need ideas

8 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


texasfishlover7598
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:27 pm

need ideas

by texasfishlover7598

im thinking of re doing my 50gal cuse i want to put in real plants and would like some ideas and advice on how to do it for cheep

i have seven angel fish a betta two corry cats a pleco and a chinese algey eater

what would you guys recomed cuse i love the natural look of a tank


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

real plants are always a good thing, if you are wanting to do it cheep you are going to have to go with low light plants like anubius, amazon swords, java fern, java moss, anything else you will probally have to drop some cash on lights.

look into some driftwood it always gives tanks a more natural look.
I would also recommend getting a few more corys to do much better in groups.
what type of lighting, filtration, substrate, do you have in your tank now?


texasfishlover7598
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:27 pm

by texasfishlover7598

right now im useing a 10gal lamp for it cuse alot of the stuff got lost when my grandfather got rid of it. its got a small rock substraight and i think its a wisper filter


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

do you know how many watts it is? Even with low light plants you will need at least 1 watt per gallon.
so i would recommend uping the lights just a little bit.
also overfiltration is never a bad thing. in my 55gal i run 4 filters.
2 canisters 1 HOB and 1 wet / dry
i do not use any carbon in my filters either just biological filtration


texasfishlover7598
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:27 pm

by texasfishlover7598

im not sure how manny watts it is but i am getting a new light fixture thursday and i never thought about useing diffrent filters


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

what type of fixture are you getting.


texasfishlover7598
 
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:27 pm

by texasfishlover7598

i believe its a glo brand


yasherkoach
 
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:24 pm

by yasherkoach

I agree with a1k, anubias is the best plant to start out with.

I have all types of anubias plants and they are thriving very well. Not one plant ever died. Their needs are very easy: low light, can deal with wide range of temperatures, have little need for CO2, can get by on just 1 Flourish Tablet (fertilizer) every 3 months, have very little need for pruning, are slow growers but will place runners in the gravel thereby permitting more leafs to grow up throughout the gravel in different places, also, even thoug they are slow growers, if you plant about a good 10 of these plants, the slow growth is more a pleasure of watching and waiting; the leaves stay a deep green year round; some like nana grow only 4" high or so whereas the hastofolia can get 12" high or so, so there is much variety

your best bet is anubias, then once these plants are established, figure about a good 3 months, that is, their roots take good hold in the gravel (also these plants can go into the gravel, or can be attached to rock and wood), you can then get other plants

anubias is a surefire way to begin your live plant collection

need ideas

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