Time to go shopping, help refine my list?

[tbirdie]

So, I've been here asking all sorts of questions
(as seen here) for several days. I'm getting a freshwater planted tank for my birthday, and I am ready to go shopping... almost.

My tank is ready, my stand is on the way, and I am going to go plant shopping later on this week. The tank is a 20 gallon long. I am planning on using the Freshwater Aqualight Coralife N.O. T5, dual fixture. I've made a list of plants that I like, but I could use some help figuring out the scope of shopping.

I'm not sure how many of each I should get, and which ones should really be an "either or" situation. I've been reading up on which ones are meant to go where (foreground background) and I think I mainly have that figured out (i hope lol).

I'm trying to find as many guides as I can about how to actually plant, scape, and maintain everything. It's hard to find that sort of stuff though! So, any guides you've got, send 'em! Any advice you've got, I'd love to hear it.

Plant List (ones with ** are ones I really like)

Java Fern
Anubias (seen a few different kinds, like them all)
Wisteria**
Water Sprite**
Anacharis**
Moneywort **
Rotala Indica**
Vallisneria
Amazon sword plant
Cryptocoryne
Water Lettuce
dwarf baby tears??

We were hoping to plant some dwarf baby tears, but I'm afraid that our lighting might not be enough. What do you think?
If it isn't, can you suggest another ground cover, similar or grass-like, that might grow well in our lights/tank??

Thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to respond to all my many questions. Can you tell I am one of those people who looks, measures, gauges the wind, takes pictures, and calls her mom before she leaps?

I tested my current water and everything looks good except the hardness... it looks to be around 150. I'm thinking that might be a little too hard, idk? Everything else seems to be perfectly balanced. I know I can treat the water for hardness, but do I need too? If so, any product suggestions are also welcome. Whew, I think that's the last of the questions, folks!

 

[SidtheMonkey]

Where do you live and what kind of water do you have?

 

[tbirdie]

Dallas, Texas. This is my current aquarium water, which right now is tap water that I treat with "Start Right" and aquarium salts. I've been told to lay off the salts for the planted tank though.
Is that what you meant?

 

[SidtheMonkey]

OK, so hard water?

And you can hold off on salt in the tank...I did both with planted tanks, salt and none, but I was in very soft water.

 

[tbirdie]

I'm confused what you're asking me? I tested the water in my current tank and it read "Hard - 150". So yes, I guess it's "hard water." But do I need to do something about that to have a successful planted tank?

 

[SidtheMonkey]

I was curious to see if there was anything at the more extreme ends of the spectrum to see if there would be anything prohibitive to certain plants.

Your tests look very mid-range...good. That will change with the introduction of plants...eventually...as the tank ages.

All my experience growing plants is in soft, neutral to acidic water. I can only speak to plants that worked well in those parameters.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Just found a handy trick one can do with the AquaLight that might be of use to you: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/l...coralife-aqualight-legs-free.html#post1050463

Keep in mind how tall (or in this case short) your tank is, and consider that a few inches of that is going to be taken up by substrate. Amazon swords (Echinodorus amazonicus) can get over 16 inches tall, so you may want to consider a smaller variety. Keep width in mind too while planning...Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) can get quite bushy! Not a bad thing if you need space filler, but some people complain that it takes over their tank.

You water should be fine.

Also, Dwarf Hairgrass might do a bit better (or at least be easier) than the Dwarf Baby Tears. Consider doing a dry start for the ground cover if you're going low-tech because it's going to take a very long time to fill in well otherwise.

 

[SidtheMonkey]

Just a comment, not to scare her off...the faster growing stem plants, like hygro and water sprite (isnt that the same as water wisteria? Maybe not) are good to have in an aquarium because faster growing plants take up excess nutrients faster (to help prevent algae) and can be easily pruned back (whacked back really...and then replanted elsewhere)...as needed. Whereas swords and crypts and vals, etc cant really be as easily pruned.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

good plants to add
Java Fern
Anubias (seen a few different kinds, like them all)
Wisteria**
Water Sprite**
Anacharis**
Moneywort **
Rotala Indica**
Cryptocoryne

get too big
Vallisneria
Amazon sword plant

blocks the lights for the other plants personally i wouldnt add.
Water Lettuce

there other foreground options out there such as dwarf sags.
dwarf baby tears??

i have most of the plants you are looking. send me a pm if you want help getting them.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides) aka Dwarf Baby Tears will grow, but it tends to get leggy in lower light/non-CO2 situations from what I understand so it might not look as nice as you want.