Hi i'm thinking of planting my tank and I was wondering if anyone could tell my what kind of equipment, plants, substrate and fertilizers I should use.
P.s. I don't have any experience planting tanks and have goldfish, plecos, and tetras.
your goldfish and pleco may eat some of your softer less hardy plants. most easy and hardy plants are considered low light. see lighting sticky to figure out how much you want to afford on lighting. if you choose to go low light you won't need co2 equipment.
cheaper substrates people used : sand mixed with laterite/clay, miracle gro potting organic potting soil topped with fine gravel/sand , osmocote tabs mixed in substrate
i think mondo grass and ribbon plants are both bog plants.(i need to recheck) meaning they will be fine for a few weeks to a few months before they start dying. bog plants need a period which they are not fully sumerge. so they might be better off if just their roots are dandling in the water.
do not let this discourage you though.
a rule of thumb for "true aquatic plants" is if it does not fall over or can support it's weight when taken out of water, it is probably not a true aquatic.
i recommend getting any anbius plant, amazon sword, java fern, most crypts, marmio ball. these plants are really easy to keep. these plants have very little additional requirments and make good beginner plants.
1. Do you want a high tech or low tech?
2. If you are on a low budget and go low tech, then you won't have a c02 infuser. This means you will need to provide c02 in other ways (aka "Flourish")
3. If you don't buy high tech lights, you will need to buy certain plants that only are ok with low light
4. Substrate: you should add eco-complete or a nourished-substrate
Im getting some new substrate, 4 Hagen Plant Grow Natural Systems with C02, some more plants, some driftwood, I have high light, and already have rocks.
Probably get these plants
Marmio balls
anubias
sword plants
dwarf hair grass
java lance fern
moneywort
temple plant
and a bunch more.
