10 gallon help

Dtld9

I want to make my 10 gallon into a really nice looking planted tank but don't know anything about tank planting.

I would appreciate any tips on how to do this. I would like to know what plants are easy to maintain, and what I would need to maintain them.

Right now I have 2 arachnis, 2 Anubias, and enough Water Sprite to cover half of the top of my tank (right now i'm letting it float) The 4 plants I have planted are growing OK but they could be doing ALOT better.The Water Sprite won't stop spreading though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please talk to me like a moron that knows nothing becuase I really don't lol.

dallops_of_polyps

you will need fertilizer and co2 thats all i know i'm a salty!

Cody

You dont need ferts or CO2 if you have suffiecent lighting.

What is your light fixture? How many watts? Bulb type?

Sure, Ferts and CO2 provide a lot to healthy plants, but you dont need it if you want OK plants. I would look into pfertz.

There is also special plant substrates you can buy.

jaybyrd

I saw your post under my planted aquarium post. I see that you would like some help. I will try - but remember this has been my first tank. I looked at your tank blurb. Seems you have a max number of inhabitants for a 10 gallon.

This site refers people to rexrigg's site I believe under a sticky message in this planted aquarium forum. From this article you can learn how to avoid algae as well as how to grow plants and set up CO2. I also have read a few more articles that seem to point out that excessive phosphates - PO4 - in the water column can lead to the majority of algae outbreaks. Active carbon, fish food, and the tap water can be a source excessive PO4. You can buy a test kit for around 10 dollars and test your tap or source water and your aquarium water. Run all your water tests on your source water and tank while you are at this. You can buy tried and true PO4 filter medium and use this with a sponge in your planted aquarium if your PO4 is say higher than 1.5 ppm -- research the number deeper and judge the results for yourself on a 10 gallon tank.

DO NOT USE ACTIVATED CARBON in your planted aquarium. It strips nutrients from the water and hinders plant growth and may release PO4 and encourage algae! Use sponges and the plants to help with the water quality.

Remember to do weekly water changes. I like 10 to 15 percent changes mostly with bi-monthly 35 to 50 percent changes. This helps out with the health of your tank.

Evidently plant a minimum of 50% of the tank bottom surface with fast growing and or hardy plants. Use either liquid fertilizers and or a really nice substrate ( gravel surface for planting ) like eco-complete. You will only need one bag of eco-complete in your 10 gallon.

Also you have low lights according to your tank blurb. You really will not need CO2 in the tank. The tank is too small for CO2 and probably would be overkill - and you need higher power lighting.

Look I am no expert. I am learning from a lot of resources and there seems to be a common approach that works well and a certain level of common knowledge that is seen while looking at hundreds of sites on the planted aquarium. I am just attempting to repeat some of these ideas.
Good luck!

fish_4_all

Well you have to decide one important thing. How much do you want to do? CO2, high lighting, regular daily fert dosing, high tech substrate and all that good stuff or keep it totally simple and go with what you have. Either way, you can have a descent looking tank without changing a thing. Or you can invest a couple hundered bucks and grow plants faster than any weed.

To be honest, the 3 plants you have now should do pretty well in a 10 gallon with what you have. DIY CO2 will help growth a ton but can cause algae if you can't keep it at steady levels.

You tell us what you want and we can go from there.

Dtld9

I would prefer simple. I will upgrade my light, a 30 watt is good for a 10G right? Right now it's a 15 watt light. How expensive is the cO2 and fert? Are the tablets good enough for a 10G?

I also have Java Moss, forgot about that one lol.

fish_4_all

30 watts regular flourescent would work fine. 20 power compact fluorescent. 25 T8 fluorescent. All are guestimates. Check http://woo.gotdns.com/Aquarium/Lighting.htm

Put in the dimension and get moderate lighting or something close.

CO2 - pressurized $300-700
DIY - $10-30

CO2 tabs, worthless. Go DIY or get Excel and dose it regularly.

Pfertz dosing won't be too bad and should last a while so only have to invest once in a while. Not sure how long they would last though, post a question in their forum in the sponsors section.

Have patience, I can give you everything that works for me and it may fail terribly. Just be flexible and ready to make small changes until oyu find what works for you.

Dtld9

What's DIY?

fish_4_all

DIY = Do It yourself. Basically it is 2 two liter bottles filled with water, yeast and sugar. Creates CO2 to pump into the tank.

Dtld9

All I can find around here are 15 watt lights, I made a cO2 system but should I only put in half the recomended yeast since my tank is small? I don't want to irritate the fish. Also would it be helpful to switch it between the 10 and 5 gallon? I have plants in the 5 gallon too.. the one is an arachnis the other is a leafed plant, I don't know what that is called.

What is the recomended way to trim the plants once they get too big?