What kind of plants?

[runninwoof]

hiii ima , starting a planted rcs tank! i have eco-complete substrate over about 1 inch of gravel. 2x14watt cf bulbs and a 15 watt flouresant tube for a total of 43 watts(i think!). i have DIY CO2 going into the filter intake. i have a whisper 10 power filter.

now for questions!

1) ive ordered a few plants from aquariumplants.com here is the order:
Glossostigma (Glossostigma elatinoides) (i know im noob but i had to )
Bacopa (Bacopa carolina)
Wendtii, Green (Cryptocoryne wendtii)
Tiger Lotus, Green (Nymphaea zenkeri)
Sword, Red Melon (Echinodorus Barthii v. "red melon")

ive read that the tiger lotus and swords will be too big for my tank, so im going to cancel those. my question is, are those plants ok with my light/tank? and what other plants go well with RCS in a 10 gallon with 43 watts?

2) i want to use fertalizers, but im unsure where to buy them, and what to do with them.

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/36/1/So-You-Want-a-Planted-Aquarium-/Page1.html

 

[Purrbox]

Moved to Planted Tank forum.

With that amount of light, you're probably looking at about medium light on a 10 gallon. Glosso should grow, but probably won't form a nice carpet.

Also check out the "Read This First" Sticky at the top of the forum. It has links to lots of great information on growing live plants. Once you've had a chance to read through the information feel free to pepper us with questions on anything that still doesn't make sense.

 

[Alaris]

How much eco-complete did you put on top of the gravel?

 

[gheitman]

I have a 10 gallon tank set up with scarlet badis and RCS. I've found that one bag of Eco-Complete is sufficient for a tank that size. Combined with the 1" of gravel you shouldn't need anything else as a substrate. In addition to the plants you mentioned you might want to get some Java moss and some wisteria. As far as fertilizers go I highly recommend the Seachem line including Flourish, Flourish Tabs, Flourish Iron, etc. You can get them from AquariumPlants.com Largest online sales / service site for the live aquarium plants & aquarium products community. or check with your LFS.

 

[runninwoof]

ive put a whole bag over my 1 inch of gravel. i have about 3 inches in the front and about 4 in the back. The flourish looks great for ferts, and thank u purrbox for writing that article (very helpful). i went to the plant geek page, looked at a few plants and had some questions.

contortionist vol- (the corkscrew looking tall plant) how tall will it get? and am i able to trim it and keep it low enough for a 10 gallon?

how many plants should i add to the tank at a time?

is there a complete test kit that tests KH, NO2, NO3, amonia, phos, nitro, and potasium?

this is a list of plants i found on plantgeek that i think would be suitable for 10g under my conditions:

contortionist vol
compact hygro
watersprite
java moss
narrow leaf nana
magascar lace plant
temple plant

 

[runninwoof]

heres a picture of what it looks like now

 

[Alaris]

Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit has ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, and pH tests.

Phosphate, GH/KH, Calcium, and KH/carbonate are sold separately.

 

[gheitman]

ive put a whole bag over my 1 inch of gravel. i have about 3 inches in the front and about 4 in the back. The flourish looks great for ferts, and thank u purrbox for writing that article (very helpful). i went to the plant geek page, looked at a few plants and had some questions.

contortionist vol- (the corkscrew looking tall plant) how tall will it get? and am i able to trim it and keep it low enough for a 10 gallon?

how many plants should i add to the tank at a time?

is there a complete test kit that tests KH, NO2, NO3, amonia, phos, nitro, and potasium?

this is a list of plants i found on plantgeek that i think would be suitable for 10g under my conditions:

contortionist vol
compact hygro
watersprite
java moss
narrow leaf nana
magascar lace plant
temple plant

IMO the contortionist vals get a little too big for a 10 gallon tank. Try the Italian vals instead. I keep those along with compact hygro, Wisteria and Java moss in one of my 10 gallon tanks. Add as many plants as you can as soon as you can. This will help cycle the tank and keep algae under control.

 

[Purrbox]

how many plants should i add to the tank at a time?

Unlike fish, you can completely stock your aquairum with plants from the start. In fact it's recommended that you plant as heavily as possible right away, as this tends to help prevent algae issues.

is there a complete test kit that tests KH, NO2, NO3, amonia, phos, nitro, and potasium?

The Hagen Master Test Kit does contain all the needed tests. However, I'd recommend picking up the API Master Test Kit which contains Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH tests, then the SeaChem Phosphate Test Kit (nearly as good as a professional grade kit at a hobby grade price), and a KH/GH kit of which ever brand strikes your fancy. No need for the Potassium Test as there is no hobby grade kit that is accurate enough for our purposes and it's nearly impossible to overdose.

 

[Carissa]

Welcome to Rex's Guide to Planted Tanks sells fertilizers, cheap. You also need a drop checker for measuring co2, you can get them on ebay for like $10.

 

[runninwoof]

just got my plants/shrimp today !

and you were right about the big swords and tiger lotus . is there a way to "trim" it down? its sooo big it seems like its stealin light from others, which is not cool beens! i guess i would have to get rid of it in place of the smaller 10g plants

 

[Purrbox]

Unfortunately those two plants simply aren't appropriate for a 10 gallon aquarium. Instead of the Sword you could get a similar look and feel from some smaller crypts.

 

[gheitman]

See if your LFS will let you trade those in and get some smaller swords like the dwarf rosette sword.