Planting my aquarium

[shelly25]

I'd be interested in having real plants in my aquarium (and getting rid of the nasty fake ones), but I don't know where to start. Someone gave me a CO2 regulator but I don't know how it works. Do I really need it? Some other questions - will the plants grow OK in gravel? What type of plants should I pick and what do I need to do to keep them alive once they're planted? Thank you!

 

[endparenthesis]

It depends mostly on your lighting. What kind do you have?

Or you could just get a java fern and not worry about that stuff.

 

[Bol]

Hi, Shelly.

) is right, the amount of lighting is a key factor in determining what else you'll 'need'. Also, which size tank are you planning on switching to planted?

To put you at ease, yes, you can successfully grow plants in just gravel. Perhaps not quite as well as with a special substrate, but gravel should work just fine.

When you say someone gave you a "regulator", do you mean something like this thing?

 

[shelly25]

When you say someone gave you a "regulator", do you mean something like this thing?

Yes, what I have looks exactly like that.

I have a 55 gallon tank. The person I bought it from grew plants in it previously. They used 4 of those giant UV light tubes that they installed in the hood themselves. They look like the kind of lights you'd hang in your garage. I left the lights in there when I set the tank up, so it should be ready to go for plants. At the time I set my tank up I wasn't looking to do real plants, so I put blue gravel in there to match my other decor.

Also, what filter do you recommend? He gave me an eheim cannister filter. I couldn't figure out how to use it, so I put a power filter in there instead (one that hangs on the back of the tank).

Thanks!!!