Educated newbie needs opinions

[jenlpac]

I got a 10g for Christmas, and I've been doing research ever since. I know most of you are going to start by saying I should get a bigger tank, but I don't want a bigger tank. I don't have the space and I would really like to start small. I know not to get too many fish, and I don't plan on getting big fish, and I'm aware that I'll be making frequent water changes. And yes, I'm even aware that it'll have to be cycled.

What I'm wondering is whether or not I should start with a planted tank, and which plants would be best if I do. I'm willing to do all the reading and research necessary to avoid negligent mistakes, but I'm just wondering if it's too difficult for a beginner aquarist (is that misspelled?). I've researched so many beautiful plants, and I adore the natural look, but I'd hate to cause too many unnecessary deaths (plants are alive too). I've never had much luck with land plants, and I'm wondering if I should just settle for the fake ones. Any suggestions?

By the way, although I just joined, I've been reading these forums for weeks and I love MFT! Thanks for all the great knowledge!

 

[ishar]

Well, to start, Welcome to the Tank .

Secondly, it is very good to see that you have done research and read up on things- makes things a lot easier for you.

Thirdly, I just started up a 20G and I planted it. I started slowly, with plastic decorations and some java moss. Slowly, I started to ad more live plants and remove all of the plastic ones (if you really feel like it the link to my journal is in my sig).

It has been quite the rollercoaster trying to figure them out and keep them living, but if you start with the right equipment and plants you should be fine. If you want live plants try to keep at least 1WPG (watt per gallon of water) over your tank, and then you should be fine for low light plants such as java moss, java fern, most crypts (I think), anubias' and many others out there (but those are the ones, other than crypts, that I have had a very positive experience with).

You will find that once you plant in the aquarium plants they will sort of take care of themselves. Java fern and anubias are very slow growers I find, so once you plant them you don't even need to prune them much, so they are likely the first plants I would get. Java moss is super easy but it can be a pain as it can let loose a single strand which will land somewhere and get tangled where you don't want it.

So what I am trying to say is to start, a few low light plants with around 1WPG would be an excellent way to start. And don't be afraid to mix plastic with live to start- this way you don't need to invest so much in live plants to find out you don't like it (which I doubt will happen ). Don't e afraid to ask any of us any questions and keep us posted on this tank .

 

[seastaar88]

Welcome!

Have you read through the stickies in the aquatic plants section?

I'm like you, I have a black thumb when it comes to terrestrial plants, but I can handle aquatic plants and have been relativly sucessful.

I'm short on time today. I'm not going to go into details (as they are all covered in stickies).. but...

IMHO, if you have the money available, I would suggest throwing yourself into a moderate to high light tank. With 10G, it will be relatively easy to maintain. I would buy power compact lighting at 6700K (look for 2-3 wpg),ecocomplete for your substrate (I think one bag would be plenty) and some ferts. I would also read the sticky under the DIY section for DIY CO2 (very inexpensive). If you think you really want a planted tank, I'd rather see you go in full force than decide later on to upgrade to high-tech.

AquaBid.com - Sell or buy aquarium related equipment and fish in an auction format! has great assortment packages of plants so you can get a few plants and see what works best in your tank.

 

[tom91970]

Welcome to MFT!

I agree...start with a few easy to maintain plants to see how you like it. I started my first planted tank (a 29 gallon) and I really didn't get it to do what I wanted it to do. Now I'm doing a smaller tank (14 gallon) and it's much easier (and cheaper) to get more watts per gallon.

Good luck!

 

[jenlpac]

Thanks for the welcome and for the wonderful input!!

I'm definitely going to be doing some reading on the aquatic plants section. I hadn't even noticed that. Thanks Seastaar!! I'll be taking a trip to my lfs this weekend to pick out some equipment. Would it be okay to start with just a couple small plants, or would it stress the fish out more with less cover? Also, I've read a few different sites about fishless cycling. Is it actually okay to do so with the plants already in there, or should I wait until the cycling is complete to start planting?

Here's what I was hoping for in the end, but I just want to make sure all life forms would be compatible.

Plants:
Cabomba; Ludwigia repens; Vallisneria spiralis; Ludwigia ovalis; Java fern; Crystalwort; and Willow moss. (I may have to decide between one or the other of the latter two.) Yeah, I'm probably trying to put way too many plants in my little tank. What do you think?

Fish:
A dwarf gourami (trying to decide between the red flame, powder blue, or honey), four long finned blue danios; two ottos; and a blue or golden mystery snail (that might be bad for my plants though).

Anyway, I'm open for suggestions and still researching the compatibility of my plants. How do I figure that out? I'd love to know what everyone thinks of my ideas. Even if it means I've made a big mistake in my choices.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond!

 

[MissFishy]

I kill pretty much every plant except java fern and java moss, so can't help you there, but I can say that danios are probably a bit too active for your tank size, they would prefer to be in something larger. Perhaps look into white clouds as a replacement in your stocking plan? A couple cherry barbs might be cute too and would make a nice contrast with the plants.

 

[ishar]

Is it actually okay to do so with the plants already in there, or should I wait until the cycling is complete to start planting?

It is very ok to have plants in while you cycle your tank- VERY ok. They actually help to keep the severity of the cycle down, lowering the nitrate levels somewhat so you need less water changes/less water changing each time.

As for your fish I think those sound ok. I am not very experienced any any of them, but I think they should be ok.

Compatibility of plants? Sky is the limit . As long as each plant suits the tank- that is the key there I think. Besides making sure tall plants don't shade out the lower ones, each plant just needs a certain amount of light and a certain amount of fertilizer. As long as each individual plant is suitable to the conditions of the tank then the plants should be fine.

That being said, pruning is a must in some cases. Like if the tall plants in the back begin to grow across the surface they will shade out the tank and must be trimmed. Also some plants (I know of none off hand) might be very quick growers and may disturb other plants' root systems and what not so they may need to be held back.

Please wait for a few other posts to yay or nay my post and given info, but this is all from readings I have done and my little experience gained as a planted tank keeper .

 

[TabMorte]

Java Fern and Java Moss are great starter plants. I started with a 10 G and it's my largest tank still considering space is an issue for me too (and I love my little bettas).

I have a lovely Marble Queen too in my 10G that my tetras love to swim through but you have to be careful to keep them trimmed so the higher leaves don't block the light of the lower ones as these grow very tall unless kept in check.

The Java Fern and Java Moss also grow nicely in lower light conditions which, given you're just starting out you'll find easier (and more economical to meet).