Help with live plants.

[Afn_Black]

I am new with live plants, and wanted some advice on how to keep them. I recently bought a lugia? Something like that anyway! And it died.. Do i need a dirt substrate? And ferts?


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[Masha]

It depends on how complicated you want to get

You can have what's called a low light or low tech tank, with plants that don't need special lights or substrate, and get most of their nutrition out of the water, not the substrate. Those are easy. For example Java fern and java Moss, and anubia . Depending on your water, they may need you to add some fertiliser to the water to really thrive, but they won't die easily.

Or you can go the high tech route with bright lights specially for plants, carbon dioxide injection, and a special substrate and root tabs. Then your options on what plants you can grow are much wider, but you will need to research lighting / fertiliser / co2 / ph etc because you can easily end up with a tank full of algae if you don't get the balance right

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[Afn_Black]

Oh thanks, i think i just wants so easy low tech plants to start with. I'll do some research


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[Masha]

I forgot to mention floating plants. You can also have anarchis, and hornwort in a low light tank

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[Afn_Black]

What about lily pads? I think they'll look good and block out some of the light to prevent algae?


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[Masha]

I've got lily pads in my low light tank so far they are doing great. I put root tabs (fertiliser pellets) in the substrate near their roots once a month.

I'm really a beginner with plants though so I don't know if I've just been lucky.

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[Masha]

Oh and if you don't have it already, invest in a timer switch for your lights. That way you can know exactly how long they are on for.

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[Afn_Black]

Okay thanks for the advice, what a root tabs though?


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[Masha]

Root tabs are fertiliser in a tablet form. You can buy them, and some people make their own

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[Afn_Black]

Oh, okay thanks


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