you!

 

[Cammywammy]

Well if you wait to long that oscar will decide for you!

Haha yes! He will have a new home very soon! This is my current tank setting. It looks too boring and too small for me :/

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I have not yet decided if I want to upgrade to a 20 gallon long tank yet. I plan to make this tank for red cherry shrimp snails and a small type of schooling fish( tetras or barbs). If I do upgrade my current filter/heater is more than sufficient for the new tank. Also do you know where a good source of drift wood is?

A lot of people just walk up/down creeks or rivers to find it

 

[Aqualady40]

Haha yes! He will have a new home very soon! This is my current tank setting. It looks too boring and too small for me :/

Hi that tank is nice, but if you did upgrade it will allow more fish choices, etc...make that a shrimp tank or qt, etc....

 

[Cammywammy]

Would RCS look better in a 10 gallon or a 20 gallon long tank? I would like both tanks to be breeding community tanks because they are most fun.

 

[bud29]

Almost any fish will eat baby shrimp. If you want to keep both in the same tank your best bet would be to heavily plant the tank so there is an area where the shrimp can hide.

I personally think that RCS would look better in a 20, because they have more space, but I have a 10 gallon shrimp-only breeding tank and they are perfectly fine.

 

[Cammywammy]

Almost any fish will eat baby shrimp. If you want to keep both in the same tank your best bet would be to heavily plant the tank so there is an area where the shrimp can hide.

I personally think that RCS would look better in a 20, because they have more space, but I have a 10 gallon shrimp-only breeding tank and they are perfectly fine.

I am getting a new 20 gallon tank and it will be heavily planted along with tetras Cory's and RCS my 10 gallon tank will be divided in half. Half for a quarantine tank and half for pregnant fish/RCS.