I Am About To Order My Plants...

[ICEEGRL]

I am thinking about 20 stem plants, 3 bulb plants, 6 rosette plants, and some HC. Would that be enough? I also have 2 small things of driftwood. I am currently searching for a branchy one for my center piece. No luck so far. I am still looking at lighting. There are too many choices! I get confused, and then can't decide. I am now leaning toward the compact fluorescents. Maybe a 65w. With that I can get a plant bulb(20w) in the other fixture and run both.
How am I doing so far?

 

[atmmachine816]

What I know, you don't need tons of stem plants, if you have good lighting soon you'l have plenty don't waste the money on a lot as for the light if you use both your going to need co2 for sure.

atm

 

[ICEEGRL]

So how many would you get if it were you?
How would it be if I went with 55w fluorescent?
Also... I have picked the kinds for the fresh tank, but what is a tall and a short plant that does well in brackish water? It has about 1 1/2wpg.

 

[Underwurlde]

Do yourself a favour and sanitize any new plants BEFORE you stick them in your tank....

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=167686

Andy

 

[atmmachine816]

I think anarchis MIGHT be ok in brackish not sure and Jungle val I'm pretty sure does not sure though, better to ask in the brackish forum. I take it you don't want co2 then because a 55w would be ok then though I might be wrong, but I think the wpg rule is in effect for a 29 gallon. The stem plants maybe 2-3 per kind.

atm

 

[RadaR]

Here's a great thread by AMS about brakish plants.

Id say get a pot of each stem plant you want.
Having fast growers in the beginnig helps combat algae. Keep in mind that it's also best to cover about 75% of the gravel with plants when starting.

 

[danski]

if this is a new set up i would get as many as you can afford..soooooo many people here start new tanks and think they have alot of plants when actually they have not nearly enough..you need to cover as much of the substrate as you can to fight off algae..you can slowly remove them later as the tank matures..get as many stem plants and fast growers as possible..anubias and slow growers dont help out too much in the beginning. you need to literally cover as much of the substrate as you can..bunched plants sell pretty cheap..get all you can..20stems is not enough if you mean literally 20 by stem count..if you mean 20 whole bunches thats a decent start.some hygro,telanthafolia(? spelling)ludwigia etc..for lighting if you can afford it look at the coralife aqualight..it comes in 130watt and 65 watt compact flourescent with 6500k or 6700k bulbs( i forget) i use 130watts over my 29gal.

oh running both is a good idea..thats what i did before i got my 130watter. i used the 65watter and put the original light up front over a glass cover and changed the bulb to a plant bulb..hth..dan

also keep in mind that your new plants will need to acclimate to your conditions and its common for some die off and lots of shedding till they are comfy..do you plan on using excel? it might also help w/algae control..follow directions and do not overdose for the fishes sake..

 

[ICEEGRL]

I was counting bunches(not stems) I knew I had to do most of the bottom. That was why so many and checking to see if it was enough.
I have flourish, trace, and excel for ferts. I also am putting pure laterite under gravel(small) and trying to find that onyx sand also. I was thinking of mixing it with the gravel. Oh I also have the flourish tabs too.
I don't want to have to do CO2 just yet. I may later, but I want to keep it fairly simple for now. I still have so much to learn.
I sent an email to see if I can get that flubenol 15 sent to usa. If I can I will be getting that.
The plants I want are bacopa monnieri, egeria densa, egeria najans, ludwigia repens arcuata, lysimachia nummularia aurea, myriophyllum tuberculatum, rotala macrandra v. narrow leaf, and rotala wallichii (maybe rotundifolia too). They would be 10 stems each. Then crinum calimistratum and natans, trichomanes javanicum, vallisneria contortionist, dwarf sag, micro sword, watersprite, hc cuba, and baby tears. Most of those come by the tens too.(from aquaspotworld )
How would my lighting and ferts work with those? Do I need to change or add/lose anything? If so what?
The light I was looking at doesnt say in the catalog who makes it, but is listed right by the coralife ones. It is at www.drsfostersmith.com #yl16919 if you have time to look.
Thank you so much for replies and all the help!

 

[danski]

couldnt find that light there.
i was talking about this one
http/www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl36...xesingle30strip
that light at 65watts over 29gals will give you aprx 2.2wpg.that is borderline for co2 but you may be okay with the excel.i did it myself for a while then went on to the nutrafin ladder.if you think about co2 i would reccomend getting a regulator/bublecounter/needlevave combo right off the bat.this is costly but might save you time and hassle down the road when you get tired of fiddling with the nutrafin unit and if your serious.stable co2 is very important if you decide to go hi-tech.pennywort and heteranthera stargrass(spelling) also grow fast and look different from regular stems.

 

[dasmall1]

2.25 wpg would probably not be enough light in a 29g for myriophyllum tuberculatum, rotala macrandra v. narrow leaf, and rotala wallichii, but I may be wrong. And as to how much to order, one order of each should give you plenty since you are getting so many plants.

 

[danski]

you should order some plant anchors also..that way you can split them up so it doesnt look like your just putting bunches of plants in there..will look nice while its growing in..i like the round rubber ones that you just put the plants thru..gives lots of room to anchor them down..

 

[ICEEGRL]

http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...889&catid=3
This is the light in question. I also need to know if it can set on a glass canopy or do you have to use those leg things? I kind of like that for my main lighting, then using the glass canopy I can add one or more of the other strip lights. I have 3 of them.
Oh yea... this isn't a new tank. It has been running for a long time. It was all fake decor, then mixed plastic with real, and now going real. I got over the bright and tacky phase and decided to tone down.
Soon I will be posting in the pics section with before and during/after pics so yall can help me decide on final design and all to make it look better. I am planning to redo the look of all my tanks. I am starting with the 29g. The plan is to plant the others with cuttings and sprouts from the 29s plants. This way I don't have to buy them again. By the time I get all these tanks done I hope to have the other tanks I am looking for. I want a big one and one sort of medium sized. To have all the fish I want I have to have several tanks because they can't be put together.
Again... Thanks for all the help

 

[danski]

that light type is okay..however you might want to get the one with 6700k bulbs instead.that one says 10000kbulbs.they are not quite the right spectrum.i sit mines right on top of the tank.of course it has the glass canopy over the tank.