Plant Help

[saratogaslim]

Hi all!

I am hoping to start a 10gallon biotope type of setup for a dwarf puffer and maybe a handful of otos. I'd very much like to do a live planted setup, and am excited to try! It's new to me so I have a lot to learn.

I noticed the plants listed on the "Easy" list for those that naturally grow around a DP are:

Java Fern
Java Moss
Hygrophila (Giant and Dwarf)
Twisted Vallisneria

And a few others. I think they're all very attractive. But I've a lot to learn about lighting, what plants with what, substrate to match them all, what can live in my water conditions, etc. I've got my PH around 7.5, and tend to have hard water, and will fully cycle the tank of course.

Can anyone suggest a good reference for beginners? Or if those four types of plants would like the water I have?

Do you add plants during cycling, or after?

Any ideas are awesome...thanks a bunch in advance!

 

[RadaR]

But I've a lot to learn about lighting,

People used to believe in "high light plants" and "low light plants". This is no longer the case. "high light plants" can survive in low light tanks if good Co2 and nutrients are given to them.
More light means more Co2 is demanded. More Co2 means more nutrients are demanded. These are the basics. Have a read of Back to Basics

what plants with what, substrate to match them all

Nutrient plant substrates arent needed but they do give larger margins for error. For example if you forget to dose or if you arent dosing enough into the water column then the nutrients in the substrate make sure that the plants have enough. But like I said, if you dose enough into the water, then you dont need a nutrient substrate.

what can live in my water conditions, etc. I've got my PH around 7.5, and tend to have hard water

Plants dont really care about pH and water hardness. Just make sure they have enough CO2 and nutrients. Circulation is important in order to deliver these resources to the plants.

Do you add plants during cycling, or after?

For a beginner I reccomend you put in plants afterwards. This is why.

 

[Curiosity101]

Plants dont really care about pH and water hardness. Just make sure they have enough CO2 and nutrients. Circulation is important in order to deliver these resources to the plants.

I disagree with that... I have kH of 1-2 and gH of 1-3 and since I switched to bottled water on my shrimp tank (bottled water is around kH 14 and gH 7-8) my crypt has put out three runners...practically overnight. I've had it for over a year and it never put out a single runner till then.

 

[RadaR]

Believe what you will but there are so many other factors to consider.
Some plants like Tonina sp. do seem to prefer low KH. Other than that, we dont have problems growing plants outside their "reccomended" water parameters.

 

[Curiosity101]

As it's the only thing that changed I reckon it was the low dissolved minerals that were holding back it's growth. I'm not trying to say it's the same for all plants by any means. But at the same time I think from my experience it'd be hard to say gh and kh count for nothing. When I say it started sending out runners after the water change I mean literally, one day it had none and 3 days after the change it had sent out three.

Not saying I'm a plant expert, not actually saying you're wrong as I don't have enough to base my conclusion on but I figured it was certainly worth noting.