Considering adding plants to the water

[wrc1045]

hello

I am thinking about adding plants to my existing setup. What do I have to have for the plants to thrive? I see all kinds of stuff. I just want several plants and to get rid of the plastic things in there. Lighting is an issue, but is the co absolutely neccessary?
thanks in advance

 

[Mgamer20o0]

well real plants are great. what kind of lighting do you have and how many watts. there are many low light plants that all you have to do is put them in the tank and leave the lights on.

 

[wrc1045]

don't know 3 48" tubes in the fixture. I will replace with what ever I need though. what do you think for my tank

 

[Mgamer20o0]

well they are prob t12 bulbs. first step would be to get t8 bulbs they use less watts but more power. low light plants should be able to live in there. java moss and java fern are my fav to start with.

 

[Starry]

In addition to the ones mentioned above, look for Anubias species, and Amazon swords. You can also try Aponogetons, which are sometimes sold just as bulbs. They will likely give you a crazy spurt of growth for a few weeks or months, then die back, and may or may not resprout depending on the conditions. In general, stay away from feathery fine-leaved plants, they generally need a lof of light and are high maintenance.
I would suggest getting a few cheaper, easy plants and see how you like them, before investing in a lot of plant equipment, just in case you decide plants aren't your thing.