New to live plants

[Thepokerkid227]

Getting back into the hobby after a few years out of it and this time around I plan on keeping live plants in my 20L tank and I have several questions. I'm gonna be using pool sand as substrate will this suffice and be good for plants? Also I plan on using a piece of driftwood from the TN river I got off eBay as my centerpiece, should I boil it and soak for a few weeks? Can my live plants and driftwood piece be added to tank after it has completely cycled? I am planning on getting my tank set up and begin the cycle tomorrow as I have everything ready to go. What are some good, hardy, plants to start off with that won't grow tall and overcrowd tank?

 

[thebritishbloke]

Yep, boil the driftwood completely submerged for around 2-4 hours. If you want it to sink, then leave it submerged in water for a month, or you can weigh it down in the tank with some rocks.

Yeah you can add your plants as soon as it's cycled. I use tropica substrate in my tank, along with a 3 inch layer of gravel.

 

[flitabout]

Ok a few questions.
1) was the driftwood treated before you bought it? If so how? If not you have several options for how to treat it.
2) For plants the first thing you need to look at is your lighting. What type do you have? Lighting will tell us what type of plants to recommend to you.
You can add your plants while you cycle. A cycling tank provides optimal conditions for plant growth and can actually help to speed the cycle. PFS is definitely ok in a planted tank. Depending on the type of plants you choose you may need a substrate fertilizer like root tabs.
If it helps any here is a pick of on of my tanks that I just set up on Christmas. That I am cycling. The big piece of wood in the center is wild driftwood that I picked up from a local pond. I boiled it and soaked it for around 2 months. I wouldn't have soaked it that long but It took me a while to set up the tank. The main reason to soak it was to make sure it wasn't going to rot in and foul my tank. I personally suggest soaking 100% submerged for at least a month. If it is going to rot it will do it in that period of time. Boiling can damage the wood and make it very soft and it will brake down faster. That said I do boil my wild dw.

 

[Thepokerkid227]

Thanks for the advice so far! I have T5 lighting

 

[flitabout]

Are they t5 ho or t5 no, and how many bulbs in the fixture?

 

[Thepokerkid227]

T5 HO 2 bulbs in housing

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

With t5s u should be able to grow pretty much all but the most high light plants. Make sure u get the plant bulbs tho. If they're high output the sky's the limit. I always add my plants during the cycle they love it and u can re scape with out bothering fish b/c who ever gets the scape they want on the first try

 

[Thepokerkid227]

I just picked up the high plant growth bulbs

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Just a lil trick if u want to attach java ferns, mosses, or annubias to drift wood just place the plant into a notch in the wood and tie lightly in place with fishing line and in about a month it will be firmly attached by its roots and u can cut the line off and you've got a cool decoration most lfs charge over $40 dollars for.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Just a lil trick if u want to attach java ferns, mosses, or annubias to drift wood just place the plant into a notch in the wood and tie lightly in place with fishing line and in about a month it will be firmly attached by its roots and u can cut the line off and you've got a cool decoration most lfs charge over $40 dollars for.

U can also use a rock for most mosses to tho I would leave it tied on for 2 or 3 months before cutting it off

 

[Thepokerkid227]

Plan on getting tank up and running to start the cycle, any suggestions for plants to start off in my substrate? I plan on keeping live bearers for fish

 

[agrasyuk]

...
Can my live plants and driftwood piece be added to tank after it has completely cycled?
...

i don't think there is any problem adding plants or decor into non cycled tank. i if you doing fishless cycle it will be much more pleasing to the eye to have at least your plants in for these couple of weeks.

good luck with your tank!

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Swords are nice for back ground. Amazons are almost impossible to kill and they grow u a new one every 6 months or so which is nice. IMO Madagascar lace is one of the coolest plants. Annubias nanas area hardy fore ground plant that can easily be attached to drift wood. I personally don't like the mosses because they can get out of control with good lights but to each their own. Also dwarf baby tears on a rock is a cool center piece for ground tank. They will let out bubbles of air every now and then which no other plant does that I know of. Red colored plants require dosing so keep that in mind. Sorry for the rant , hope it helped tho

 

[Thepokerkid227]

I'll be posting pics of progress, the plan is not to have any fake decorations or plants in this tank

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Boil the drift wood or soak it in a big tub for a month or 2 changing the water once or twice a week to get the tannins out or it will turn ur water brown

 

[flitabout]

With your lighting you are going to need some type of co2 or liquid carb and ferts. You are also going to have limit your lighting to around 6 hours a day as that is going to put you in the high light category. You can look at plants like dwarf hair grass, staurogyne repens for carpeting, here are some other you may want to consider.
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Ludwigia Peruensis
Midground plants
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Melon Sword
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Radican Sword
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Rotala Magenta
Foreground
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Hygrophila Angustifolia
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Balansae Plant
If you do get co2 the sky really is the limit with the right ferts.

 

[flitabout]

Oh I would also ask in the planted forum I am sure everybody there will be able to help you with good plant choices.

 

[Thepokerkid227]

Can I do without co2? My lighting fixture does have the option of only switching on one bulb if the output is too much.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I have a 30 gal with nothing but dif amazon plants and I don't have to do anything but trim the swords. The amazon plants are amazingly hardy and almost impossible to kill. No co2 no frets just fish poop

 

[Thepokerkid227]

Ive always used two zoo med ultrasuns for my old tropical tanks, this time around I got two flora suns thinking since I am going to plant this would be good, however should I follow zoo meds instructions and get one flora sun and one ultra sun?