Low Tech Planted Tank Help

[emmettbaby]

Ok so I have a 29 gallon. I do NOT have any fish yet. I have a light "for plant growing", not sure if this was a rip off or not, but it came with the tank. I'm planning on just having some simple, easy to care for plants. I want this low tech people, let's not get too crazy! I have Estes Marine Sand (safe for freshwater aquariums). The sand is extremely fine (got it for cories) and is close to mud consistency when wet (very thick) so I thought it would be good for plants. What I'm looking for is some kind of grass-type/looking plant to cover most of the bottom of my tank and some kind of moss (java moss?) to put over the rock formations I have. I would also like a couple of tall plants (none that get over 14 inches please, my tank is only 18 inches high, 30 inches long and 12 wide). If anyone could help me out that would be great!

If anyone needs to know, I have a HOB filter, (rainbow slate?) rock and malaysian driftwood in the tank as well

 

[dayzofspeed]

what about java fern as your taller specimen plant, i believe thats very undemanding and does well in lower light/low tech tanks. i also like anubias for fixing onto objects in the tank, slow growing but very easy to care for. i think the short grass type plants need good light but i may be wrong on that as i'm no plant expert. pygmy chain swords can resemble a grass i suppose and are good for spreading

 

[GrayScale]

Check out dwarf hairgrass for the grass lawn effect. Java moss would work well for attaching to the formations. Check out vallisneria for the bacground. You're not going to get a plant that only grows to a specific height so eventual trimming will be needed with most background plants. Some other backgrounds could be hygrophila, cabomba, anacharis. Most are easy tocare for and they would all benefit from root tabs that you press into the substrate.

Java fern and anubias are great as well and grow best attached to something and not planted directly into the substrate.

 

[KittyKat]

No bother plants are Java fern, Java moss and Anubias spp., in my experience. You could also try Crypts, Amazon swords and Hygrphila spp.

 

[stevereade]

Riccia for a grass, doesn't need high light and imo the best looking lawn effect.

 

[emmettbaby]

K thanks so much you all, I've been looking in the pinned posts for places to buy these sorts of plants, but can't seem to find the plants people are listing, is there one or two good places to buy from? I'll keep looking though!

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Ok so I've been looking up the plants you all have suggested.
Could I get 1 anubias berti and 1 nana or just pick one? Should they go in middle or back?
I like both the riccia and dwarf hairgrass, but I'm leaning toward the hairgrass.
I'd like get a java fern (2?)
I LOVE the anacharis, thank you for the suggestion grayscale! I'll definitely get one of those.
I'm getting java moss for my rocks as well!
What do you all think about micro sword as a sort of foreground/outline my rocks and wood kind of plant?

Ok I'm not sure where to start, I'm still reading all the pins but where do I start? Like, physically in the tank, what should I buy first? Should I start the lawn and mossy rocks, putting in bg and middle later. Or do the bg/middle and let the lawn grown around? Or is this a weekend job (I would think you'd space it out over time so not to overload the tank).

Like I said earlier, there are no fish to kill, but losing plants is just as bad to me (money-wise if nothing else).

 

[GrayScale]

Liveaquaria isn't too terrible. They have quite a limited supply on plant types. I was looking at a website earlier for plants but don't remember what it was. I googles fresh water aquarium plants and I think it was the 2nd or 3rd link.

I would start lightly but plants will not kill fish unless they are suicidal and strangle themselves on a peice of moss or something . In fact it's quite the opposite; fish waste feed the plants. The qaste breaks down into ammonia and your filters(if mature) break it down into nitrite and then into nitrates. Plants actually use the nitrates as a food supply. The nana would be fine as fore-mid ground. As mentioned, anubias are best grown attached to driftwood or rocks. They get their nutrients from there rhizomes.

One thing with planted tanks is that my tank might do better with x types of plants and your tank might not do so well with x types of plants but better with y types of plants. Just using the x and y to differentiate. So it's all about finding out what does best for you.

Draw out a top-down view of your tank and think about what you want and then mark off spots where you want to place it. There is a topic on the "golden ratio" which is where you want to place the most eyecatching part of your scape. Its not something you HAVE to use but it's something to keep in mind when scaping.

 

[emmettbaby]

ok thank you, actually this was one of the site I was looking at. Very good charts about plant care and such. I'm not sure about plant pricing, but it doesn't seem too terrible.

Ok so I was thinking maybe I should get a few fish in the tank and a few plants and see how it goes. I read one pin that planted tanks should do fish-in cycles, because you don't want algae blooms? The tanks in the basement so the only light it's getting is from the tank light and room light, but I do best with fish-in anyway.

First I have to finish getting my rocks and how I want them. Then I think I'm leaning toward transferring my cory and scissortails and getting an anacharis and java moss.

 

[GrayScale]

I just finished editing a second time haha. It is preferred that you hold off on the plants and fish and do the fishless cycle. There is a pinned topic in tropical discussion or "your new freshwater" section

Although as a planted tank a fish-in cycle is still possible but you will still get some algae spikes. Also would suggest 2-3 water changes a week of maybe 10-15% of the water.

 

[emmettbaby]

Okay, just read through one of the fishless cycle pins and I suppose I will try it. Will it hurt my wood or can I just leave it in there? Also, can I still do stuff to the tank while it's cycling or do this before (not that I'm too inclined to stick my hand in a tank full of ammonia), I thought I should ask!

 

[GrayScale]

What kind of stuff do you mean? No it shouldn't affect the wood any.

 

[dayzofspeed]

the amount of ammonia in the tank is going to be negligible as far as you are concerned, you're not exactly sticking your hand in a bucket of pee lol so dont worry about that

 

[KittyKat]

You can pick&mix plants without a problem: there are so few instances where plants might conflict, that I have never heard of this happening.

+1 for fishless cycle first, then add plants and fish once it is done.

 

[emmettbaby]

ok, will do! I guess I'll talk with you all in a few weeks (or months...) thanks for all the help everybody. Feel free to post tips or anything, I'll watch the topic until it gets off the first page!