Changing my mind?

mayhem

mayhem

AC Members
Dec 8, 2008
10
0
0
Mass
All my life, whether it be the on gallon fish bowl or 10 gallon fish tank from Wal-Mart up to my 55 gallon tank I currently have collecting dust I have always had silk/plastic plants.

I LOVE the look of planted tanks and the way the plants just flow but was always told that it is "too expensive" and "too time consuming" or "you really need to know what you are doing".

I know the first 2 are true to a certain extent...just like anything in life you get out of something what you put into it. I just re-joined here yesterday and have done nothing but read and read and get ideas and re-read and research and the more I read the more I want to do a planted tank.

The idea just scares me. I am not afraid of failing but there is "too much" info on this subject (if there is such a thing). Everyone has there own opinions, ideas, ways of doing things to be successful. I will continue reading every post possible until I have post overload but I just just hoping that people could post there experiences when they started there first planted tank.
What would you do different?
What did you wrong/right?
What equipment did/do you have?

I know there is a lot to consider and not sure if I am ready for this endeavor yet but also do not want to establish a tank with plastic plants and change them out 6 months down the road
 
While you do some research get some java fern. It comes in a couple varieties & is almost indestructable. That will help build your confidence.

I suggest going with low light plants java fern, anubias, crypts, java moss at first. Low light still needs about 1 watt/gallon but I grow these with a stock 40w over a 55g. Growth will be slow but maintenance will be easy.
 
I felt the same way. But I did tons of research, got some hardy low-light plants, some ecocomplete, and lighting at 1.5 wpg. A low-light tank really isn't that demanding at all. Depending, you may not even need a fancy substrate.
 
I'm cheap, so I used half eco-complete, half sand for my substrate, bought a light fixture to bring my tank up to 2 wpg, use DIY CO2, and bought low-medium light plant packages from some people on here, found a few freebie plants on Craigslist.... Overall, I spent approximately $175 on making my 46 gallon a planted tank. Totally worth every penny. The big bucks will hit when I get a bigger tank and need to upgrade lighting, switch to pressurized CO2, and I'll want more plants to fill it out :D.
 
stick with low light plants.. many java ferns, anubias and other plants.. I keep Bolbitus in one tank along with several varieties of java ferns..some crypts and you can achieve a descent look
 
If your goal is to have an easy to maintain beginner's tank then that is quite easy to achieve. You don't need any special equipment, maybe a new light fixture and that's it. For beginners I recommend going for these setups, learn and grow with the plants at a slower more manageable rate.

Reading the forums is all well and good but make sure to ask questions that pertains to you. Don't try to apply something advised for someone else's setup into your setup unless you fully understand why it was recommended. People often make this mistake with the wpg rule and lighting in general.

So, if you plan on planting the 10g tank I can make recommendations that would be different if you plan on planting the 50g. Give us an idea of your goals and we can tailor it to your needs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom