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hey i'd just like some basic do's and dont's on a planted tank i'm going with a 10 gal for starters and would like to know some good hardy plants that i can't butcher right off the batt as of know i have on small tetra in the tank it,s fully cycle heated to 78 deg with 30 watts of 6500 k don't know what info you really need so if this is useless info sorry i,ll do better next time

[EDITED] Completely overlooked the wattage
As for fish, get 8 neons or something like that. You can overstock a bit with plants because they absorb ammonia, but in a 10, you really shouldn't push it.

Last edited by djtj at 08-Nov-2005 16:00

Hi there.
Well, first of all, with 30 watts of light
you have a solid 2.5-3.0 watts per gallon.
This is perfect for most plants.
Its also perfect for algae.
There are many hardy good quality plants,
just depending on what you like.
In a 10g tank, you want to choose plants
that dont grow too large, unless you dont mind
trimming them regularly.
You want to plant a tank in levels, so start
with the background, this is where you will put
taller, bushier plants.
I like Ambulia (Limnophilia Aquatica), as a feathery,
bushy, hardy plant. It does require regular trimming though. Another good background plant is Wisteria (hygrophilia difformis). It also requires trimming to keep it short, but not as much as the ambulia.
Then, choose some shorter plants for the sides, I find Vallisneria Spiralis is nice along the sides of a tank.
It also doesnt grow too tall, and the corkscrew variety is even shorter.
Then you want to fill in the front of the tank. With 3 watts per gallon, you have lots of options for foreground plants, from riccia, to microsword, to hairgrass.
I would highly reccomend cryptocornes as a hardy, smaller plant suited for most lighting conditions.
A great site for plants is http://www.tropica.com
Also, consider C02, either do it yourself, or buy a simple cheap c02 system like the Nutrafin c02 system.
It will help keep algae down and help keep the plants growing.


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