Need Help With Planted Tank

[Lacuna]

I have a new tank that I want to be heavily planted. I haven't had much success with plants in the past, but I want to make this one work. I do want it be fairly low tech, but don’t mind adding ferts and liquid CO2.

The tank is the 30L Classica tank which has an 8 watt bulb that came with the tank that says ‘natural daylight’, that I think is T8. Substrate is eco-complete, temp is 26C, pH 7.6. Fish are four pygmy corys and a male betta. It has been running for a week and a half, but is cycled. I have API leaf zone which I use on my other tank, and have bought some tetra plant crypto stuff that you put in the gravel, but haven’t used this yet.

Plants are cabomba, eleodea ancharis, wisteria, amazon sword, and some others I’m not sure what they’re called, but I think they’re ludwigia repens and hygrophila polysperma. I got some of them in a pack, 25 for £5.99 so I don’t know what they all are. A couple of them are flowering though.

I got plants that are supposed to be easy to grow and the tank is heavily planted. I need to know what conditions my plants require to thrive though as I’m worried they’re just going to die. My questions are:

1. Do I need better lighting? Most lights the right size for my tank seem to be 8 watts, but I have seen a T6 tube here that is 12 watts that I would be willing to buy if it will help. How long should the lights be on, at the moment it’s about 8 hours?

2. If I add more light will I have to add liquid CO2? Should I add liquid CO2 anyway?

3. Do I need a better fertiliser? I know TPN is the preferred choice, should I buy that now or wait until I run out of the API stuff? And is the Tetra root fertiliser any good, or is there a better one?

4. Because of the betta there’s not much circulation in the tank, is this going to be a big problem?

Any help is much appreciated

 

[Bobtastic]

Hi Lacuna, welcome to the wonderful world of planted tanks! You're now on a slippery slope to oblivion!

I think the amount of light you have atm will do fine. Unless you are wanting to increase the growth rate of your plants. If you decide to increase ur lighting levels you will undoubtably have to add Co2 (liquid or pressurised) and ferts so that you don't get algae taking over.

There are a number of different ferts out that and lots of ppl use lots of them, I would see how you get on with what you've got and see how it goes. Tho be mindful that you idealy want a fert that has both macro and micro nutrients.

Circulation could be a problem, as you want ur ferts to get fully distributed around your tank. I have a Betta in my 800 Rekord and he doesn't seem to have a problem with flow from the filter. (Note: surface disturbance is more for the fish, for oxygen exchange, than the plants.)

 

[Lacuna]

Thanks for your help. I think I will see how it goes and I'm sure I'll post back here when algae starts getting out of control or all my plants die on me.