Two Watts Per Gallon

[_Cal_]

Would 2 watts per gallon be good enough for most plants? I want to expand out of swords, java ferns and combanas.

 

[yvez9]

Yes, it will give you lots of options, but you will need to consider adding co2 with s much light. 3 wpg would be better obviously, if you can get a 65w powercompact strip!

 

[blue_ram]

Would 2 watts per gallon be good enough for most plants? I want to expand out of swords, java ferns and combanas.

That would depend on size and depth of the aquarium. 2 watts/gallon for 10gallon isn't the same thing as 2 watts/gallon for 55 gallon aquarium. That being said, Java Fern would do quite well under 20watt in 10 gallon tank. Mine grows pretty well in 10 gallon. I'm not sure what 'combanas" are, but if you mean Cabombas, the answer is (kinda) yes for 45 gallon (and larger), and no for 10gallon (or less). Cabomba needs at least 2.5watt/gallon to do well.

[edit]
Just realized that you're probably referring to your 20gallon. So the answer is it's more than enough for Java Fern, but not enough for Cabomba. You might want to add few other plants like Water Wisteria to slow down algae growth.

 

[_Cal_]

What are some plants I can put in my tank with 2 watts per gallon? I do have a co2 system btw.
This is what I was thinking..
Current
2 Amazion Swords
6 Java Ferns(Maybe even more, they are reproducing like crazy)
2 Cambonas
Future
Water Wisteria
Japanese dwarf rush
Other types of swords, what would you recommend?
And a type of grass, maybe mirco swords?
And any other plants that are common and look great...

 

[blue_ram]

What are some plants I can put in my tank with 2 watts per gallon? I do have a co2 system btw.
This is what I was thinking..
Current
2 Amazion Swords
6 Java Ferns(Maybe even more, they are reproducing like crazy)
2 Cambonas
Future
Water Wisteria
Japanese dwarf rush
Other types of swords, what would you recommend?
And a type of grass, maybe mirco swords?
And any other plants that are common and look great...

I think this should be moved to planted tank forum...

• Amazon Swords need enriched substrate. Plain old sand/gravel won't cut it. I did however had some success with the Swords in a well planted/established tank. I guess there was enough crud under the gravel to keep the Swords happy
• Java Fern needs very little to do well. In a brighter environment, it will grow even faster.
• Water Wisteria may or may not do well. They need medium lighting to grow. Water Sprite looks very similar and needs less light to do well. But both of them will easily overrun your tank, if the conditions are to their liking. Better them than the algae though.
• Japanese Dwarf Rush seems to be more of a bog plant than aquarium plant. I've never kept one, but I've seen them growing emerged in ponds. I'm not sure how well they'll do in your setup.
• Cabomba needs more light than what you're planning.

If you are new to this, my recommendations are:

• Anubias (Nana, Coffeefolia, Barteri) : greate beginner plant, slow growing, hard to kill
• Sagittaria Subulata: an undemanding good midground plant. Don't let their common name "Dwarf" Sagittaria fool you. They are not a carpet plant.
• Cryptocoryne Wendtii(brown, red, bronze): undemanding, easy plant to grow; not as susceptable to the "crypt meltdown disease".

There are quite a bit more, so I'll just post the links to some of the recommended plants:
Plant Geeks
Planted Tank Forum here
Tropica Online Plant Database

There are other good sites, but I can't think of them off hand. You definitely should visit the Tropica's website. It's got extensive information on pretty much all the common plants.

What ever you do, make sure you sterilize the plants to kill off the algae, snail, and other 'bugs' that might have hitch hiked along with the plants.
[edit]
Check out the Planted Tank Forum too: Planted Tank Forum

 

[_Cal_]

Thanks for the info but Im not totally new, my old name has 1100 posts, but I know yout tryin to help. As for the amazon swords I already have 2 and their doing great, green, and huge considering I got them when they were small. Ill have to wait and plan this out, and come december Ill get the lighting, and plants.

 

[modernhamlet]

I'll just add that at 2 watts/gallon, you're right at the edge of needing to add co2. You could do DIY (yeast) co2, but on such a small tank, you should be able to get good growth by just dosing Excel or a similar carbon additive.