Plant newbie's shopping list

kimmisc

is in your closet.
Mar 12, 2007
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Florence, SC
Before spending money on a lighting kit for my 29gal, I've decided to put some plants in my 10gal to learn how this all works.

My lighting in the 10gal is 17w, which is enough for low light plants I think.
My substrate is Eco-Complete with a thin layer of pebble gravel on top.

I would rather use Flourish Excel for carbon, IF it won't cause fish any harm, because I am afraid of overdosing CO2 with the DIY CO2 injections. I don't understand the formula you all use to measure CO2 when using the injection methods. Will Flourish Excel overdose fish the way CO2 does?

Are there anymore must have products I should add to the list? This is all overwhelming when you know nothing about keeping aquarium plants. It seems very involving. My mother has a couple plants in her aquariums, and she isn't exactly an aquarium hobbiest. She's one of those people who just "has aquariums." She doesn't do these special things and her plants look great. She doesn't even know what kind they are!

If she can do it, THAT way, then it has to be easier than it seems. Then again, one of my coworkers has a 50gal, and she only gravel vacs about once a year and tops off evaporated water (*gasp*), and she's had the same fish for years. She claims to have "never cycled" (she doesn't know what it is), and claims to have never had disease outbreaks in her tank. It's boggling!
 
Honestly with that low of light you don't really need anything. Your eco-complete will provide most for those type of plants. I would switch to the 25w bulb if you can because it will really open up your options.

Excel may help keep algae away but will not do much for slow growers like crypts. Plenty of people dose 2x or 3x the recommended amount to get rid of BBA with very few deaths that may not be related. I dosed 3x for several months and sensitive things like my shrimp and cories were unharmed, so don't worry about that.
 
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10 Gal
15 Watts ( Less Than Yours)
Dose Nourish Excel + Nitorgen.
 
I think you should be fine with 17 watts. It's only 3 less than me. Does the tank get any light from a window? My plants grow great. I do have DIY Co2, but the only thing I notice when I get lazy between changing the mix(and it slows down to a few bubbles every once and a while) is that the plants just don't grow as fast. If you are dosing Excel, you should be good, as that is a substitute for Co2 gas. The excel provides the plants with a source of carbon. The only fertilizer I put in my tank is a cheap micro fertilizer called Florapride. My plants have been doing great for months now. :)

For a list of my plants look at my signature.

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It's not very close to the window where it can get direct sunlight, but it's at the end of my counter between my living room and dining room/kitchen area which is pretty much all open. I use those spiral florescent light bulbs in my light fixtures in the kitchen and my lamps in the living room, if that makes a difference that my room lights are that kind of light. There's a sliding glass door in here, but I usually keep the blinds closed. My 29gal is sitting infront of that sliding glass door.

I am pretty comfortable with the amount of light the 10gal gets for low light planting. Thanks for the tips. I am not looking to go heavy duty into planting. I just don't like my plastic plants. :)

I love the plant covering your substrate... it looks like grass!
 
What plants are those you have in there? And how long have they been in there? Are they growing?

Java fern
Java fern lace
Rotala rotundifolia
Ludwigia repens
amazon sword
java moss
water sprite

Theres more i forget im sure.

They have been in the tank for about a month average some lil more some lil less. All growing doing well expecially the Rotala
 
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