Interested in adding live plants - LOTS OF QUESTIONS!

[OhNeil1969]

Ok, before I start I'm going to apologize upfront. I'm probably one of those posters that want something that in reality is unrealistic. I'M SORRY! I am, however, willing to listen and that's why I'm here.

First off, I'm primarily a fish guy. I have a 29 gallon community tank running on "all cylinders" now and am currently cycling a 60 gallon tank. I've had fish tanks on and off since I was a child but never really got into live plants. The first live plant I bought was a month ago (some moneywort) and I got it primarily as a food source for my snails. I wasn't intending to keep and/or cultivate plants; in fact I was counting on the plant dying thus creating food for the snails (was told mystery snails will only eat dying plant matter). As with most plans, things changed. The moneywort didn't die. In fact, it's thriving. As a result I purchased some "aqua fern" (at least that's the name that was on the container at the store) and another plant who's name escapes me at this time. Those plants, too, are doing well. Now I know that there are a lot of things I need to do to successfully keep plants so I'm going to start with some basic questions.

1) I know lighting is key. Right now I'm using a florescent 20 watt SUN GLO bulb that I got from my LFS on my 29 gallon tank. My question is about external lighting. Will the lights in my room add to the necessary lumens needed for the plants? Will indirect sunlight that fills the room during the day aid in plant growth (the room is a south facing room and gets sunlight all day)? Intuitively, my mind says it will, but I would love to get some confirmation before proceeding.

2) I just started dosing with Seachem Flourish. Is it good product? Will it help to grow the plants? As I said, the plants I have now are thriving (for me that means not dying), but they're not really growing. Does Seachem Flourish really need to be refrigerated?

3) I keep my lights on for more than 12 hours a day to encourage oxygen production for my fish. Is that too long? I have noticed an increase of algae, but it's not that bad yet and I added an algae eater to help control it.

4) Is there a tall plant (24" or more) that can survive in a low light tank? As I said, I am cycling a 60 gallon tank right now. It measures 24" high. I really would love to put some tall background plants in there, but I'm worried that I don't have enough light. The tank came with 2 18" natural daylight T8 bulbs that I assume are also 18 watts (I know that's a power consumption rating and not a true indication of output). I really don't want to spend a couple hundred of dollars replacing the hoods and fixtures right now, so I would love it if someone told me I could get away with this set-up for the short term.

5) Is it okay to put live plants in a tank that is being cycled with ammonia?

6) And the last question for now (trust me, there will be many more) is a two parter. First, can dwarf baby tears survive in a low light tank (I've fallen in love with the idea of a nicely carpeted tank) and what kind of substrate would be best for them?

Like I said in the beginning, please don't hate me if I'm asking some really crazy questions. I'm willing to learn. I've read some of the threads in this forum before posting, but I learn better when I can apply information directly to the situation I'm currently in. So, in conclusion, THANKS!! Your help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[neilanh]

1) Actually no, ambient lighting doesn't "count" because so little of it actually penetrates into the tank. Direct sunlight is a different story, but that doesn't sound like what you got going on here.

2) Flourish is a good product and will help your plants. It does need to be refrigerated, to keep it from molding.

3) how much more than 12 hours? The main concern with exceeding 12 is algae growth, so if it's tolerable then you're okay. Your fish and plants do need a dark period each day though, so no 24 hour lighting.

4) Anacharis will grow to the full height of your tank and is a low-light plant.

5) Yes, if the levels aren't too high. (5+ppm I'd get a little worried)

6) Unfortunately no, dwarf baby tears probably won't survive.

There's quite a few simple DIY solutions to increase your lighting without spending $$'s of dollars if you're interested. Search the DIY section, quite a few folks have done this.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Thanks Neilan for the quick response. I've read the DIY threads about building your own lights, but I'm still confused about the hoods. I have the basic hoods that come with the tanks and they have an opening that fits the single florescent fixtures perfectly. My 60 gallon tank has two hoods that measure 23" x 11 3/8". I have yet to find any replacement hoods that will fit both a new light fixture and the openings in my tank. Am I building hoods also or am I getting clear hoods and simply placing the fixtures on top?

 

[fort384]

Agree with all of Neilan's answers... good info.

I think your current lighting on the 29 really needs to be upgraded if you are going to grow much of anything. It might sustain some anubias or java moss, and a few other low light choices... but the difference between 20W and say about 40-50W would be amazing. You would greatly expand the choices of plants available to you without adding a whole lot of extra requirements for dosing CO2 or fert. You would notice a big difference in a matter of few days in regards to any plants you are keeping.

Lighting really is the key and the foundation for planted tanks.