Live plants in a new 10 gallon....

T

TigerCrane

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Apr 15, 2003
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Hi there I plan to setup a new 10 gallon soon and wanted to have live plants in it. I am going to get a pair of german blue rams for the fish. Basically my quesions are...

1. What are the proper steps to take for starting a planted tank?

2. What are the materials/equipment I need?

3. When should the live plants be added in the process compared to the fish?

4. What are good beginner plants that would would work in a 10 gallon and that can also be found in the Ram's natural habitat?

Thanks in advance !
 
Set your tank up as, basically a plant tank. With as many plants as you can get in there. Let the plants establish themselves before you add the Rams. A couple of weeks should do it nicely for you.
For a 10 you only need 15 - 20 watts of fluorescent light.
Assuming that you know about filters, heaters, thermometers etc., I'm not sure what you mean by equipment.
For the substrate(gravel), many of the folks here use Flourite, made by SeaChem, for plants. It looks good and the plants love it. It's a little expensive, but you only need one 15# bag for your 10.
Some nice plants that I recommend for beginners are Anubias, Rotalas, Ludwegias, Java Ferns(which grow on rocks or driftwood) and Cryptocornes. The Anubias also will attach themselves to wood or rocks. Get yourself some water sprite or Salvinia for floating plants. They will help to keep your tank from developing algae.
Len
 
I'm kind of in the same boat as you TC. I recently bought an Eclipse System 6 (6 gallon) for a planted tank I'm going to take to work. It has suitable built-in filtration and an 8w flourescent light (this is ~1watt per gallon which is considered low light). I bought the tank and onyx sand for substrate and let it sit for about two weeks. Added a piece of driftwood and let that sit for about two weeks. Last weekend I attached two large Java ferns to my driftwood, some java moss also to the wood and a medium anubis nana.

The java ferns had a bunch of clippings ready to be trimmed so I planted them in the substrate, forward in the tank. I put the tank on a timer so it gets light about 12 hours a day (8am - 8pm). I'm going to let this sit for a week or two to let the plants settle in, then I'm going to add a few cardinal tetras, maybe a groumie, a few platties or some shrimp. So far it looks really nice... I am very pleased.

Just my experience so far. This is a hobby so you should give yourself some room to experiment with different things. Find plants that look good together and most importantly... that you like.

Good luck :)
 
Thanks guys.

Do I have to cycle my tank before I can put plants in, or do the plants help in the cycling process?

Also, is flourite better than the onyx sand for my application? I read that the onyx slightly buffers your water and I know the rams like soft acidic water. I would prefer the onyx but will get whatever makes the fish better off.

last question is.... what type of filter media should I put in my filters? I heard carbon is bad for planted tanks, is that true? I have a penguin mini and a aquaclear mini.
 
Flourite also makes a great substrate. I am using the "default" filter media in my Eclipse... that includes active carbon & a bio-wheel. I haven't heard that carbon is bad for plants. I think carbon just reduces amonia & nitrates (please correct me if I'm wrong).

It's cool to see someone really plan out their tank before they go for it. I think you will really be happy with the end result since you put in so much work planning.
 
The plants will cycle your tank for you. Just go lightly with the fish for a few weeks. And if the rams are the only fish to go in they'll be fine as long as you have a good amount of plants. That's the key.
Carbon is only needed in the tank to clear medications out of the water after using it. If you have enough of them, the plants will "eat" the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. In fact you'll eventually probably be dosing nitrates(small amounts) to feed the plants. Go with sponge filter media only.
Onyx and Flourite are both great choices for planted tanks. I would lean to-wards Onyx if your tank needs additional buffering and you prefer that substrate. I like Flourite and didn't need the extra buffering.
Len
 
Thanks a lot for your replies ! I feel I am getting closer to actually starting this tank up, I can't wait. I am gonna follow your initial advice len, and not put the fish in for about 3-4 weeks after the plants have been in. Also, I think I am just gonna go with the flourite, it seems to have a more natural look. Well, thanks again, if I have anymore questions I will be sure to post.
 
You don't need to wait 3-4 weeks. The tank will need ammonia supplied by the fish to kick things off. Put in your plants, wait a week for the plants to get some what established and add your rams. They will supply the plants with what they need and the plants will take care of the fish as well.
Len
 
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