my first attempt at planted tank

[johnanthony74]

hey ppl i took out fake artificial plants and decided to try a planted tank. Let me know how i have done so far.

 

[rich311k]

Looks nice, add a bunch more plants, it will make things easier.

 

[uh.oh...]

what size is your tank? I'm thinking you might need to upgrade the lighting, if you really want to take on the planted thing

 

[johnanthony74]

Looks nice, add a bunch more plants, it will make things easier.

what do you mean it will make things easier ?? not sure by what you mean on that one.


My tank size is a 55 gallon

 

[rich311k]

The more plants there are the less chance of excess nutrients and algae starting.

 

[jetajockey]

Definitely add more plants. Fill that sucker halfway or more full of plants. But first make sure you have adequate lighting.

Also with any stem plants you may get, I'd separate them a little bit so that they grow and fill in the area, plus if you leave them bunched up the bottom may rot off.

 

[BigJim]

what do you mean it will make things easier ?? not sure by what you mean on that one.

My tank size is a 55 gallon

If your light levels are marginal, your plants will stay alive, but they won't grow much. Many people get frustrated when they first try live plants because they don't have enough light and the plants either look miserable or die. You'll want 70-80W of fluorescent light over your 55g to get good results with a variety of plants. Even low-light plants do better under more intense lighting.

Looking at your setup, I'm doubting you've got enough light. If those are incandescent fixtures, you're in luck. CFL bulbs screw right in and are a very cost-effective upgrade. If they're single bulb fluorescent fixtures, you can either retrofit them or try a different light fixture. A two-bulb 4ft fluorescent shop fixture is a cheap upgrade, but you'll have to run the tank with an open top or get glass canopies.