Converting to planted... where to start?

[fierceblossoming]

Hi fish-friends!

I have a 55g cycled, stable tank stocked with 1 albino birstlenose pleco, 4 neon tetras, and 3 glow fish. I am majorly understocked but I like it that way Right now I have just plain old black gravel and a bunch of plastic plants, a small bubble strip, and some other decor. As I mentioned, my tank is table and my levels are normal.

I REALLY want to convert to a low tech planted tank. I need advice:

A) Setup a temporary tank (I have a spare 20g) for my fishies, empty the 55g, get it established, then move everyone back to the 55g? or...

B) Setup the 20g with plants, then move fishies to the 20g permanently since I'm understocked? (note: I do really like my big tank and I like that the fish have lots of room to roam around...)

Or are there other options??

At this point, either option will require me to buy some new stuff (which I kind of need anyway). I'm due for a new filter, new canopy, and new lights (recommendations are welcomed!).

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[nic1]

You can still have a planted tank with gravel and there's no need to move any fish out first either.
Plants grow just as well in gravel.
You can even plant plants in tubs with the aqua soil or sand and place them in the tank.... Make sure you rinse the sand first to get rid of any debris.
Just remove anything that you don't want in there, any plastic plants etc and get some easy to grow plants, I've successfully grown all sorts of plants just by chucking them into the tank and letting them take root with out any ferts or special lighting or substrate.
Vallisneria is an easy plants, so are the hygros, and they are fast growing.
Floating plants need no special attention and instantly add that professional look.
I've got Amazon frogbit which is huge and the roots touch the bottom like a jungle theme.
Moss is also a good one, this is tied to bogwood and it grows beautifully.

 

[Byron]

I agree with nic1. I would however suggest that you first consider the fish you intend having in this tank once it is planted. Some may have preferences or needs respecting the substrate (sand for most catfish like cory, etc) and it is (will be) much simpler changing this now rather than later.

If the substrate is to be changed, then the fish would be better in a temporary tank. I've done this many times.

You asked about light, and this is the single most important factor in a planted tank. Plants have differing needs when it comes to light intensity, so this should be sorted out beforehand. Lighting is not inexpensive, and having too much light or alternatively too little, can mean endless algae problems and poor plant growth. We could start with the lighting you now have, it may or may not be adequate.

Byron.

 

[cooledwhip]

You could plant directly into the gravel and just add plants. no biggie, just drain water and add plants. But in the long run your plants would grow MUCH faster and much healither if you changed the substrate. One of the biggest beginner mistakes is they waste money on some "super powerful natural dirt substrate"... like the ADA aquasoil, where it's $30 for a bag. You would end up paying almost $200 if you used that as your substrate. I dirt all my tanks and have had so much success with planted tanks. I have plants growing out of my tanks. My jungle val is taller than me. What I did is I bought Miracle Gro- Organic soil (brown bag if you are in the US) and I put pool filter sand/play sand over it so the dirt doesn't get into the water. I Have had tanks running for very long times without any nutrient deficiency. The problem with aquasoil that is marketed towards planted tank newbs is that it stops providing nutrients after like 4 months, and all your plants die. The dirt provides nutrients for years.... and that's a fact. It is cheap too. A massive bag of dirt and a massive bag of sand only cost only like $15 for the both of them. I can give you a guide or PM you if you wanna know more. There will be people who say putting dirt in a fish tank is stupid.. I'll tell you what. Go down to a local river/stream and see what the plants are planted in... Dirt/sand. Not gravel, not "aquasoil".

Look up Dustin's Fish Tanks on youtube and he will show you how to dirt a tank as well. He has had tanks running for 10 years on the same dirt. No algae. I have never had algae when I properly dirt my tanks.

 

[cooledwhip]

Swords and crypts are super easy to grow.

 

[StevenF]

How fast and well plants grow is entirely dependent on the nutrients available in the tank, the amount of light, and the amount of aeration of the water. With your bubble strip your aeration should be fine. If you get the nutrients, lighting, and aeration right your plants should grow.

Most people just plant in gravel and don't put in soil or special substrates (which can be pricey ). If you use soil and special substrates and an algae issue appears it may make it worse. Sometimes soils will have too much nutrients or they lack some nutrients and that can trigger a algae bloom. If that happens you might have to remove all the substrate and start over.

My advice is to currently not change anything in the tank. I would however set up the 20 gallon as a plant quarantine tank. Frequently plants come with pond snails which are a major annoyance to many people and if they get in the 55g tank you might never be able to get rid of them. Also some plants are treated with chemicals to remove pests before they get to the store. Using a quarentine tank gives you a chance to find these issues before the plants go into the main tank. Then go out to the store and buy some cheep plants. The cheep plants are often the easiest to grow.

when you get home clean the plants. Remove any snails you see and dead leaves. some people then dip the plants briefly into a salt water solution to kill or remove any unseen snails. then put them in the quarantine tank. If you don't see any snails after a week you should be able to move them into the 55g. and plant them in the gravel. Now with luck they will grow.

If they don't it is likely your water doesn't have some of the nutrients plants need. If it is a nutrient deficiency buy the smallest bottle of "Seachem Flourish Comprehensive fertilizer". This is the most complete fertilizer I know of and will resolve most nutrient deficiency issues. If the fertilizer doesn't help the plants you might not have enough light. Generally the light should be on for about 7 hours a day.

It would be helpful to know what is in your water. Go online and search for your utility water quality report. If you post a link hear to it we might be able to advise you more. Same goes for your lights. We also don't know what kind of lighting you have.

Overall keep it cheep. For many people that is all that is needed to get good results with plants. And if that works you can remove and replace plants as desired to get a good looking tank.