Most Basic Question

M

MarkInNC

AC Members
Jun 16, 2009
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Hampstead NC
I have a new 45 gal tank and currently no live plants. I have a natural color pea gravel base and have been looking at a few plants to replace the fake ones.

Are there plants which are easier to grow and do not require special base products? Is there any logic to adding one of the recommended iron rich substrate products to the gravel at the location where the plant is?

Is there a basic how to artical that one could read to pick up the basic requirements for rasing plants?

thanks,

Mark
 
It all depends on what plants you want to grow- they all have different needs. Most of your stem plants get their nutrients from the water so having a rich substrate will do only minor good.

Others such as Amazon Swords get almost all the nutrients from the substrate. (most plants don't need rich substrate though).

Biggest limiting factor is lighting. What kind of lighting do you have? If you just have lights that came with your tank and have not upgraded- look for low-light tolerant plants.
 
The really easy plants for low light (probably what you have) include java fern, java moss, anubias & most crypts. The first 3 are usually tied to wood or rocks with thread or fishing line rather than planted in the substrate. Crypts are planted but the gravel is ok. Swords need a bit more light & root tab fertilizer can help.

What is your lighting, fluorescent? wattage? Stem plants, for the most part, need more than the standard 1 tube lighting.
 
Low Light Plants

I guess I should concentrate on plants which require low light only. I looked and I did not see a watt rating on my flourecent bulb. It does say 40T10 and it is 48" in length. And there is only the single bulb.

I have time as the tank is still cycling, I am at the mid part where the nitrites have spiked and Im adding amonia each day to keep the ppm at 2+. So, I will have an opportunity to visit the only pet store around here and take a look at what plants they have.

The plan is to do a 50-70% water change when the tank finishes cycling before adding fish. I would like to add the plants when the water level is down.

thanks,

Mark
 
40T10 is a 40w T10 fluorescent tube, for a 45g tank it is basically the lowest amount of light you can get away with to grow java ferns & mosses and maybe a few crypts and anubias.
 
phanmc said:
40T10 is a 40w T10 fluorescent tube, for a 45g tank it is basically the lowest amount of light you can get away with to grow java ferns & mosses and maybe a few crypts and anubias.
Click to expand...

I was at Lowes this morning and stopped by the lighting section. They have a 60w 48" tube. Can I simple buy a 60 watt tube and get a 50% increase in my light? That seems like a pretty silly question but...
 
Thank you. I went to Lowes again last night and picked up a 60W tube and a HO balast. I replaced the balast and replace the 40W with the new 60W. All works.

Mark
 
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