Thinkg of transitioning to live plants

D

Drakerizzo

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Nov 9, 2003
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Good Day Everyone,

I have been keeping freshwater fish for about three years now and have never had live plants, perhaps thinking they were too difficult to maintain. I must admit I do not mind the site of plastics plants in my aquariums but I understand that live plants are certainly more bennificial to my fish in the long run. So that in mind, I have been considering slowly transitioning one or two plastics plants to live plants and was hoping you folks could offer you oppinions and suggestions as to how best to go about it.

Please keep in mind that I have a very limited budget and can not affor to make upgrades such as ligthing.

My tank specs:

20 Gallon Long
5 plastics plants (ranging from bachground, center and foreground plants)
1 Piece of driftwood
2 rocks - 1 lava the other i'm not sure
Filter Aqua Clear 150
1 - 15W aqua glow (standard came with the tank)

Inhabitants

2 Keyhole chiclids
5 giant danios
6 dwarf neon rainbows

Chemistry

PH - 7.6
KH - 107 ppm
GH - 161 ppm
Amonia - 0 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - not sure ( my test kit does not have a test for nitrate)
Weekly 50% water changes (including gravel vacumm)

Sorry for the long winded message and I look forward to reading your valued oppinions and sugestions.
 
I recently decided I'd like to add some live plants to my tank as well (a 20g). I had a post earlier 2-3 weeks ago and Blinky was quite helpful. I found an anubia at a small pet store nearby and since it is a low light plant and supposedly easy to grow I bought it and just plopped it in my tank and figured I'd see how it went. It has done great! I added a little Nu-Salt (bought at grocery store - KCl - 1/4 tsp per 10 gallons?? I'm pretty sure that's the amount. Anyone feel free to correct me!) and haven't done anything else. I actually tested my nitrates etc last night and they are lower than usual! I see a couple of new leaves coming up now too. Just go for it and try one plant and go from there. Good luck - it does look nice :-)
 
Java fern is a good low light plant and it's really tough so fish usually don't eat it. It's probably the fastest growing thing in my tank ever since I got CO2 and lighting, but even before that it still did quite well.
 
Drakerizzo,

Switching to live plants was one of the best things I did for my tank and for myself. I only have about 1.5 wpg myself, but I was still able to grow a nice selection of plants. It is worth the cost, and as long as you research and find the lowlight plants, you should be able to keep them alive without a problem. It is truly enjoyable, not only for yourself, but your fish as well, to have the live plants. The plants complement the fish, and fish the plants!! ;)

GOOD LUCK!
 
Fresh04,

Thanks for the encouraging words!!

I have been thinks of making the transition for some time now. After some additional reading I think I am going to start with some java moss and if all goes well introduce a stem plant.

Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts.
 
This is a really great article that will encourage you on your new adventure, and show you how beautiful a low light, low tech planted can be:

Setting up your first planted tank

Then go to this plantguide for more ideas on what you might want in your tank:

Low light plant guide

I'm like you in regard to the equipment I have on my tanks. I love the low light plants. They are usually also low maintenance! :)
 
Gunnie,

Awesome links thanks for providing them.

I guess my concern after its all said and done would be maintaining an environment where the plants will thrive and out-compete the algae (presently very slow growing on decorations and glass.....natural occurrence from what I have researched). I wonder if going with plants under my current set-up will promote algae growth or if it will starve it.

Again thanks to everyone who has provided some insight and ideas as they are very much appreciated.

Take Care
 
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I too switched from cichlids and plastics to a planted tank w/driftwood. My cichlids were big so I sold them on eBAY. I re-did the 55 gal tank in October. The plants have done well.

I used my existing substrate and added laterite.

-Cheech
 
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