Plant slayer needs advice

[TomK2]

Yes, I am the PlantSlayer. I hate to admit defeat, so I am willing to try a 10 gallon tank once more. How can a 10 gallon tank be set up for the worst plant keeper ever? CAN a 10 gal tank be set up for me? I will buy lighting, substrate, filter and plants. Have the tank and heater. Co2 injection seems too complicated for the PlantSlayer. Tap water starts at pH 7.6, KH 87 - 106 ppm. Remeber, the PlantSlayer is not picky, just keeping them alive will satisfy, growth would seem to much to hope for.

 

[gone fishin]

What is that KH? Otherwise, not to be sarcastic, but if you can read then you can have a planted tank. There is sooo much info on these forums you can find help for anything. I would definitely recommend CO2 as long as you have good lights etc. It is super easy to do. Besides that just jump in and do it!

 

[TomK2]

I am still struggling with choosing low light (1.5wpg), low tech. Just add javas and anubias to whatever light and substrate I have. That would get me started, and I would gain some experience. I do need to choose a filter yet.

But it also would not be that hard to go to to 26 watts or higher and buy/ make a yeast co2 system. But then do I have to worry about pH swings at night, or when the yeast culture is dying out? (or when I forget to replace it?) decisions, decisions.

What filter would you suggest for a 10 gal planted tank? One that would be compatible with low light ,low tech as well has higher light and co2?

 

[travis simonson]

I like your idea of starting out with a low-light, low-tech tank. It is exceptionally hard to slay Java ferns and anubias unless you let algae run wild. I'm not too familiar with filters for tanks that size so maybe someone else can comment there.

After you conquer the low-tech approach then you can easily add CO2 when you're ready. CO2 combined with low lighting provides one of the most stable, easy to maintain tanks you can imagine. After that you can throw on more lighting and move on to slay even prettier and harder to grow plants

Love the website BTW

 

[youronlysin]

My ten gallon guppy fry tank also doubles as a grow out tank for my plant prunings. I have a 2 inch bed of ordinary sand over a 1 inch layer of mixed sand and laterite. The cheap-o hood that came with it normally houses a pair of incandescent lights. I replaced those with two screw-in 10 Watt CF lights (about 5 bucks each at good-ol Walmart). With that small and shallow of a tank, those lights really brighten up the tank. Im not sure that the WPG rule is quiet the same with smaller tanks. My plants grow quite well in this setup and the only issue Ive had is having to clean the algae off the glass from time to time with a mag-float. I've contemplated adding a small DIY CO2 setup in order to help control the algae. I do perform regular water changes and also dose fertilizer in small increments, but the plants seem to grow equally well without the ferts. There are about 30 Guppy fry in the tank and my Nitrate levels stay pretty constant around 20 PPM. As of now, about the only plants I have in that tank are a lot of Anachris(which grows in the toilet), Rotala Indica, Ludwidgia Repens, Cabomba and a small Radican Sword, which is looking quite nice.