planting a 10 gal

[mommytron]

I currently have a 20 gal and a 10 gal cycling fishless right now. I am very interested in making at least the 10 gal a planted tank. I'm a beginner to the aquarium world so I'm looking to do just a couple different low maintenance plants and a couple guppies for the ten gal. what I'm concerned about is cost. The 10 gal is an Aqueon deluxe starter kit with a 150watt heater(will change after cycling) and has a 2" layer of fake colored gravel and a couple fake plants right now. I had planned to add a piece of driftwood from the 20 gal and possibly a hideout of some type. I know I will need different gravel and a new bulb. what other equipment/supplies will be necessary to buy? do I need a co2 system? (I'm not even sure what that is!) does anyone have any inexpensive suggestions for gravel or bulbs?
I was also wondering how to switch it over. I'm thinking I would just wait for the tank to cycle, then when I do the large PWC change out the gravel and switch the bulb. then would I just be able to add plants?
sorry for so many questions, I've looked at a few articles on here but i wound up more confused after reading them.
thanks for the help!

 

[mfdrookie516]

You're doing things exactly the way i did when i decided to start a planted tank. Slow, cheap, and easy. IMO, its the best way to start I would suggest pool filter sand as substrate since it's cheap and the plants have done great with it in mine. Also, the nice thing about a 10g tank is that most 'stock' hood/light combos will do fine for low-medium-low, maybe even some medium light plants. Is this an incandescent fixture or a flourescent tube fixture? Either will work, if its a tube, just find an 18" bulb that is between 6500k and 10,000k, if its an incandescent fixture, get two of the spiral 13w cfl bulbs from walmart or somewhere and that'll work. Co2 is not a necessity in a low-medium light setup, its really not needed until you get in to a high light tank. Some good plants to start off with are anubias, java fern, java moss, anacharis (although it'll require alot of trimming since it grows so fast). Those are the lower light plants, and all but the anacharis grow slow. You could do some of the other mosses as well.

 

[mommytron]

nice! great to know I'm not totally off then. so a couple questions about pool filter sand--where can I get it and what does it look like?
the light fixture is a tube I'm pretty sure. so that's really all I will need? sounds fairly simple!
a couple more questions--I read that I will need 3" of substrate...is that right? also, will I need fertilizers for the plants you mentioned?
thanks again!

 

[Ilikefishes]

3" of substrate is preferred, and it's not too deep which causes gas pockets to form. You might pick up some plant root tabs and a bottle of liquid fertilizers. Just be careful about how much liquid fertilizer you add. If you do too much, your nitrate levels will be up too high which will harm your fish.

But good luck!! When you get everything started, throw up some pictures!

 

[mfdrookie516]

nice! great to know I'm not totally off then. so a couple questions about pool filter sand--where can I get it and what does it look like?

It looks... umm... like pool filter sand? sorry, not really sure what to compare it to. If it helps, heres a pic of it in my 150g mbuna tank...

the light fixture is a tube I'm pretty sure. so that's really all I will need? sounds fairly simple!

Yeah, for the most part. you'll wanna make sure it's within the correct color temp (6500k-10,000k) but a 15w will do pretty good on a 10g tank IME

a couple more questions--I read that I will need 3" of substrate...is that right? also, will I need fertilizers for the plants you mentioned?
thanks again!

Not necessarily on the 3". IMO 2" is plenty, but i guess 3" would be fine. You dont wanna go too deep and risk having gas pockets build up, but thats only really a concern on sand that compacts down or if you have it 5" deep or so. You probably wont need ferts (though I use flourish comprehensive after every water change), but i'm not the one to ask about them

 

[HeathB]

Another "plant" if you can find it are marimo moss balls (although its actually algage. Who'd have thought we'd actually want this!?)

 

[Ilikefishes]

Another thing I see people on here use in their sand type substrates are Malaysian Trumpet Snails. I guess they stir up the sand so your plants roots can spread out more. When using sand substrates you have to stir it up manually without them. I don't know how often it has to be stirred, but I'd recommend looking into this subject a little more.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Another thing I see people on here use in their sand type substrates are Malaysian Trumpet Snails. I guess they stir up the sand so your plants roots can spread out more. When using sand substrates you have to stir it up manually without them. I don't know how often it has to be stirred, but I'd recommend looking into this subject a little more.

its mainly to prevent those pockets of gas from forming that i was talking about earlier. i never stir my sand, its not deep enough and my pfs doesnt pack down.

 

[Ilikefishes]

Awesome. Question for you MFD, do you use a python on your sand? I have been avoiding sands because I'm afraid it will go up into the hose and into my sink, or does it just do the normal gravel vac effect?

 

[mommytron]

good question, ilikefishes, I would like to know as well. I also think I read somewhere that you need something special or a certain kind of filter when using sand so it doesn't clog or something..is this true?
I've been checking out the pool filter sand, and I like the fact that it's cheap but I really would like a darker substrate. how about Tahitian moon sand, is it any good?
also a question about plant tabs...they go under the gravel right? do they need to be replaced? if so, how often?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yes, i use a python. I tried regular play sand once, besides it taking over a week to clear and settle (and numerous other reasons), i tried to do a water change and it sucked it all up. I was so used to my pool filter sand i was shocked. With pool filter sand, it acts just like gravel when i do a water change. I can shove the tube of the gravel vac all the way down to the bottom and unless i hold it there for several seconds, it just lifts up, then as i raise the tube up, it falls back down. I've only sucked up a few grains of it (btw, dont ever turn on a garbage disposal if you suck up sand until you clean it out), but that was when i was using just the hose without the vac tube on the end (it has alot more suction than using the tube).

I have the tahitian black moon sand in one of my tanks and quite frankly, i wont ever have it again. it's really small and light and is alot harder to vac, and it shows every little bit of uneaten food, detrius, and whatever else is in the tank. It does look very nice when first set up though. Thats just my opinion of it, other people love it. I prefer pfs over it big time

As for the root tabs, they're only needed for root feeders, i dont think you'll get much benefit from them unless you go with some sort of a sword, but most swords get too big for a 10g anyways IMO. But if you use them, yes, you have to replace them as they go away, but its generally only every month or two.

 

[Ilikefishes]

I personally don't like using root tabs. All of my plants seem to be more benefitted by using liquid ferts and CO2. The plant tabs have been in there for three months and never seem to get vacuumed out when I do a PWC, the dust lefover from them just floats around then settles. So IMO, I'd forget them. I do hear they're good for swords though since swords are indeed heavy root feeders, but like MFD said, swords get way too big for 10g tanks.