# Need a plant expert! Help Identify for setup...



## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

I've decided to redo my tank when I get everything settled down a bit and this is basically the look I'm going for. This is pretty much exactly what I've had in mind with a little more open room for my cories to dig around and play.










I'm basically looking for a low tech setup, so no CO2 or crazy lighting. I understand I may need to upgrade lighting a bit but I don't want to go nuts. Is this look possible without getting too involved?

If so what plants are these? As far as the grass in the background I think I'm going to go with Anacharis instead. so basically the carpet stuff and the grass looking stuff around the rocks is what I'm looking for here.

And a little OT, Why is there never any equipment in these pics? Is it taken out for the pictures?


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2008)

The equipment is taken out for pics. 

Anacharis is good for the back, since hairgrass (I think thats what that is) isn't a low light plant.

The carpet plant looks like Riccia, which needs atleast medium light. You could try it if you have around 2wpg otherwise, you could use Java moss instead. Riccia should be attached to rocks, so its not a true carpet plant. It doesn't root. The grass around the rocks looks like Blyxa japonica, which is a high light plant. You could use Dwarf Sagittaria or Echinodorus tenellus instead.

Thats a very cool layout and you could do it in a low tech tank, but with different plants of course.


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## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

You're everywhere aren't you!! 

How about I just start PM'ing you everytime I have a question?! 


Yea, I didn't figure I'd get those exact plants but there's always a substitute as you've just proved!

Thanks again


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## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

This is what I was looking at for lighting. I need two for my tank so these would give me a total of 18 watts (1.8 wpg). But they say the equivelant is 40 watts. Am I getting 80 watts? I'm so confused here.

LINK

If this is indeed 1.8 wpg is that still in the low light range and not require CO2?


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## coheedrules (Oct 29, 2007)

I'm no expert but I have those type of bulbs on my plastic ten gallon hood. I bought them at home depot. I think they were 14 watt bulbs that were supposedly as bright as a 40 or 60 watt bulb. They were 5500k so about the same as you're looking at. My experience with these is that you really don't know how much light you have. I see very slow growth - I've trimmed my wisteria twice in the 3 months this tank has been set up. Even the java moss and anubias show little or very slow growth. I dose with excel every day but I don't use anything else for ferts in the tank since I have some cherry shrimp in there. My lack of growth may be due to other nutrients missing in the water column as well. Nothing has died as far as the plants go at all, with the exception of some ambulia that didn't do well. Everything else has at least survived. The other plants I have are rotala rotundifolia, dwarf saggitaria, and wide leaf ludwigia. All of which are at least surviving if not growing much.
HTH


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## Good Wolf (Mar 5, 2008)

pokefan said:


> You're everywhere aren't you!!
> 
> How about I just start PM'ing you everytime I have a question?!


That is what I do. 

Kristin,

I just bought some java moss for the tank. (putting pics up later)

It is my impression that they too need a rock or wood to grow on and do not root. I didn't see any roots on them. Can you clarify that for us?


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2008)

pokefan said:


> This is what I was looking at for lighting. I need two for my tank so these would give me a total of 18 watts (1.8 wpg). But they say the equivelant is 40 watts. Am I getting 80 watts? I'm so confused here.
> 
> LINK
> 
> If this is indeed 1.8 wpg is that still in the low light range and not require CO2?


They are indeed 9 watts each, giving you 1.8wpg, which fine and won't require co2. If you are going to attempt to grow Riccia (not sure what you decided), then I would suggest getting slightly higher wattage bulbs. If you decided to go with Java moss instead, then something in this wattage would be fine.

I would not go with those particular bulbs though. The Kelvin rating is a little low (5100K) and you will find that they won't look very good at all to you.

I suggest looking for some screw in bulbs that are around 6500K. You can usually find some at Walmart by the brand Lights of America. They are marked daylight and have 6500K on the package. I would suggest getting 2 10 watt bulbs (they don't come in 9w that I know of). If you can't find those, check out the fish section at Walmart...they sell 10w screw in bulbs that are around 6500K or 6700K. If you don't have a Walmart nearby.....something like this would work: http://www.bulbs.com/eSpec.aspx?ID=14712&Ref=Spirals+%26+Bent+Tubes&RefId=46&Ref2=Compact+Fluorescent+Screw-in. Its a bit more light, but it will be fine without CO2 and its the right Kelvin rating. I found them at Drs Foster and Smith, but for $8.50 each. 



I <3 Fish said:


> Kristin,
> 
> I just bought some java moss for the tank. (putting pics up later)
> 
> It is my impression that they too need a rock or wood to grow on and do not root. I didn't see any roots on them. Can you clarify that for us?


Yep, you need to tie it to rocks or wood. It will attach to those. It would attach to gravel, but it doesn't grow like other plants. The best thing is to tie to something (so it will attach). You can use fishing line or cotton thread to tie it. The thread will eventually break off. The fishing line will stay forever, but you can't see it. I use fishing line. 


coheedrules: the Kelvin rating may be a little low. Anubias is a slow growing plant to begin with. Java moss can be slow growing as well in lower light. The Ludwigia would probably appreciate more light. Your plants may not be doing well because of lack of potassium and nitrates (since all you have is Cherries). Micro nutrients are probably lacking as well. While the plants won't need as much of those nutrients in lower light, they would probably be healthier with atleast weekly dosing of macro nutrients (potassium, nitrogen) and micros.


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## coheedrules (Oct 29, 2007)

Thanks for the advice - sorry if I'm hijacking the thread from the original poster! My reference for the growth of the anubias is my 30 gallon with extremely low light. Those anubias are constantly sprouting new leaves but I think the nitrates are much more abundant with the higher fish load. I also have 2 sparkling gouramis in the 10 gallon with the shrimp but I think they are still a very low bioload. I might try some wal mart bulbs if I can find them with the higher kelvin rating, and I'll look into nitrogen and potassium if I can make sure there is no copper of course.


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## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

Cool, thanks Kristen. I wasn't actually going to get that specific bulb but thanks for the kv tip. I wouldn't have noticed probably. I was just told at least 5k. I'm still a ways off before I do this I want to get things settled first then get the new pump good and built up before I start to rearrange things.

As far as plant selection I think I'm going to go with, Anacharis, Java moss, and Dwarf Sagittaria.


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## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

Ok, how about this one? What is the carpet used here? And is it low light?










How do you guys pick everything out there's way to many plants to chose from...

I've been thinking I may go with flourite black too instead of pool sand. I just can't decide!!


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## Good Wolf (Mar 5, 2008)

It is easy to pick stuff out when you can't afford good lighting. There are very few low light plants to choose from.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2008)

pokefan said:


> Ok, how about this one? What is the carpet used here? And is it low light?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That carpet looks to be HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides) and it is a high light plant that need steady co2 levels (injected) and a fert routine. You'd also need a nutrient rich substrate and not just sand or reg. gravel.

Almost all carpet plants are high light....or atleast moderate light. I can't really think of any that are low light actually, unless you use Java moss. Also, most of the pics like that one (and the other one) are going to be high light, high tech tanks.  I don't think I've seen any ADA type tanks that are low light.

It is definitely easy to pick plants when you have limited light.....but even then there may be alot of choices. I pick what I like.....and sometimes what I haven't tried before. Having a high tech, high light tank gives you tons of choices, but sometimes it is hard choosing.


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## pokefan (Feb 26, 2008)

Yea, that's the problem it's not that I can't afford the highTec tank I just don't want to jump in and screw it all up. I figure I have a much bigger margin of error with lowTec and when I'm comfortable I'll move up then. I just see all these tanks and get excited hoping I can go for the same look. Maybe when I'm comfortable with the low light and no CO2 I'll introduce a DIY system and push it a little further.

Well back to square one I guess, Java Moss it is.


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