Planted tank

[amehel0]

what is a plant that looks like grass and that attaches to wood/rocks? how do i attach it to wood/rocks?im doing a small planted 40cmL by 40cmW by 30cmH.can i use a simple double flouro? what is an ideal kelivin level?(by the way i will post pics when im done, but first i have to build the tank ;))

[ShadowVengance]

id say java moss is your best bet.

[Haag13]

Java moss would definitely work. Lighting is a little trickier on small tanks like that because the watts per gallon rule really doesn't apply(see www.rexgrigg.com (http://www.rexgrigg.com) for his explanation.) It also depends on what other plants you are trying to grow and if you are planning to add CO2 or not. Java moss is a low-med light plant. Regardless of all that, on a tank that small, a standard double flourescent should be fine. Most people with planted tanks use bulbs with a color temperature of 5000-10000K. And within that range, most people agree that anywhere between 5500-6700K is ideal.

[amehel0]

thanks for your help. i will also try to post pics of my 200 litre semi planted tank tommorow

[amehel0]

how do you attach java moss to wood or rocks

[Haag13]

cotton thread, fishing line, rubber bands......any of those will work. Just remove it in a few weeks once the moss takes hold.

[mlawson]

What about flame moss?

[amehel0]

hmmmmm. java moss looks a bit invasive is there any other type of plant, also i was thinking more of a chainsword grass style any ideas?

[WyldFya]

It will be very difficult to get an echinodorus to root on rock. Chain swords won't anchor to rocks hardly at all.

[amehel0]

anyway built the tank(smaller than i expected its now 30x21x20)

[Haag13]

Just curious as to why you would build a tank that small. You can buy a 5.5 gallon tank for about $7.

[amehel0]

because im making a custom built one. i want small but more importantly i want width and lenght more then height. i cant buy ones of this size.

[WyldFya]

Well that, and with the dimensions you built, the tank is perfect for many plants. Gives you more room to work with depth-wise, and removes the need for a more expensive light to penetrate the water to keep ground covers on the ground. I'd like to see some photos of this new tank, it will be a really nice one to see.

[Haag13]

I'm not trying to argue with you, and I think building your own custom tank is definitely cool, but my 5.5g measures about 40X21X26.5 cm. That's pretty close to the tank you built. It actually gives you 10cm more length with the same depth and only adds about 6cm in height. I highly doubt you'll need a more expensive light to penetrate 6cm of water. Of course, you may not be able to buy a 5.5 gal in australia for $8, or at all for that matter. Nonetheless, kudos to you for building your own tank. You should have no trouble growing any groundcover or whatever else you want to in that tank and I look forward to pictures.

[WyldFya]

Haha, I was reading that as inches, which would put that at nearly 55 gallons, and a great planted tank. If that is cm then that would be a different story.

[amehel0]

yeh im going "mini", anyway have to wait a few weeks as i am in the middle of purchasing a 5 foot cabinet and need more silicone. but if they pay me properly i will finish this tank and may even purchase some nice sheets acrylic and make a bigger tank the same size as the original tank. i had some acrylic but it cracked whilst i was cutting it. but this is gonna be a heavily planted tank with co2 injection and water nutrients. i only intend to have dwarf chains, java moss( they may be classified as a noxious weed in my state, because they seem quite invasive) and one - 2 feature plants. another thing its actually fun making tanks because i have all the money to go to a custom aquarium manufacturer and say make me this and that how much, but it aint fun.