20G long plant advice - new to plants

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J

J0ker

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
147
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New Jersey
I just started doing some reading on aquatic plants and would like some advice. I have a 20 gallon long fresh water tank and would really like to start stocking it with plants..

Any recommendations for beginners? i.e. something that won't just die and something that these fish wont eat.

Also, what kinda of special lighting is needed?

Stocked with:
3 German Blue Rams 1.5''
1 Gibbiceps Pleco 2.5''
1 Clown Pleco 2''
1 Rosie Barb 1.5''
2 Silver fin tetras 1''
2 Cory Adolfi 1''

Will any of these guys eat the plants?
 
Read the stickies, they will get you started. As far as plant options go, I need to know your type of lighting, and it's kelvin rating, or brand and type.
 
Thanks, I ready your sticky on plants for beginners... To be honest I kinda just jumped into it last night.

I bought
Oriental Sword
Wisteria
Cobamba (not sure if this is correct)
Onion Plant
Crypto something

At the LFS the guy told me these are all low light easily manages plants... how accurate is this?

I will check my light when I get home and let you know what type it is.
 
Yes those are all low light. Cabomba is how it is spelled, and Cryptocoryne, which would be the genus.
 
My bulb is Aqueon 8,000k full spectrum daylight / 17W 120V T8 24''

Is this any good?

Can pH/ammonia/aquarium salt damage the plants??
 
i was wondering about the above question also. i put a little bit of salt in the tank after water changes. and when i put 1 amazon sword 1glossostigma 1micro sword 1oriental sword. the gloss didnt stand a chance. the amazon is doing ok and the oriental well i think that one is slowly dieing. but the micro sword seems to be doing the best.
 
So it's been about 3 weeks since I planted this little 20g long and most of the plants are dying. The only onese that seem to be doing alright are the banana plant and the onion plant. Everything else is dying.

This is my Bulb: Aqueon 8,000k full spectrum daylight / 17W 120V T8 24''

Basically my question is, for a 20 gallon long, what kind of lighting should I have for plants needing medium light?

What are good plants for a 20 long?

I tried reading the sticky for the lighting question but I really don't understand it too much.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
I might get two or three clamp lights from lowes or whatever...I use two with 18w of spiral CFL bulbs to light my 10g.
 
you didn't state wether you chose a nutritous substrate. for the swords and Cryptocoryne they are heavy rootfeeders so it might help for them if you bought root tabs. the Cryptocoryne might be melting but shouldn't die (it sometimes melt when disturbed or changes in environment like new lighting) and needs very little light.
glosso and microsword are little more demanding and may need dosing of excel or some sort of liquid fertilizer.
a plant that no one could probably kill even in dismal conditions is a anubias plant.
 
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