Converting to a planted tank

Today I recieved my driftwood from AC member AGP the wood looks great can't wait to place it in the tank. Will put up photos later on in the day. I also introduced my two endler fries now 1 month old into the general population, they same to be doing well and they aren't being harrassed but I will be keeping an eye on them.
 
Help me!

Alright so I've been shopping around online looking for plants in a few sites and what I pretty much want comes out tobe about 200+ w/o shipping so I guess I'm going to go with this package which comes out to about 180 with shipping.

This the plant list please tell if you think it's too much for my 20h.

6 Giant Hygrophila
6 Rotala Indica
6 Crypt balansae
6 Crypt wendtii red
6 Crypt willisi
8 dwarf water onions
3 barclaya bulb
8 Crypt retro
1 Aponogeton Fenestalis Bulb
3 dwarf lily bulbs
8 Java ferns
8 Corkscrew Vals
12 Contortionist Vals
6 Jungle Vals
8 Four-leaf clovers
 
Two thermometers? Why?
thermometers are not trustworthy to begin with and **** happens. it would suck if your thermometer crapped out right before your heater. i only buy thermometers locally. this way i can take one i feel is accurate from home to the store and compare temps so i can choose one that's accurate at least at the ambient temp in-store. i still have one that constantly reads 4 degrees off from the others somehow. i used to use a professional thermal hygrometer to compare to at the store but people get freaked out and start asking questions like i'm a unibomber. now i'll usually use a cooking/meat thermometer for comparison.
Alright so I've been shopping around online looking for plants in a few sites and what I pretty much want comes out tobe about 200+ w/o shipping so I guess I'm going to go with this package which comes out to about 180 with shipping.

This the plant list please tell if you think it's too much for my 20h.

6 Giant Hygrophila
6 Rotala Indica
6 Crypt balansae
6 Crypt wendtii red
6 Crypt willisi
8 dwarf water onions
3 barclaya bulb
8 Crypt retro
1 Aponogeton Fenestalis Bulb
3 dwarf lily bulbs
8 Java ferns
8 Corkscrew Vals
12 Contortionist Vals
6 Jungle Vals
8 Four-leaf clovers

that's a lot of plants. that's a lot of money for those plants. it's also a lot of species... which can detract from the ambiance of a planted tank usually. i'd get a couple plant packs from members here... and place wtb threads for anything you're still looking for. you should be able to pack that tank beyond capacity for less than $100 including shipping.

you can use a bucket or a tote to put your fish in while you work on the tank if you feel it's necessary. it shouldn't be if you're careful.
 
thermometers are not trustworthy to begin with and **** happens. it would suck if your thermometer crapped out right before your heater. i only buy thermometers locally. this way i can take one i feel is accurate from home to the store and compare temps so i can choose one that's accurate at least at the ambient temp in-store. i still have one that constantly reads 4 degrees off from the others somehow. i used to use a professional thermal hygrometer to compare to at the store but people get freaked out and start asking questions like i'm a unibomber. now i'll usually use a cooking/meat thermometer for comparison.
Oh no I have a few I just wanted a floating thermometer also instead of just the hanging one after the other one broke. About buying locally they sell the same one at the my LFS for about twice the price so buying online for me is more economical.


that's a lot of plants. that's a lot of money for those plants. it's also a lot of species... which can detract from the ambiance of a planted tank usually. i'd get a couple plant packs from members here... and place wtb threads for anything you're still looking for. you should be able to pack that tank beyond capacity for less than $100 including shipping.

you can use a bucket or a tote to put your fish in while you work on the tank if you feel it's necessary. it shouldn't be if you're careful.

The plant packages from azgarden I heard are pretty small there's only a small difference between the 20gal and the 50 gal package of 2 or 3 plants.I even spoke to somepeople about it and they said get the large package since all the plants are small when you order them.

Thats a lot of plants for that much money.

I know it's a great deal IMO.
 
maybe... maybe not. i'm just betting you'll get a better selection of healthier, larger plants for less through the marketplace. i've bought one of their "plant packs" before. i won't do it again...

i've had better experiences with almost every purchase i've had with members here.
i've received more plant mass from members here for under $10 total (including shipping) than i got from their entire plant pack and shipping alone was at least triple that.

what is:
"6 Rotala Indica"
"6 Crypt wendtii red"
"1 Aponogeton Fenestalis Bulb"
"3 dwarf lily bulbs"
"8 Corkscrew Vals
12 Contortionist Vals
6 Jungle Vals"

26 vals' really? why would one need so much? either the vals are going to take over the tank or they're not. same with the crypts. vals, crypts and java ferns can be had in abundance from almost any aquarist... for cheap. apon and dwarf lily bulbs can be had anywhere. if you buy them in the packs and they don't produce you can send them back and get a handful in return. surely someone would send you hygro for free if you were to ask... and you should be overun with it soon after... why 6 in a "package"? how big/healthy are the rotala?

i'd get a couple larger plants that would cover a lot of area and try maybe 6-8 species total to start with. whatever does well can be worked with at that point. a lot can be done with a little but it takes a skilled eye to make a lot work in a small area... and i don't see a whole lot of plants with a lot of worth in the package. most of it seems more like filler plants/weeds that need to be sold off because they proliferate quite well in almost any setting.

so, yeah... i still say that is a lot of money for THOSE plants... not that it isn't a lot of plants for that money... and i still think one could do better in the marketplace here... same goes for any seller doing it as a way to make money though.
 
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