The Switch To Live Plants?

[kcalbat]

hi guys,

im a semi newbie here. Ive owned fish tanks for several years but have always had fake ornaments and fake plants.

Im thinking about switching over to live plants for the better health and enjoyment of my fish. Me, myself, i cannot even keep the grass in my yard from dying! (that might be a bit of an exaggeration but im sure u understand my point...this is rocket science to me!)

I have a new tank that i am currently cycling with fish and im am debating whether i should switch to live plants but have many questions...and i hope you all dont mind helping me.
It is a 44 gallon, deep (25 inches tall), pentagon shaped tank. The plants and main ornaments are fake, except for a few scattered pieces of african root. The gravel is just plain gravel, nothing specified for plants.

The lid has two slots for two light fixture. I only have one light fixture and cannot figure out what the wattage is, its not on the tube of anything.

No clue if this helps but my water parameters are

pH at an annoyingly high 8.4
GH ppm 300 (very hard...its actually test the highest my test readings can go)
KH ppm 300 (again the highest readings my test can go)
temp is a steady 76 F

Currently my tank holds five rasboras (long story on why im cycling with those specific fish) I plan to complete the school of rasboras.
I had this whole other list of fish i was going to get but that was blown out the water (haha) when my tapwater of 7.2 became 8.4 once placed in my tank so im going for fish that will do better with my waters. Most likely rainbow fish, some corys, maybe a plec of some sort or some shrimp to help with algae. I dont know if this has anything to do with plants i get tho.

Im looking to see what i need to switch to live plants.
What plants can i have for my water parameters and fish i plan to get?
How to i make the switch?
Can i use my gravel or do i have to change that?

any information would be wonderful..ive read a bit on plants but it all sounds like rocket science to me!
Thanks very much for your help.

 

[johnnyr]

Well, here is a list of some things you will need:

New Substrate: You will need to swap out your substrate (to really be successful) to something like Flourite, Eco-Complete, or ADA Aqua Soil.

Lighting: You will most definitely need some new lighting, however on a hex tank, I'm not sure what type of fixture you would use. Perhaps someone else could fill this in. The general rule for plants is you will want at least 2 WPG. WPG = Watts per gallon. For example, if you have a 20gal tank, and use a Bulb that puts out 65watts, then your WPG would be 65/20 = 3.25 (A High lighting situation).

CO2: Unless you are going with low light planted tank, you will want to do a CO2 System. I would recommend doing pressurized for your tank size, but the initial cost is high. ($150-$200)

I hope this gives you a small idea of what you need to be successful. Also, there are tons of articles stickied here, and at other forums such as plantedtank.net that should help get you started.

Let us know if we can help further!

 

[kcalbat]

if i switch the substrate will it be a maintenance thing...like having to replace it regularly or use supplements? (yup i know diddly squat...)

whats the diff between a low light and high light situation that i would need a CO2 system.

How much maintenance is this? Do i have to buy supplements, how to i keep the plants healthy. Dont you have to (whats the word) prune or pluck them...the dead leaves or something i guess.

The tank is mid cycle right now with 5 fish in there. How do i safely switch out the substrate?

Sorry for all my questions.

thanks very much for your help!

 

[johnnyr]

if i switch the substrate will it be a maintenance thing...like having to replace it regularly or use supplements? (yup i know diddly squat...)

whats the diff between a low light and high light situation that i would need a CO2 system.

How much maintenance is this? Do i have to buy supplements, how to i keep the plants healthy. Dont you have to (whats the word) prune or pluck them...the dead leaves or something i guess.

The tank is mid cycle right now with 5 fish in there. How do i safely switch out the substrate?

Sorry for all my questions.

thanks very much for your help!

No Problem!

Your Substrate switch will be a one time deal, once its in, your set.

Here are some basic steps to switch it out:
1. Turn off your filter and Heater.

2. Remove 70% of the water.

3. Move your fish to a bucket filled with the tank water. You may want to put in a filter and
heater if you think the switch is going to take more then an hour or so.

4. Remove all the remaining water from the tank.

5. Remove the gravel and clean out any gunk in the tank.

6. Put your new substrate in (make sure to wash it first if the instructions say to)

7. Fill the tank with water, and then put your fish back. Try to keep as much as the original water as you can, to minimize the shock to the fish.

That is just a basic run down, you may want to Google something a bit more in depth

You will also want to use liquid fertilizers such as flourish, and dose that every so often (Different for each setup)

For light, like I said, to grow anything worthwhile, you need at least 2 WPG, preferably 3 WPG. And with that much light, you need CO2, otherwise algae will take over the tank. (But your plants will grow much faster anyway with CO2). You can go with a cheaper DIY CO2 setup, but the maintenance is much higher, and it is not nearly as stable as a pressurized system.

And yes, you will need to prune your plants every once and a while, to get rid of decaying leaves and prevent a plant from taking over the tank.

As for the cycle, it will be completed by the time you have all this set up, so its not really something to worry about, However a lot of fertilizer substrate has a ton of ammonia in it, so if you plan on keeping all the fish, you may lose some if you don't keep up with water changes and ammonia/Nitrite testing.