10 gallon planted, need help

[b309302]

I have a 10 gallon with 2" of gravel and 1" of laterite gravel mix. 2-10 watt 5500k compact flourescents. Whisper hob filter, no CO2. I have a few plants in there right now, one is a "onion plant" that is growing steadily, almost to the top of the tank now. Then 7 of some things called betta bulbs that pretty much grew to the top of the tank from bulbs (not sure what they are but they look like swords). All the forums say plant the tank full. Will there be enough CO2 and light if I do that? I really dont want to deal with co2 injectors, dont have the time. I heard over 2wpg and you have to use them. Everything is growing great and I want to add more plants...Grew all of them in there from bulbs. Should I buy a tank full of grown plants? or keep adding them slowly? Not using any extra ferts other then the fish... not a hint of algae anywhere, guess I'm lucky. Want to keep it that way. This tank is growing everything fairly quickly it seems. Any suggestions? First planted tank.

 

[TKOS]

You don't have to add CO2, especially if you are not adding ferts. This will slow the growth of your plants but if that is fine with you then that is great.

One thing you might want to try is looking for some Flourish Excell. It is a liquid carbon suppliment. It is a lot easier then CO2 setups though pricier. Of course in a small tank like yours a bottle will last a long time. It also helps keep algae at bay.

 

[Ms.Bubbles]

All the forums say plant the tank full. Will there be enough CO2 and light if I do that?.

I'm not sure where you're getting this information that you need to plant the tank full. You can add 1 plant or 10 plants, it's your decision. If you're using plants to filter your tank (ie. doing a 'silent cycle' instead of cycling it normally) you do need lots of fast-growing stem-type plants, but you don't want to crowd the tank. Your fish need swimming room too.

Another issue--if you're not fertilizing, there comes a time when you don't have enough nutrients in the tank from fish food/waste alone to nourish your plants. At this point you will need to stop adding plants and perhaps even take a few out, or else start adding nutrients to the tank. It's really a balancing act of plants/fish without ferts. Check your nitrates. If they're below 5 you will likely need to stop adding plants or start fertilizing.