Help me choose plants please

[DylFunk]

Hi, i am about to start the fishless cycling process on my tank but need to decide what plants to put in first . i'll list the fish that i'm planning on putting in the tank so you can make a good suggestion as to which plants would do well with the fish i will have. i also dont know if it would be better to just get fake plants or not. i also have a lot of pretty cool sea shells i've found at the beach over the years, could i put them in if i washed/boiled them first? anyway heres the list of fish i will have in my 60G aquarium.

2 Clown Loaches
5-6 Neon Tetras
1-2* Neon Blue Dwarf Gouramis
1-2* Flame Gouramis

*(would appreciate suggestions on number of gouramis)

if you have any suggestions on what plants i should get and what rocks please tell me. or if my setup doesnt seem like a very good decision i'd like to kno that too. oh yeah, i do the cycling with all the plants and everything in the aquarium right?

Thanks

 

[nmarc3627]

as far as rocks go, just go to a creek and get them from there. just be sure to scrub them with bleach really good first then rinse them off really good.

if there are a lot of sea shells it may change the ph of your water, but im not sure

 

[yhbae]

Personally, I like to go with fake attractive looking plants (if such exist! ) and some java ferns. (sometimes java moss as well). Java fern is so easy to take care of, requires very little light, and still looks very good.

Most of my tanks have less than 1w/g but with enough java ferns and some plastic plants, it still looks quite good.

 

[DylFunk]

thanks for suggestions guys i also dont know if i have too many or if i have more room to add more fish... but thanks ill try the java fern.

 

[fishyjessie]

amazon sowards and java moss are my favroite.......some of my tanks have vines in them also. and in my fry tank i love duckweed, it gives them lots of hiding places. careful tho, duckweed sometimes blocks out the other plants light and they dont fair so well. im not really the plant guru, i kinda went to the lfs and had my favorite fish guy help me out. i knew i could turst him not to give me bad info......good luck with your tank

 

[DylFunk]

thanks for the help guys.

 

[yhbae]

Here's the picture of the java fern in my tank.

This picture is posted in the "Member's Aquarium and Fish Pictures" section. I was hoping to enter the small tank of the month competition for July, but I have no idea how to get nominated, nor if it is good enough to get one...

As you can see, it looks pretty nice and natural once you have enough of them growing in the tank.

 

[DylFunk]

yeah it looks really great. thanks for the advice

 

[yhbae]

Good luck!