new 55g became a planted tank! need help.

[exodus]

So I got my 55 up and running yesterday, went out to petco today to get some live plants for it since they look much better, and since they're muc cheaper. I basically blindly wandered into petco and used what little knowledge of plants to get some that looked acceptable. none were labelled.

I need some help though. I know what two of the plants are, but one is unidentified. I also need to know what kind of maintainance/fertilization I'm looking at, if any.

The tank right now has stock lighting on it (~.54wpg) and pool filter sand as a substrate.

Here are the 3 plants I got.

I know thats a wysteria.

That looks like a sword of some type, but I'm not sure.

This one, I'm not sure of at all.


I do plan on upgrading the lighting within the next few weeks to hit around 1.5-2wpg using ODNO lighting, but are these plants going to like it in my tank or what?

TIA!

 

[mr funktastic]

first thing u need to do is bring your filter intake away from the sand or u will suck in the sand and jam your impeller. as for the plants i have no idea what they are lol. just thought i would warn u about the intake.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

A couple things to note here......

How much light do you currently have? If it's just the standard lighting that came with the 55G, the ground cover may not make it. It needs much higher lighting.

Point 2. Watch out for your filter. With the intake that close to the sand, it's going to suck it up a bit at a time, and will create havoc with your filter. I keep mine at least 4 inches off the sand.

Other than that, I think you are getting a good start. The other plants should do good under your lights til you upgrade the lighting. Thay just won't grow very fast under lower lighting.

 

[exodus]

A couple things to note here......

How much light do you currently have? If it's just the standard lighting that came with the 55G, the ground cover may not make it. It needs much higher lighting.

Point 2. Watch out for your filter. With the intake that close to the sand, it's going to suck it up a bit at a time, and will create havoc with your filter. I keep mine at least 4 inches off the sand.

Other than that, I think you are getting a good start. The other plants should do good under your lights til you upgrade the lighting. Thay just won't grow very fast under lower lighting.

I currently have 30w of light, which isnt much at all. .54wpg to be exact, which I plan on upgrading within the next few weeks.

I also plan on trimming the extension tube that came with the filter, I just havnt gotten to it yet. With the extension on its about an inch off the sand, with it off its about 5" below the surface.

Do you have any idea what that last plant is called?


I plan on doing a heavily planted tank, slowly but surely. Can I stick with sand and grab some root tabs or something similar as I put more in the tank, and also suppliment with store-bought ferts (flourex excel and the like)?

I plan to stay with fairly low light, 1.5wpg, 2wpg on the high end of things.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Kind of looks like Micro Swords, but not 100% sure. I'm sure someone else will chime in with what it is for sure.

As for the sand, you should be ok planting, as lond as it doesn't compact too much. If it's a larger grain sized sand, you shouldn't have any problems.

As for dosing, in my 26G I only dose Flourish Excel, which is an alternative to CO2 injection. It's not a fertalizer. My fish provide the nutrients for the plants, and they are doing just fine. But the heavier it's planted, may eventually need to dose ferts if the bioload isn't big enough to handle it.

 

[gfink]

I'm almost positive that the 3rd plant is microsword.

2nd on no adding ferts at your light level. Fish poo will do.

 

[unfamous]

it is definitley micro sword!

 

[exodus]

Awesome! Thank you for the answers everyone. I got a ballast ordered tonight, sometime this week we go to Homies for fluoro parts and wood to build the canopy.

Funny thing is - at first my dad (i'm 18 ) was strongly opposed to my new tank idea, thought 55g was WAY too big. Now he's sitting there staring at it more than I have been

Here it is, bare, but it is!

 

[choiwayne]

yeah, i started out with 55 gal also. also with micro swrod. they all died eventually. found out they need lots and lots of lights. i had 110 w lights. but needed more. well, good luck. your dad will never stay away from it now.

 

[malkore]

your tiger barb needs about 5 more friends, or he'll bother every other fish in the tank.

 

[exodus]

your tiger barb needs about 5 more friends, or he'll bother every other fish in the tank.

Its in the plans!

I've had him alone for a few months now in my 10g (all the fish from the 10g went to the 55 temporarily along with the 10g filter to help cycle the new tank), and he only seems to bother my longfin rosy barb. the tetras surprisingly dont take any crap from him.