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completely new and need advice

1K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Rare Breed 
#1 ·
I'm pretty new to fish keeping and completely new to planted tanks. I have a 1.5 that houses a betta and 4 grass shrimp. an empty 10 gallon soon to be the home of the betta and shrimp. And a 30 gallon with 3 mollies 5 Glofish and a pleco. All 3 have Walstad NPT in their future.

I want to start with the 10 gallon for the betta and shrimp. What would be good plants for it and aquascaping as far as forground mid and background?

I live close to a lake what do y'all think about using sand/gravel from it as a cap. i have cheap top soil and play sand as well as walmart aquarium gravel.

Also what would be good plants for the 1.5 gal as a shrimp tank? it has a small LED light attached to it so im guessing they would need to be low light. Sorry this is so long been trying to figure this out for a while now any help suggestions and ideas are welcome!
 
#2 ·
If your going to use sand/gravel from the lake boil the crap out of it first to steralize it. I will be full of parisites. I use Cryptocoryne in my Fluval 6 gallon. Green Camboba is a really background plant that is pretty hearty and looks great I would consider that for your 10 gallon. I would get some java or christmas moss to shrimp love moss it hold algae.
 
#3 · (Edited)
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56042

I know which tank and light. It will not grow much, not very quickly either. One of my old room mates moved a desklamp over the tank and iit grew wisteria like none other. He had some moss and I think a wendtii crypt I had given him thriving as well.

Okay. I guess I shouldn't say I know. Is it a tetra brand 8ish inch cubish tank with an 8 or 9 tiny led lamp on a curved arm?
 
#7 ·
The most important thing you need to consider is lighting rather than substrate. Given sufficient lighting, most plants will do well even in inert substrates. A few might need some root tabs or simple dosing. Easiest plant for me ever has been hydrophilia polysperma. It grows even in the most minimal lighting conditions. Java ferns are also a survivor and shrimp love them. I have most of my plants in a mixture of play sand with a little bit of laterite mixed in. It was marked as pond plant substrate and relatively cheap. Make sure you start with some fast growing stems to help balance the tanks at first.

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#8 ·
yes its glofish not goldfish they are genetically altered zebra danio to make them neon dayglow colors. www.glofish.com. personally i'd have picked something other than the glofish but my girlfriend wanted them. The lighting will be the hood that came with the 10 gallon it holds 2 screw in bulbs. i found full sprectum mini flourscent bulbs at walmart the light rating or whatever was 6500k not sure what that is but i've seen that number recommended for plants. Thanks for all the great info so far. went to petco and it was a bust on plants.
 
#10 ·
Scotty b thanks for the vid thats pretty awesome. pretty much the way my hood is made but i dont think those bulbs will fit may have to find out though and polish/modify the reflector its a little corroded. no problem on the miss understanding i may not know alot yet but i know goldfish get big same family as carp right
 
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