Hey, I'm sorry if these are really awfully stupid questions, but I can't seem to find any direct answers on my own.
I've never had live plants, but would love to have one or two. The first tank I would like to try planting is my betta tank, but I don't know if it would be possible. If I give you guys a run down of the stats of my tank, would you be able to advise?
The tank in question is a small one-- it's about 1.5 gallons, with a Hagen Mini Elite filter in it (see it here). Currently it houses one silk plant and one betta. The substrate is a tacky orange gravel that came with the tank. I plan on replacing this, if not for the plant itself, then for the sake of aesthetics. Is it possible to even keep a plant in a tank this small? All I wanted to get was a little java fern, but I'm not sure how big they get. Seems every site I check gives a different size. So yeah, will the java fern totally cramp up the tank? Or will I be able to keep it under control with regular pruning and stuff?
My second concern is over lighting. Now here comes the really stupid question-- can I use a regular incandescent bulb for lighting? The tank itself didn't come with a light built into the hood; instead, Hagen makes little plastic light fixtures that attach to the outside of the lid and are bought separately (see it here). This plastic thingie currently has a 7 watt incandescent bulb in it, which is not unlike the kinds you'd find in a kid's nightlight. Will this lighting be sufficient for a java fern? Or is it too much? I've heard many of you mention that set ups allowing over 3 watts per gallon will require CO2 injections. Does that apply in my case, or does that rule only apply to fluorescents?
And here's my third question: Mr. Betta's water conditions are rather unstable at the moment, since the tank is still fairly new. I'm currently doing daily water changes and the whole routine, blah blah blah. Should I wait for the water chemistry to stabilize, or can I just pop the plant in now?
Thanks for anyone's help. >_<
I've never had live plants, but would love to have one or two. The first tank I would like to try planting is my betta tank, but I don't know if it would be possible. If I give you guys a run down of the stats of my tank, would you be able to advise?
The tank in question is a small one-- it's about 1.5 gallons, with a Hagen Mini Elite filter in it (see it here). Currently it houses one silk plant and one betta. The substrate is a tacky orange gravel that came with the tank. I plan on replacing this, if not for the plant itself, then for the sake of aesthetics. Is it possible to even keep a plant in a tank this small? All I wanted to get was a little java fern, but I'm not sure how big they get. Seems every site I check gives a different size. So yeah, will the java fern totally cramp up the tank? Or will I be able to keep it under control with regular pruning and stuff?
My second concern is over lighting. Now here comes the really stupid question-- can I use a regular incandescent bulb for lighting? The tank itself didn't come with a light built into the hood; instead, Hagen makes little plastic light fixtures that attach to the outside of the lid and are bought separately (see it here). This plastic thingie currently has a 7 watt incandescent bulb in it, which is not unlike the kinds you'd find in a kid's nightlight. Will this lighting be sufficient for a java fern? Or is it too much? I've heard many of you mention that set ups allowing over 3 watts per gallon will require CO2 injections. Does that apply in my case, or does that rule only apply to fluorescents?
And here's my third question: Mr. Betta's water conditions are rather unstable at the moment, since the tank is still fairly new. I'm currently doing daily water changes and the whole routine, blah blah blah. Should I wait for the water chemistry to stabilize, or can I just pop the plant in now?
Thanks for anyone's help. >_<
