Beginner - Planted Or Plastic I Can't Make Up My Mind

[Lucylou]

I have just purchase a 60L (13g) Aquaart 60L Tropical Setup

http/www.rocketrading.co.uk/product_info...products_id=757

I've just dicovered I need Some kind of Substrates in order to grow real plants, I've setup everything apart from adding the water. If I want real plants I need to decide now and take everything out and put in a Substrates layer under my gravel.

I'm a beginner and wonder what thoughts people have on which option I should choose plants/plastic ?

I know its a small tank, and a 15W Flourescent lighting tube, Is it worth giving real plants a go?

 

[Spinal]

PLANTED! Forget plastic! With a 60L tank, you have roughly 15gallons (US). Which means you have about 1WpG. Though considered a very low light level for a planted tank, you should be able to grow some of the more resilient plants. Hornwart and foxtails would be a good idea imho. (I've managed to grow these in under 0.6 WpG). That said, some will recommend java ferns/moss... I've never had these so I can't really comment on them...

Anyhow, real plants is the way forwards!

Michele

 

[Lucylou]

I was 95% convinced to go real, just need some encouragement, I've done my reasearch the last 2 weeks on everything (other than planets) before buying my tank, now I just what to make sure, with my lack of experience that I should give it a good try.

BTW I'm from England and My bulb is 15watt, I'm not sure what the Electric is in America

 

[OohFeeshy]

You'd be fine with things like java fern, assorted mosses, anubias, crypts, cabomba. I found most others things tend to die after a few weeks under low light.

 

[Spinal]

Though not from England, I do live there The WpG rule was made in the US, hence it uses US gallons (3.6lt to the USG if I'm not mistaken...)

Anyhow, good luck with your tank

Michele

 

[Lucylou]

So I choose to go with sand instaed of gravel, in order to grow nice plants. I didn't get much help at the shops when asking about substrate, so I thought sand would have the minerals needed. I'm one day in to the cycle and i've put in my 5 plants, have I done this to soon, also do I need an air pump?

 

[Daz CPFC]

So I choose to go with sand instaed of gravel, in order to grow nice plants. I didn't get much help at the shops when asking about substrate, so I thought sand would have the minerals needed. I'm one day in to the cycle and i've put in my 5 plants, have I done this to soon, also do I need an air pump?

You dont really need to have an airpump. The airpump will take CO2 out of the aquarium when your plants will require it so i don't have one in my planted tank.

As long as you have some plant ferts in the tank i think the plants will be okay but an "expert" maybe better to advise you on that.

Good luck with your tank. I agree planted tanks look much, much nicer.

Daz

 

[14gtr14]

I would definitely say planted with anubias, java fern, mosses, hornwort etc etc. Sand on its own is inert (low in nutrients) so will not help the plants grow as such. What you should look for is stuff called Laterite. All you need is one small box to mix in with the gravel/sand. This acts as a nutrient store for the plants and will benefit their growth greatky. I am about to set up a lowlight low tech planted tank with sand+laterite in a 15 gallon also, so it'll be interesting to here how yours goes.

Oh and an air pump will not help as plants "breath" CO2 and an air pump will remove it.

Have you cycled your tank?

cheers 14gtr14

 

[Lucylou]

Have you cycled your tank?

No...Only day 3 at the moment, I used some tetra biozym in the filter and a tiny crumble of fish food. Not managed to find any amonia yet. How long do think this should take without the ammonia?

when should I test for ammonia?

I can't put substrate in now, its to late, isn't it? I thought sand and liquid ferts would be enough

 

[mikster]

Instead of a plant substrate you could stick some root fertilizer tablets in at the roots of your plants, only problem is its quite exepensive in the long term its like nearly £5 for 10 tablets that depending on the size of your tank will last a few weeks or months, If you had a plant substrate it would last for many months and work out alot cheaper, i found this out the hard way and now have to fork out for root tabs alot.

Also you could still grow things like moss. ferns and anubias without a substrate fertiziler or root tablets as these plants take their nutrients throught the water.

 

[14gtr14]

you should test for ammonia from day 1. Read the fishless cycle pinned topic in the beginners section.

laterite can be added whenever: before you set up your tank or 50 years down the line lol!

tbh I wouldnt add ferts if you've got low lighting. It'll just help algae in my experience.

If you're going with the plants that people have suggested alot of them (mosses ferns anubias) prefer being on boulders or wood so don't need a rich substrate. They also dont need much in the way of light and nutrients so should be fine without ferts anyway.

14gtr14

 

[Lucylou]

ferns sound good, thanks for the tips