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i have a 29g i have gravel, plastic plants and some rock, i was looking to keep the rock but i want to go with maybe some heavy wheight sand and live plants obviously. no my question is what kinds of plants should i use and where could i get appropriate sand

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First, What are your plans for light, ferts and CO2? This will dedicate what plants will work well for you.

As for the sand... I would try to do only a beach front with it and use either normal gravel or plant gravel like eco compleat or flourite in the back. You plants will like this much better.

Something like this:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/13681.16.htm?397#

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

Most people say that sand really isn't great for planted tanks because it compacts over time and can crush out plant roots and creat anaerobic pockets that can be dangerous to fish if disturbed. Some people have good luck with sand, though. I would suggest pool filter sand for the larger grains and slightly lighter weight. It's also cheaper than sand you can get from the LFS, and much cleaner and whiter than playsand. You can find it at the hardware store, or if you have a pool and spa company near you, they should carry it as well.
Make sure you rinse it very well. Sand particles can ruin a power filter in very little time, so I suggest a sponge pre-filter (or just sticking a piece of filter sponge over your intake tube) and make sure your intake has some clearance above the level of the sand in case fish or you stir it up.

Lighting... Depends on what kind of plants you want to keep. I have had great luck with anubias, java ferns, and crypts in low-light planted tanks. For many stem plants, especially the feathery leaved ones, or the red ones, you'll need more intense light, and I suggest you go with a compact fluorescent fixture. They're expensive, but you can't beat the intensity of light, and the bulbs last for freaking ever, unlike regular fluorescent bulbs.

If you have high lighting, you increase your need for additional fertilizers. Light is only one "nutrient" a plant needs, and in order to grow well, a plant needs a balanced "diet." If one or more nutrients are out of balance, then the plant will show it with abnormal growth. In low light tanks, the fish waste and trace elements in your tap water are usually enough to keep the plants healthy. In high light tanks, the plants are getting much more light, so they get much more hungry for the other necessary nutrients.
I personally use the Seachem Flourish line of plant supplements--and I mean the whole line. I use 6 different bottles of stuff in my 30 gallon tank three times every week. The good news is that you use such small amounts that one 8.5 oz. bottle lasts nearly a whole year, so while it's expensive up front, you only need to shell out that much cash once a year.
I use Flourish Excel for carbon. I tried DIY CO2 (yeast and sugar), but couldn't keep it stable enough, and it resutled in some bad algae breakouts. You don't get the kind of acceelerated growth and pearling with Excel like you sometimes do with real CO2, but it's generally pretty stable.
I also supplement with Flourish Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Iron. These are the macronutrients plants need. I also use regular Flourish (but not Flourish-trace) to provide a range of micronutrients.
And because my water is ridiculously soft, I also use Seachem Equilibrium to provide salts and minerals like calcium and magnesium. It doesn't raise my Ph much, but does buffer the water slightly.

So, if you can tell us what kind of lighting you want to have, and what kind of look you're aiming for, we can help you with a plant list.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hi,
I suggest that you open this link which is located in the
PLANTED AQUARIA section of Fish Profiles and read it.
Most of your questions will be answered:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/13454.1.htm?30#

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks for info everyone. i have a 29gal. with a full hood, the light i belive is just a 17w that was included with hood... im on a tight budget so power compact lighting is a bit out of the question, i was thinking keep it simple with low light plants

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Hi,
Sounds like an excellent idea. For plants, you can use
any of the "low light" plants such as the crypts, and
some anubis, etc.
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks Frank i read you post on a different thread that you linked above, very informative, and noticeably allot of effort involved

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