Question On Plants

[tenke56]

I am looking at getting some plants in my tank and was wondering what types I should get for my setup.

I have a 55 gallon tank (48 inches long x 12.5 inches wide x 21 inches high). In it, I have the following fish:
3 Leopard Danio's
2 Clown Loaches
2 Dwarf Honey Gourami's
1 Bristle Nose Pleco
1 Albino Cory
1 Emerald Cory

I am also going to be adding 4-5 angel fish in the next few weeks.

My setup consists of:
1x HOB Bio System Power Filter & Oxy Surface Skimmer - It is rated for up to 75 gallons and has a surface skimmer as well.
1x Air Pump with a sponge filter
1x Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerhead.
1x 65 gallon heater
60 lbs Eco-Complete Plant Substrate
2 hoods with 1 bulb in each. The bulbs are T8 - 14w. I believe that they are rated at 14000k. I am going from memory so I can verify later.

I do weekly 15-20% water changes and my levels are all 0. My pH is currently at 7.0 but this is because I used some chemicals to try and get it down from 8.0+. It was a mistake and I am never going to do it again. I do believe, as discusluva pointed out, my pH was so high because the substrate had excess minerals that were not being used.

My questions are:

1. What type of plants would be good for my setup?
2. What will I have to do to help keep them properly maintained without getting a CO2 system or a different lighting setup? I can not afford to buy them at this point in time, but will invest in them later. If I have to buy different bulbs, which ones are recommended?
3. When it does come time to purchase the upgrades, which order should I get them?
4. Any other advise would be helpful. I have read a lot of the stickies in the plant section and I found them helpful but any other reading material would be great.

Thanks!

 

[Colin_T]

You will need to increase the light if you want to grow plants. You want at least 2 x 36watt globes running the length of the tank, preferably 3 or 4 globes. You need the extra light because of the height of your tank (21inches high).

Good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophilla sp, Elodia, Ludwigia, Swordplants & Vallis.

Give the plants a liquid iron fertiliser. These are added once or twice a week but you should monitor the iron levels in the tank and just add the fertiliser when needed.
Have the lights on for 10-16 hours per day. If you start getting lots of algae growing then decrease the photoperiod.
Globes can have a temperature or Kelvin (K) rating between 6,000K & 14,000K. Don't go any higher than 14,000K and most people try for something around the 10,000K mark.
14,000K is fine and when they run out then replace them with something else if you want to.

Light is probably the most important part for plants. If they don't have enough then they don't grow. Then iron fertiliser and then CO2. I put CO2 last on the list because it is always in the water, being produced by the fish, and bacteria in the filters. It is also in the air and that gets into the water through the surface.
If you do add CO2 then add some carbonate hardness (KH) buffer to help stabilise the PH.

I would increase the number of danios to about 10. This will allow them to act more naturally.

 

[ICEEGRL]

I couldn't grow anything except algae with the lights that came with my 55g. I hope you have better luck than I did.
If you get anything to grow it will be low light plants. They will usually grow slow, and are more suseptible to algae...
Look at anubias and java ferns and apongetons... possibly some egeria densa and water sprite. They are what work best in my lower light tanks.
The egeria and water sprite grow a little faster than the others. Apongetons (bulbs) usually have about medium growth.
Hope this helps.

 

[tenke56]

Thanks for the information Colin_T and ICEEGRL. I have some questions

You will need to increase the light if you want to grow plants. You want at least 2 x 36watt globes running the length of the tank, preferably 3 or 4 globes. You need the extra light because of the height of your tank (21inches high).

Is there a way that I can increase my light without having to do an immediate upgrade?
When you use the term "globes", are you just referring to the bulb

Give the plants a liquid iron fertiliser. These are added once or twice a week but you should monitor the iron levels in the tank and just add the fertiliser when needed.

How do I monitor the iron levels?

Where are some good places to buy plants from besides drsfostersmith.com?

 

[Colin_T]

if your current light unit only takes low wattage globes then the only way to increase the light will be to upgrade the light unit.

globes and bulbs are the same thing.

iron levels can be checked with an iron test kit. Use a liquid test kit because they are more acurate than paper strip kits.
Sera Florena is a good liquid iron plant food and Sera also does a pretty good iron test kit.

can't help you with where to buy plants from other than suggesting your local fish shop.

 

[ICEEGRL]

The eco-complete should provide iron needed for the plants. The only thing you should need would be trace elements. With low lights nothing will be growing that fast. You really shouldn't need to add anything.
Once you up the lighting and such... then you will need to start feeding the plants to compensate for faster growth.

There are tons of places. You can check ebay and aquabid. You can also google aquatic plants and get lots of them that way. Just make sure to ask around or do your research on them before ordering from them. Someone can usually tell you about them if you ask. I would suggest a few, but you don't say where you are. That makes a difference. (country...)

 

[tenke56]

Well. I ordered a light that was on ebay and is new and was within my price range. It is a 48'' T6 HO Aquarium Fluorescent System. It has 3x 40 watt bulbs in it already and I will evaluate them and see how well they work after I get it. After I get this and install it, I will start getting plants.

 

[aaronnorth]

I don't know if it applies to T6's, but T4's are not as efficient as T8's so it might of been better to get T5's or T8's. Someone may be able to elaborate on this?

 

[tenke56]

From what I have read, T6's have the same output as T5 but use the connector that a T8 does.

 

[aaronnorth]

From what I have read, T6's have the same output as T5 but use the connector that a T8 does.

Thanks for that, always handy to know, are they 1" like T8's then?

 

[tenke56]

From my understanding, this is correct. I will be able to provide more information about it for ya'll.

 

[Nicolas]

In addition to adding more Danios you should definitely consider creating a larger school of Corydoras. I would definitely have no less than six, and preferably no less than 8.