starting a new planted aquarium for the first time

johnn123

johnn123

BLACKHAWKS for the world :D
Jul 16, 2008
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Lakefield, Ontario
heya guys i need your expertise again! i am starting a new 25 gallon tank and am going to get a couple of plants for it. i only now 1 plant im getting called micro sword grass:headshake2: any other plants i should get? CO2 and light wont be a problem as the aquarium is right near my window and theres lots of fish in the aquarium(its not over stocked). any thing i should know about before i begin with live plants?
 
being near a window will be a problem. the lighting could cause your tank to get lots of algae or so I have heard. I always heard tanks should never be by windows. a good light strip 67,000k lights and you got some good low light plants you can grow. and with out co2 :)
 
BY a window :eek3: That's an algae farm waiting to happen. Sun light = algae

You will need to block the sunlight from that window. lights in the 6700K range. for a photo period to start out is 8 hrs. you will still need to fertilize whether it be dry or liquid? Fish waste in not enough. The key is to stay on a regular schedule with your dosing, it is a must. co2 is not a must but it does help with a 25 you could easily do DIY co2.

Make a list of the plants you want to keep and we can help you further.

also what are you using as a substrate?
 
i have an algae scrubber i clean the aquarium walls everyday of the stuff. no other place i can put them my rooms only like 10ft by 10 ft. and whats a substrate? i am completely new to live plants
 
How would you scrub green water? Algea will grow in your water and cause it to turn green and the only way to get rid of it is to do 100% water changes (Which is very stressful to fish) or to buy an algea killing chemichal that might kill your fish. It's alot easier to set it up somewhere else.

Substrate is what's at the bottom of the aquarium. Gravel, sand, Eco-Complete, soil, peat, or Aquatic Soil.
 
You can have a beautiful planted tank without ferts and co2, and making it all complicated and involved. Depends on what you grow, just look for "easy" and "low light".

2 of my tanks are by a window, they each (depending on the time of year) get about 10 minutes of filtered sunlight a day, meaning I put up a sheer curtain so that the sunlight is filtered but not blocked.

I love seeing the sunlight sparkle in the tanks, I wish I could have that sparkle all the time. But anyway, I've never (knock on wood) had an algea problem. But now that I've said that, I'll probably wake up to the greenist water you've ever seen tomorrow...
 
if algae grows in water whats the green stuff on the walls :|
 
johnn123 said:
if algae grows in water whats the green stuff on the walls :|
Click to expand...

That's algae too, Young Jedi. It comes in many forms and colors.

(Writes the guy who's controlled his staghorn algae, only to find green spot starting. :wall: )
 
tennesseemom said:
You can have a beautiful planted tank without ferts and co2, and making it all complicated and involved. Depends on what you grow, just look for "easy" and "low light".
2 of my tanks are by a window, they each (depending on the time of year) get about 10 minutes of filtered sunlight a day, meaning I put up a sheer curtain so that the sunlight is filtered but not blocked.

I love seeing the sunlight sparkle in the tanks, I wish I could have that sparkle all the time. But anyway, I've never (knock on wood) had an algea problem. But now that I've said that, I'll probably wake up to the greenist water you've ever seen tomorrow...
Click to expand...

I second this.....
 
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