Planting Live Plants!

[freshwaterfish1]

Hello, i just put in driftwood and large rocks in the tank, and i was wondering what you need to start to put in live plants. PLEASE help me, i need as much info as possible, so i can make the right choice on plants and etc.
Thanks!

 

[Holly9937]

try posting this in the plants section, you'll get better replies :thm:

 

[Kissofthegorami]

No one can help you really until we know your lighting. Look up old plant articles. You need at least 1 watt of light per gallon. You need fine gravel substrate or sand. Its better to get flourite, laterite, or cheap aquatic plant soil like the sell at home depot and put a layer under your gravel. With low light you can do Vals, Sags, anubias, java fern, crypts, java moss. The java moss looks best attached to rocks anddriftwood. The java fern and anubias are also best attached to pieces of driftwood. You might even be able to do a sword plant with low light.

 

[happychem]

You'll be hard pressed to grow most swords in low light.

You don't need any specific substrate for Jave fern/moss or anubia, they will do best attached to your wood or rocks.

For the rest, as Kissofthegorami said, we need to know a little more about your tank. Checking out the planted tank forum is a good idea as well, don't be dissuaded by the, um, shall we say intensity, of the folks there towards planted tanks.

 

[minnesotagal866]

One sword to try is the melon sword. I grow them in my 55 gallon with less than one watt per gallon and in my betta tank with only a lamp next to the tank. I know several people who have had success with melon swords in low light. They are reddish green and look very nice.

Jackie

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I've grown Melons and Rubins very well in 1.5wpg.