How Many Plants Are Too Many?

[Florin Andrei]

This is my 10 gal aquarium:

6 tetras, 1 bottom feeder. Ammonia 0, nitrites 0. Nitrates are going up (were a steady 5 ppm with only 2 tetras, went to 10 ppm shortly after adding the new fish).

water test results

I will do water changes, but I was wondering, since plants are supposed to eat some nitrates, just how many plants I can add before they are too many? I imagine the tetras need some empty space for swimming, they seem pretty active. The bottom feeder seems to actually prefer crowded places.

 

[Caprichoso]

I don't think you can have too many plants personally. As long as there is still swimming room of coarse. If you want a lot of plants but are worried about too much swimming space being taken up, you could opt for more ground cover and just add a few taller plants in the back and some in the middle. You can get much ideas from looking at other people's planted tanks and the type of fish they have. You can add many more plants if you wish. Do what pleases your eye the most and have fun!

 

[Ben M]

you can have loads of plants in a tank without a problem. Neons seem perfectly happy as long as they have some swimming space. However, before you add loads of plants, It is a good idea to make sure you can properly care for the plants. The java fern in you pic (plant on the right) will soon rot, as the rhizome is under the gravel. Then there is the algae on the plants. You will need to find the type of algae it is (here are some great links: www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm + www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com), and then find the cause (be it excess light etc.). Then if you look at fertilisers and if you want to really go for a high tech set up then co2, although co2 isn't necessary. However, I would suggest using a good fertiliser (TPN+ is one of the cheapest off the shelf fertilisers found at aquaessentials or fluidsensor online), and you can make your own which is cheaper, but I'd suggest using TPN+ until you are more confident.

cheers