Heavily-Planted Tank "Experiment"

[mandi]

Alright, every so often I get a "bug" and want to try something new. Last time it was a nano-reef (still going well!). I was browsing through the photos on this site and I decided that my new project is going to be a small, heavily planted tank. My other freshwater tanks all have plants, but they're easy stuff -- Java fern, hornworth, etc. I'd like to try something more complex, and focus on plants rather than fish (maybe add 1 betta eventually or something). I'm thinking of using either a 2.5 gallon or 5 gallon rectangular tank.

I had a few questions though:

First, what should I use as substrate? What additives/fertilizers/etc should I have on hand?

Second, what is a nice carpet plant I could use?
(Or for that matter, other nifty plants you would suggest.)
I'm planning on a 13 watt compact flourescent light (5.2 watts per gallon) if I go with the 2.5 gallon tank, or two of them (again, 5.2 watts/gal) if I get a 5 gallon tank) -- is this sufficient lighting?

Lastly, I know *nothing* about adding CO2 to the tank. Would something like this one be good? Or is it even worth using CO2 in a tank that small?

Any help/advice is much appreciated. Thanks in advance. (I'm off to continue reading the links in the pinned articles.)

 

[Lateral Line]

Finer substrates work better then coarse, I use swimming pool filter sand - it has an even grain size and shape, and does not pack down like say silver sand does. If you can get some laterite under it, so much the better.

For plant reco's it would be better to know your water parameters. Some of the best small plants are quite fussy when it comes to pH and hardness.

Make sure your CF has an appropriate spectrum. Most domestic use CF's have a low spectrum, around 2700K. You need to get one of the higher spectral types. Look for something between about 5500K and 6500K, they are available.

After light, CO2 is the next most important nutrient. Even well stocked tanks will not generate enough CO2 to support a high light demanding plant. CO2 is therefore a really good thing in a planted tank. There are many that use those Hagen reactors.

 

[tear-scar]

Hi mandi, first I'd like to say that the wpg rule doesn't apply well to the small tanks. The wpg rule works on the idea that less depth means less light needed-- however, plants have a minimum light need. Don't think of the wpg rule with anything less than a 30 gallon tank.

Anyway, pc (power compact) lighting does work very well if given the needed spectrum. My LFs sells a Japanese brand fixture for a single pc 13w bulb, and the plants are doing great (it's the 5g in my sig). Even my submerged riccia (supposedly a high lighting plant) has great growth. The trick is that this particular fixture has very good built in reflectors. Reflectors are ESPECIALLY KEY in a small aquarium.

I'd recommend something easy for the foreground plant in your first try. Moss is a good pic in my book, even though others say it is messy. Moss is the foreground plant in my 10g. I've also found that, while they might be a bit too tall, hair grass and echinodorus tenellus are surprisingly durable and grow even when over-shaded by other plants. The ideal plant in terms of size is probably glosso, though it would be considered a more difficult route. Pearl grass, scientific name hemianthus micranthemoides is a popular mid-gound plant that has also been used successfully as a foreground carpeting plant, but will require more frequent trimming and greater lighting to accomplish this. Still, I find it to be an incredibly fast growing and resilient plant, as it is over-taking my 1.5 gallon tank under only 7 watts of flourescent lighting.

For substrate, the popular (though rather pricey) route to go now is eco-complete. Flourite has always worked well for me, both as planting medium and for its nutrients.

CO2 is a must, though keep it in check.

edit--> The pic of my 5g in my sig is darkened; the pc lighting is actually a lot brighter than that.

 

[Yenko]

I have good results in my heavily planted 10 gallon. 2X13w compact flourescents with reasonable reflectors provide lighting, flake food provides nutrients for the Java Fern and Moss, I have a bit of peat in the corner for the Sagitarius. DIY CO2 reactor; the tank is stocked with a betta and some baby guppies.