Totally new to planted tanks..need a little help.

Hi! I have a 55 gallon sitting my garage waiting to be set up at the end of this month and I want it to be planted.

I kind of wanted it to look like this http://youtu.be/IKmrIaHSt9c , except for the spiny plants in that back, I don't really like those. I really like the everything else about it though. I really like broad leaved plant and I liked a nice carpet plant.

1. Can anyone name all the plants in there?

2. What kind of substrate has nutrients in it? Will I have to dose with ferts and co2? Lighting?

If I missed a thread that has all of this info.. you can just link me to it haha.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristen Toth on December 6, 2012 at 10:52pm

Just kidding, you don't have to name every plant. He names them all basically, oops.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LED on December 7, 2012 at 2:34pm

brazilian pennywort, crypts, HM (Hemianthus Calitrichoides aka dwarf baby tears), rotala (which you said you didnt like)

if you're going to do carpeting plants you will need at least medium high lighting, co2 and, fert dosing in most cases (HM, especially glosso, and other carpeting plants. the ones mentioned are the most common)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ahmed on December 12, 2012 at 10:54pm

the substrate depends on your preference the most important part about plants is having the essential nutrients for the bacteria for the nitrogen cycle not plants. you also might want to purchase mycorrhizea, and turmaline. you can get bacteria from another planted freshwater setup just grab some of the topsoil

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Peter on December 12, 2012 at 11:22pm

seing as how he is new to planted tanks i believe he doesnt have another planted setup to get used substrate from. in all honesty i dont even know wat ahmed is talking about with mycorrhizea and tourmaline, i would follow LED's info and get equipment based on the plants u want. ie carpeting plants need higher light and higher levels of co2 than lets say a sword plant, or green stem plants. red plants need high light w/ high iron. so just research the type of plants ur planing on getting and go from there

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LED on December 15, 2012 at 4:47pm

If one waits and add enough plants good bacteria eventually grows. Saturation of terrestrial soil usually leads to a drop in bacteria population due to decreased oxygen levels. The addition of mycorrhizea is not well studied in submerged situations so there is no need to buy and add this. Beside it naturally occurs so why buy it. Tourmaline however is a decent addition to your substrate when mixed with the lower most layers.