low light/low tech scape for goldfish

crimsonmoon

crimsonmoon

Gotta love those cories...
Aug 31, 2008
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Ok, so i know i have i read this stuff before, but the plant names are kinda all swimming around in my head without any order.
I am trying to recall any low light/low tech plants that make a good grassy lawn or carpet. So far i have ruled out riccia, and i think glosso, but would baby tears, dwarf sag, or dwarf/giant hairgrass do well in a low light/low tech setting? I think that i can tie, like, christmas moss to slate or something and lay it down, and it might look like a lawn??
I am kinda lost at the moment as far as all of the plants i have heard of, i can't get them straight in my head. So i guess this is my reference thread that i can straighten things out and make sense of them.
To put this in a certain context for which to help this, i am planting a fancy goldfish tank (low light/low tech as i mentioned earlier), and it will be my first planted tank. The tank is a 30g, I am planning on no more than 2 wpg, and after reading about the soil substrate, im not sure that i want to mess with all that....so i think i am going to use just plain old black sand. I am not sure whether i will need any ferts, but if i do, i am not going to do much more than seachem plant tabs...
A list of possible plants that i have compiled (that may or may not work, please tell me!):
various crypts
?swords?
ferns
hygro
hornwort
mosses
duckweed?
anacharis
?glosso?
hairgrass
?micro sword?
ludwigia
bacopa
dwarf sag
?vals?
anubias
rotalia
?clover?
red tiger lotus
water onion
baby tears
aponogeton
?pellia?

For my tank (30" long) do i need to get the 24" 65 watt straight pin fixture or the 30" 65 watt straight pin fixture from http://kensfish.com/coralifecompactstrips.html I am also planning to get the Aqualight Adjustable Mounting Legs on the bottom of that page to make the tank an open top.
for the substrate i think i am going to go with just plain black sand...doing a black background too
any way, im a bit overwhelmed at all of the options and choices to make, so i gave up and am asking for some help...going a bit crazy trying to make heads or tales out of things :hitting:
so thanks in advance for any help i might get. i know this is a ton to ask for....so congrats to all that can actually read through all of that without falling asleep. :)
also, i am not even going to start construction on this tank until i move, which could be soon or like 6 ish months....*sigh* i just want to make sure that i know that i know what i am going to do, i want to have a plan made out, things typically go better for me when i do :)
 
also feel free to ask me to elaborate on anything, or word differently my questions, if you don;t understand what im asking on something then tell me, and feel free to just tell me im asking too much of you lol
 
I don't think having a planted tank that goldfish will inhabit is a good idea. From what I've heard, goldfish eat most plants, except maybe java ferns, and I think they tend to root around the bottom, which would cause your plants to have a hard time rooting. Glosso is def. out of the question for a low/medium light 30g tank, it won't really grow. Microsword may not die off, but it won't carpet with your lighting. Many of the other plants you have listed will do ok in 2wpg, but again, your goldfish may ruin many of your plants.
 
Saram, i feed NLS, which SUPPOSEDLY (hopefully lol) takes away the goldfish's craving for vegetation due to it already being cram packed with vegies. The guy who wrote this article says that feeding NLS is what helps make mixing goldfish and plants a success http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156661 not trying to say i know better cuz i really don't, but i really want to try it planted before giving up :) thank you though, glosso = low light failure :)

thanks guys, could you maybe name some of the ones that would do well in the low light settings? or maybe name the ones that you know wouldn't work?
 
for the article you have to scroll down a bit btw
 
Goldfish are going to eat/tear up plants whenever they feel like it...best stick to easier, less expensive plants else risk wasting money on goldfish snacks. Most people have success with anubias and java fern, I believe, both of which can handle pretty much any light. I'd aim for 1-1.5 wpg to save on lighting...
 
the only lower i could go in light though is down to a 36 watt, and thats, like, 1. something wpg...is that enough? btw im not even sure if the 24" fixture would fit my 30" tank. Im getting them from here http://kensfish.com/coralifecompactstrips.html
 
Technically you could grow anubias, java fern, etc. under the normal strip lighting...I have in the past. Another option to try before investing in a new light.

Otherwise is this a standard 30 gallon long? Those should be 36" long not 30"...
 
idk...its dimensions are 30" long, either 12" or 13" from front to back, and 19" high
I know for sure that its 30" long, but im not positive about the other measurements. let me double check
 
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