Newbie plants

[Atlanta]

Ok so I'm going to have a tank full of loaches. Now are live plants cheaper then fake? Do I have to buy a light, or can the light from my window do the job. What do they feed on? What's the maintanence? Im a newbie sorry.

[Chaos553]

It's alright, we're all new to things sometimes . Most live plants are just a little more expensive than fake, but they also help out your tank alot more. You can buy a light if you want, but the problem with that is algae grows faster on your plants if it's in the light for a good portion of the day. I'm sure the light from your window would be fine. You can buy plant food to help it grow faster and more colorful, or you can let it grow on its own, that's your decision. Maintanence for live plants depends on the live plant. I suggest you do a little research before you begin to buy your plants. Good luck with your tank!

[MyraVan]

Q. Now are live plants cheaper then fake?

A. Don't know about cost of live plants vs cost of fake ones as I've never bought fake ones!

Q. Do I have to buy a light, or can the light from my window do the job.

A. I wouldn't recommend the light from a window, only. It is very difficult to get the balance right, to get just the right amount that your plants need. Too much and you get lots of algae growth. In January as an experiment I set up a tank in front of a window. During the winter the plants grew slowly and it looked good. However, now that the sun is much brighter and the days are lengthening, it's a mess of algae and I'm about to move it and put a light over it. There's alot more you need to know about lighting for a planted tank, but that's good for starters.

Q. What do they feed on?

A. In my tank, they feed on fish wastes. And on the nutrients in the substrate (soil). I don't add ferts. Most other people do add ferts.

Q. What's the maintanence?

A. When you're vacuuming the gravel, don't push the cleaner into the substrate near the plants as it will disturb the roots, but you can sort of hold it at the surface to pick up any stuff collected on the surface. Other maintenance is trimming the plants to keep them from getting too big. This can be done every week to once a month or so, depending on how fast your plants grow.

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You haven't asked about substrate, and that's another kettle of worms. You haven't asked about CO2, which is yet another kettle of worms.

There's a huge amount to know about planted tanks, and the main thing you need to decide is if you really want to do it, and if so, how much money/effort do you want to put into it.