# 10Gal PFS, Plants?



## Mad Professor (Oct 3, 2008)

I've got a 10Gal tank in my bedroom with pool filter sand and 2x 15w fluorescent strip lights, it's been sitting for awhile now and I want to do something with it.

The future inhabitants is going to be a betta of some sort.

What plants do well in sand?

~Mp

Any help appreciated.


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## Phonemonkey (Oct 19, 2006)

I know its not exactly the answer you were looking for, but since its only a 10g and it wouldn't be TOO much hassle, I'd go ahead and remove the sand and pick up a bag of seachem flourite. If you're really attached to the sand idea, they make a new black sand flourite, although its slightly more pricey than the standard. With that, and 30w light on a 10g, you could grow practically anything if you add some CO2.

EDIT:

By the way, if you're going to keep a Betta in there, and you're going to stick with 30w of lighting on that tank, I'd make sure to include some floating plants or moss of some kind, thats a lot of light and you'll want to give your Betta some shaded places to feel comfortable.


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## Mad Professor (Oct 3, 2008)

I'm guessing PFS is a poor substrate for any plants? If that is so, my 29Gal project has sand as a substrate and I was going to make that tank a planted tank too. But if sand is going to be the problem, then I best start saving up for a new substrate. 10 Gal I can do now but 29 Gal is going to have to wait.

Well this sucks.... for me I guess.


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## Phonemonkey (Oct 19, 2006)

Mad Professor said:


> I'm guessing PFS is a poor substrate for any plants? If that is so, my 29Gal project has sand as a substrate and I was going to make that tank a planted tank too. But if sand is going to be the problem, then I best start saving up for a new substrate. 10 Gal I can do now but 29 Gal is going to have to wait.
> 
> Well this sucks.... for me I guess.


Its not so much that its a problem as much as that you won't see nearly as good results with plain sand as with something like flourite or another substrate that is specifically for plants. One idea if you want to keep the sand in your tanks, but do plants, is to get some of the flourite black sand and mix it in with your current sand. Heres an article you might find encouraging:

http://www.plantedtank.net/articles/Sand-Substrate/20/

One other thing I want to mention, others here may disagree with me, but for a 10g tank, I would consider going with just one 15w strip. The normal 'watts per gallon' rule of thumb starts to break down when talking about tanks as small as 10g, and if you use too much light, without fast growing plants and co2 injection, you'll likely end up with constantly aggravating algae growth.


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## Mad Professor (Oct 3, 2008)

Which would be better, a mix substrate or a flourite substrate?

I don't even remember why I got PFS in the first place.

I'm just getting into the planted tank scene and I've been doing very well with my 20gal guppy tank with Crypt wendtii, java ferns and wisteria and thats with blue gravel and 20w NO strip light.


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