admitting a new plant into the tank

[Fiferna]

Hello,
I have a 10 gallon tank that currently has a betta in it with another plant and a log (fake, from the store). I want to get some ghost catfish (4-5 at most)to put in there so I first want to add some plants. Is it okay to add a plant while my betta is in there. Is there anything I should know before adding another plant (thinking of a java fern and maybe something else)? Thanks,
Tomas

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Well for one I suggest getting only 3 ghost/glass catfish. It's suggest a school of 6 for a well-planted 20G tank, so I think 3 for a 10 would be fine, just watch for your betta fighting with them.

You'll also need to know what kind of lighting you have over the tank to see what plants you can grow. You want to see how many watts you have, then how many watts per gallon you have, but it breaks down for smaller tanks like your 10G. I think if you had atleast 20Ws over the tank you could grow most low-light plants.

Bettas like floating plants aswell to kind of hide under. I suggest some kind of low-light floating plant. Also you can get some java fern aswell, that grows fine in low light.

Here is a huge list of low-light plants you can grow:
PlantGeek.net - Plant Guide

Hope that helps you.

 

[joy13]

If you get plants from a store make sure to check the tank for sick fish. Ich and velvet are parasites that can come in on plants infecting your tank. You can plant your tank with your fish in there I always have my hands in the tanks on the weekends

You can always use those spiral florescent bulbs in your hood if you have the regular incandescent lights. I use 2 14 watt in mine and can pretty much grow most medium light plants, with DIY CO2 and fertilizers.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Yeah I have 2x 15W Spiral Florescent bulbs with DIY CO2 and Fertilizers with my 5G planted tank and i've been only have a little bit of an algae problem, but that was before I started using fertilizers though.

Since you will most likely want to start with a low-light setup, you won't have to worry about CO2 or fertilizers. Not until you start raising your lighting so you can grow more of a varity of plants, then you'll have to start using things liek CO2 and fertilizers.

 

[jsoong]

Anything you put into the tank should be QT'd to prevent disease introduction. Plants are no exception.

You can either keep the plant in its own (fishless) tub for a couple weeks, by which time most nasties would be dead without a fish host. Or you can dip the plants in a dilute (1:20) bleach solution. <Note that you can kill sensitive plants with bleach, & weak plants will prob not make it through a bleach dip.> Alternative to bleach is potassium pernmanganate, which is supposed to be safer for plants.

 

[Fiferna]

Thanks for the replies, I have two 25W light bulbs over my tank which from what everyone is saying is more than enough light unless I'm missing something. It's nice to know that putting plants in while my betta is there isn't going to be a problem. So 3 ghost catfish will be enough for them? I think my betta is fairly calm and non-aggressive (he hasn't flaired up at all since I got him) so I doubt he'll attack them.