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Need Advice On Selecting, Starting 40 gallon Planted

2K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  Jasperdog 
#1 ·
My current 23 gallon freshwater tank has no live plants, although I will be purchasing a few in the coming weeks. I have read a good deal on freshwater plants, but I've found that nothing can compare to first hand knowledge. So, my question is what type of plants are truly "beginner friendly"? I should have mentioned that my tank is stocked with 7 black skirt tetras and 10 assorted platies. I also have a question about Seaclear acrylic tanks. Are they really worth the extra cost? I really like them, but the price keeps me reluctant to purchase one. But my main issue currently is about the freshwater plants. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
#3 ·
A kind member had suggested "anacharis"(spelling may not be correct) as one that is both fairly easy to keep and also has a beneficial property of removing ammonia, as I am experiencing an ammonia spike currently. I'm pretty sure that most plants do this, although one that looks decent and is easily maintained sounds like a winner . Other than that I only know what I've read online. Maybe someone will share a few tips about this.
 
#4 ·
Okay First! ammonia spike! do you have dirt gravel or sand substrate, what water conditioner do you use? do you use tetra safe start? do you do lots of water changes? Also if you are willing to spend extra cost you can.. i wouldn't I'll find a cheaper tank at like petco/petsmart / you lfs . answer those questions and i will help you!
 
#5 ·
Some awesome beginner plants would be: Water Wisteria, Amazon Sword, Anubias Nana, Java Fern. Anubias and Java Fern have to be attached to something, though. Acrylic tanks in general don't hold temperature as well as glass (at least that's what I've heard). I usually just buy regular glass tanks from brands like Tetra, Marineland and Aqueon.
 
#6 ·
thanks for the tips

Thanks for the names of plants crazed hoosier, I've written them down and it's nice having a list to start with. Live plants definitely seem to be the way to go. Would you suggest any particular internet sites, as there are no pet shops in my area. And thanks jasperdog for taking an interest in my ammonia issue. Here's the summary: I have fairly small gravel, use a.p.i. water conditioner, weekly 25% water changes, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, high ammonia. I resorted to using a little a.p.i. ammo-lock for this, but I know it only converts ammonia, because readings are very high. Fish seem healthy. The only reason I can come up with is that perhaps I've changed water too often? Maybe I should let it go for a couple of weeks? Health and safety of my fish is paramount , so if there are any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. Thanks again guys.
 
#7 ·
HERE IS MOAR PLANTS ( lol ) if you want like a carpet of plants here is a list: Dwarf Sag, Java moss, dwarf hair grass. here is some stem plants, crypt wendtii, crypt larva, dwarf lily, also here are some floating plants : frog bit,water velvet, duckweed
 
#9 ·
Pennywort is also a nice quick growing plant, and it was one of the only plants in my tank(my first tank) that didn't melt. It's also been in there two weeks and has shot off numerous stems. I started out with two 4" stems, now I have six and the first two are now 6".

I'd suggest against duckweed unless you're 100% sure you'll always want it. It's messy and if you put it in your tank, you'll never get rid of it. You'll be constantly cleaning it off the top of your tank and out of your filter. Even if you bleach your tank, the duckweed will probably come back.
 
#11 ·
How long has your tank beem set up? If its cycling and you have fish in, which you do, you need to do frequent water changes to keep that ammonia down. As you said, the health of your fish comes first. I would do 50% water changes and depending on readings you'll need to do them two or three times a week until the tank is fully cycled which could take up to 6-8weeks. 50% changes will not hurt the cycle. Try not to touch the filter and only lightly syphon the substrate if it really needs it. Feed the fish very lightly.
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#12 ·
I'd like to thank everyone for sharing their knowledge and tips. I received a few plants today via FedEx. I decided on anubias, java fern, water wysteria, pennywort and a few different types of sword plants(although now I realize I will require a much stronger light). Perhaps getting so many plants wasn't ideal, but with shipping costs as high as they are it didn't make much sense to only get 1-3 plants. I hope they will survive until I get a better light. Without enough research I decided on a aquaticlife T5 ho 36" 38x2 w. fixture. This hobby is getting to be a little more expensive than I had previously thought. But it's rewarding in different ways. I noticed one of my platies decided to give birth at some point during the night. Unfortunately I discovered this a tad bit too late. I have counted 5, and I'm positive there must have been many more initially. But I have a prefilter sponge and a couple of my black skirt tetras seem slightly more rotund today. I guess it's not a mystery. I'll keep posting any progress or likely problems as time goes by. Thanks again for all of the help ;-)
 
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