I have had several fresh water tanks over the years but none with live plant. I resently got a 55 gallon tank and have a few fresh water fish in it. i like to give live plants a try. Any sugestion on plants to get for a begainer?
Best Plants for Begainer
- Thread starter k0y0te
- Start date
Anubias sp.
Cryptocoryne sp.
Vallisneria
Egeria densa
Hygrophila difformis
Lemna minor
Pistia stratiotes
Nymphaea lotus
Echinodorus sp.
Java moss
Java ferns
Hornworts
What substrate do you use? Rooted plants are better off with sand or fine gravel. What is your lighting system? Give yourself a start with low lighting plants first before you move to the more complex ones.
Cryptocoryne sp.
Vallisneria
Egeria densa
Hygrophila difformis
Lemna minor
Pistia stratiotes
Nymphaea lotus
Echinodorus sp.
Java moss
Java ferns
Hornworts
What substrate do you use? Rooted plants are better off with sand or fine gravel. What is your lighting system? Give yourself a start with low lighting plants first before you move to the more complex ones.
cool , thx. i use fine gravel for now and for the lighting its low but i did want to change the lighting to something a lil more. just wanted to do some research before diving into the matter
k0y0te;3207084; said:
Yes, plants do need special lighting. Regular light bulbs are just going to result in your plants dying over the course of a couple months. As a general rule for you, you need to find lights that are between 5500K and 10000K (these are the color temperatures on the bulbs, look on the packages to see what they say). These colors mimic daylight and are going to cause your plants to be much healthier.
If I were you, I would also get some aquarium plant fertilizer for the plants (Seachem makes a product called "Flourish Comprehensive Plant Supplement), since you stated you were only using a fine gravel. Just like a terrestrial plant, aquarium plants need nutrients to live. There are none in the gravel you're going to root them in, hence the additional fertilizer.
And make sure to really do some research about the plants you're going to put in the tank. Different plants all have different requirements and you're going to want to find that out first.
You might be able to grow anubias, java fern, or java moss under your "regular" aquarium lighting. Just take the wattage of the bulb and divide by the number of gallons in your tank. If you end up with 2.5 to 3 watts per gallon, these three would grow, and are mostly sold either already attached to driftwood, or you can attach it yourself. The effect is stunning, requires no special substrate, and is a low-light setup. I currently grow java fern in a 5.5 gallon tank with a normal light that gives me about two and a half watts per gallon, and it's flourishing. I agree with Lupin that a fertilizer is necessary, but with these plants, it would just be a pour-in-the-tank fertilizer, because their roots collect nutrients from the water. This makes it easier to use the fertlizer.
I'mHooked;3209085; said:
cool1 thx for the reply, i have fertilizer already and give it as directed. i got 3 sets of 3 differant plants. Unfortunally i dont remeber the names of them, just remeber the tag said moderate light. i have lights by aqua-glo.two 15w 18", one for each side of the tank. the box it came in says ideal for freshwater aquarium and plants. it has a bunch of numbers on it but not sure what they means....lol. it does say 18000k but it also states 290 lumen and 7500 h. are these light 2 much or not enough? do u have a recomandation for lights?
For a 55 gallon aquarium, two 18" bulbs putting out roughly 300 lumens each isn't going to be too much light, especially once it reaches the lower base of the tank. Check out the sticky on lighting - it talks about the strength of light you'll need given your tank size. But, it should be enough to grow low-light species, like java fern and similar undemanding plant species.
The 18000k bulb is going to have a much higher bluish hue to it. It'll work for freshwater plants, but most of the light past 6700k isn't really used by plants anyways. So, it really comes down to what you prefer your tank to look like. Many freshwater enthusiasts prefer the 10,000k bulb, since it has a clean, crisp appearance. And they are usually cheaper bulbs anyways, especially when you order online.
If you're going to want higher light demanding species, you're definitely going to have to upgrade your lighting system. But then you get an excuse to buy a new lighting system right?
The 18000k bulb is going to have a much higher bluish hue to it. It'll work for freshwater plants, but most of the light past 6700k isn't really used by plants anyways. So, it really comes down to what you prefer your tank to look like. Many freshwater enthusiasts prefer the 10,000k bulb, since it has a clean, crisp appearance. And they are usually cheaper bulbs anyways, especially when you order online.
If you're going to want higher light demanding species, you're definitely going to have to upgrade your lighting system. But then you get an excuse to buy a new lighting system right?
I'mHooked;3209184; said:For a 55 gallon aquarium, two 18" bulbs putting out roughly 300 lumens each isn't going to be too much light, especially once it reaches the lower base of the tank. Check out the sticky on lighting -
thank you all so much
I will be going to get better lighting tomorrow
wow I did not realize how pricey lighting can be. It will be a few more weeks before i can upgrade. However the clerk at the LFS told me that putting aluminum foil behind the light would help a little. Has anyone done this? Is this a waist of time. Just want a temp fix until i can get my new lighting. I hate to loose my plants. I know I was dumb about getting them without doing research but the damage is done so to speak. lol Just trying to find a temp solution for now.