Beginning A Planted Tank

[gabbagabbahey38]

Hello everybody,

Today I finally got a hood and a light for my 20 gallon tank and I want to start planting in it. My tank right now consists of 7 tetras, 3 barbs, and a pleco. Not really sure about a few things though:

• What type of substrate should I use (I only have gravel now)
• What types of plants are good for beginning and easy to care for?
• Has anyone bought plants from eBay and have any comments on that matter?
• Are there any water parameters that need special attention? Is CO2 a necessity?

Thanks for your time!

 

[blesser13]

how many watts is your hood (your lights)

 

[gabbagabbahey38]

only 15 Watts... I didn't realize that it really mattered ... Will anything grow in that? Can I get a replacement bulb or am I stuck at 15 Watts?

 

[RadaR]

15W is fine.
You don't need CO2 and you shouldnt need to dose a full range of nutrients.
Just get some beginner, easy plants and plant up heavily. You might have to dose some micro nutrients every now and then. (but then again, you might not have to). Observe and act.
Apart from that, it should be straight forward.

Plants -

Anubias
Amazon swords
Java Fern
Java Moss
Crypts
Ambulia
Hornwort

I don't have any experience getting plants from ebay.

Are there any water parameters that need special attention?

Nope. Forget about GH, KH and pH. Plants do care (the very vast majority anyway). There is an algae guide in my sig and on that same webiste there is a guide to plant deficiencies.

 

[gabbagabbahey38]

15W is fine.
You don't need CO2 and you shouldnt need to dose a full range of nutrients.
Just get some beginner, easy plants and plant up heavily. You might have to dose some micro nutrients every now and then. (but then again, you might not have to). Observe and act.
Apart from that, it should be straight forward.

Plants -

Anubias
Amazon swords
Java Fern
Java Moss
Crypts
Ambulia
Hornwort

I don't have any experience getting plants from ebay.

Are there any water parameters that need special attention?

Nope. Forget about GH, KH and pH. Plants do care (the very vast majority anyway). There is an algae guide in my sig and on that same webiste there is a guide to plant deficiencies.

did you mean "plant's don't care"?
Okay, I was planning on getting some java mass anyway, so that's perfect.
Thanks so much!

 

[RadaR]

Apologies. I did mean "don't care".

 

[ddevine123]

hi i am also wonderign the same things as yourself, i have tried to setup a small tank to which to just contain some plants so i tried just using dirt as a base then i covered it with a layer of gravel, iv tried this and now i seem to only have cloudy dirty water , i need some help

 

[RadaR]

What kind of dirt?
This sort of method does carry the risk of cloudiness

 

[ddevine123]

topsoil the water has setlled but is still cloudy, iv heard this method really works for the plants to i need to get a selection to see what its like