Going for a 10 gallon heavily planted

[cucci67]

So far the only somewhat "real" planted tank I have had was a 55 gallon lightly planted tank with anacharis and java fern. I have been using stock lighting and plain medium gravel. I am setting up a 10 gallon for a little cherry shrimp breeding, but I want it to be heavily planted. Also, I want to have nice plants in it, plants that require more light, but I do not want to have to get an expensive substrate. I am sorry if I don't really know what I am talking about. Basically I need lighting for the 10 gallon, but I am clueless as to where to start. I am not looking to spend too much money on this, depends what kind of results I am going to get out of it as to how much I will pay. If all works well I may consider doing a similair job on my 55. Planted tanks are 100 times better looking, I really want a nice one of my own.

Basically what I need to know is what type of lighting I am looking for, how much it should cost, and some ideas of plants that will fit in the tank and be good with the light.

[JustOneMore20]

but I do not want to have to get an expensive substrate

In a 10g you would probably only need 1 15-20lb bag of whatever you like. Eco-complete is nice. Flourite is also nice and neither are overly expensive. One bag will run you about $15-20 depending on where you get it.

A smaller tank requires more lighting, so I would shoot for atleast 3.5-4wpg on a 10g. This site sells a 36 watt retrofit kit for 10g hoods. That way you can keep your existing hood and just upgrade the lighting. I think buying a new fixture would cost about the same as the retrofit kit. I priced new lighting fixtures for my 10g and nothing was cheap enough to make me buy it.

For plant suggestions...there are really not too many for a 10g tank. The problem is the height. Many stem plants will outgrow it. I would check out Tropica. You can plug in the height of the tank and it will give you suggestions based on that. Then you can see what's available to you from that list.

HERE are some examples of some nice 10g tanks.

[cucci67]

Well, in a tight spot at the moment. Running a little low on cash. Lets say I were to not go with the new lighting or substate, and go "old fashion" way. Is there a nice moss that I can get to grow over the gravel that will not require the light and substrate. I need a moss that will make a carpet over the gravel. If there are none, then maybe it is worth it to invest the money for the new lighting.

[JustOneMore20]

Java moss is the only lower light moss I can think of. Other moss types need atleast medium lighting.

You could always use regular gravel and just upgrade the lighting, if you had the money to.

How much light is over the tank now?

[cucci67]

I have a standard hood, with 2 15 w bulbs. Technically it's 3 wpg, but I hear that it's not the same.

[JustOneMore20]

Technically it's 3 wpg, but I hear that it's not the same

Well, higher light is needed on smaller tanks to get the same effects as on larger ones. I think 3wpg will grow medium light plants. Heck, I grow medium light plants in my 10g with 2wpg. I think you can still achieve a heavily planted tank with 3wpg. I was afraid you had like less than 1wpg.

If you can find 2 20w bulbs that will fit in the hood, that would be 4wpg, which would be perfect. I am not sure that 20w bulbs will fit though.

I would just stick with what you have. I have bacopa caroliniana, corkscrew vals, anacharis, dwarf sag, taiwon moss, and rotala rotundifolia in my 10g with 2wpg. I have grown wisteria in it also. There are plenty of plant choices for your wattage that you could heavily plant the tank with.

If you can find some HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides), it may grow ok for a foreground plant. I don't know how glosso would do in that lighting, so I would try to get some HC.

[Damon]

Dwarf sag for a foreground. The rest will grow too tall. You could try echinodorous tennelus but it may not do well. DIY co2 would be a great boon for your tank and can make or break some species. As far as plant selection, you have a lot to choose from. Most plants will grow fine in there. Just stay away from the more difficult plants like Downoi, Pogostemon stellatus, Tonnia, and rotala macrandra. Most plants available in the lfs should be o.k.

[msdolittle]

I have a question.........how do you guys clean your gravel if your tank is planted/heavily planted?

[JustOneMore20]

You vacuum areas that you can see and lightly hover over the gravel with the vac. You can kind of move the vac so that it stirs up stuff on the bottom. That makes it easier to suck up.

[Ownager2004]

I dont clean the gravel at all. Whatever the shrimp and the snails dont get I let the plants have Unless its floating in the water column then i either net it out or pick it out.

[msdolittle]

So you mostly are just changing water then? Does the buildup (if any?) affect your water quality or make you have to change the water more often?

I'm asking because I'd like to start having more plants in my tank. I only have two live ones right now but eventually I'd like to be rid off all the fake.......

[Alin10123]

Originally Posted by msdolittle

So you mostly are just changing water then? Does the buildup (if any?) affect your water quality or make you have to change the water more often?

I'm asking because I'd like to start having more plants in my tank. I only have two live ones right now but eventually I'd like to be rid off all the fake.......

If you have a heavily planted tank, the plants will usually absorb a lot of the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates that fish waste and decaying matter produce. Some heavily planted tanks dont even register any nitrates at all. What some people do is not even cycle the tank and just have the plants absorb the ammonia directly.

I dont think not vacuuming some spots will be a big problem if you have quite a few plants.

[Damon]

Bacteria will always get its share of Nh3 (Nh4) and No2. Plants will use whats left. Macrophytes (plants) will always use No3 before bacteria (which uses very little) and microphytes (algae). Algae perfers Nh3 to any other form of nitrogen. Once established algae can use all types. It usually takes a trigeer to induce algae in a planted tank (induction of Nh3/Nh4, increase in temp etc...).

[cucci67]

I took a look at my hood. It has 2 25w bulbs in there, thats 5wpg. So what does that expand my options too?

I ordered java moss sunday(baseball sized clump), should be here tomorrow. I will put that in there. I also have in there a few anacharis clippings which have been in there for a bit, and a tiny bit of moneywort that had just grown out of the top of my sisters tank. I am going to the LFS tonight, I have credit from trade ins that I will buy some plants with.