fluval spec V

[fishmagnet]

First post very new to site and planted tanks....my wife and I have several tanks but have never done a planted tank before and would like to start on a small scale.
We currently have a new fluval spec V with a beta and some ghost shrimp as well as an african dwarf frog in it.
First off is the stock led light adequate for raising plants in this tank?
If so what plants would you recommend for some newbies like us?
Thanks Eric

[battered]

If it's anything like the Fluval Spec 2 gallon, the LED lighting will only be enough to sustain only the low low tech plants. Anubias, crypts, various mosses, and java fern are all easy plants that would work with the tank.

[Trickerie]

Originally Posted by fishmagnet

First post very new to site and planted tanks....my wife and I have several tanks but have never done a planted tank before and would like to start on a small scale.
We currently have a new fluval spec V with a beta and some ghost shrimp as well as an african dwarf frog in it.
First off is the stock led light adequate for raising plants in this tank?
If so what plants would you recommend for some newbies like us?
Thanks Eric

Welcome to the site. Planted tanks are great, and fun. Theres a few things you should think about when planning a tank. First, the size of your tank will severely limit what you can grow. Luckily, a lot of beginner low light plants stay small! Like suggested, I would try these:

Java Moss,
Java Fern,
Anacharis,
Anubias nana

Will all grow in low light, albeit slow, but will not die off.

The next thing to think about is what is currently in your tank, and if you are willing to redo it. Most people use special premium substrates to line the bottom of their tanks, which contain a lot of the nutrients needed for plants to grow. This is especially important in low tech tanks that wont be dosed regularly with fertilizers. Of course, the nutritional needs of your plants will be lower because of the amount of light and lack of co2, but they still need some of the essentials. Something like eco-complete is all you would really need, and it looks great. Of course you could just throw the plants in as your tank is now, but if you want to get into the hobby, I say do it right. Your betta will certainly appreciate a lush planted tank, I know mine does

Lastly, lighting can be upgraded, so dont worry about that. Especially for a tank this small, a desk lamp with proper wattage and temperature bulbs is had pretty cheap!

[Pooky125]

I suspect you could also grow bolbitus as well. Mine seems to do just fine under weak LED lighting. I'm not sure on Anacharis. That I think would have a rough time with it, but I bet Najas wouldn't. That stuff will grow in ANYTHING. I've also had luck with Water Sprite in extremely low light tanks.

[Geniusdudekiran]

Why'd they call it Spec V? I keep thinking of the Nissan GT-R Spec V lol!

[Trickerie]

Originally Posted by Pooky125

I suspect you could also grow bolbitus as well. Mine seems to do just fine under weak LED lighting. I'm not sure on Anacharis. That I think would have a rough time with it, but I bet Najas wouldn't. That stuff will grow in ANYTHING. I've also had luck with Water Sprite in extremely low light tanks.

I've got my anacharis growing under a pretty crappy light. It grows, but slow. It's in a small tank so that's the intention really

[battered]

Originally Posted by Geniusdudekiran

Why'd they call it Spec V? I keep thinking of the Nissan GT-R Spec V lol!

5 gallon tank, I'd think.

[Geniusdudekiran]

Originally Posted by battered

5 gallon tank, I'd think.

Oh, like Roman Numeral. Doi.

[nguymi]

Anyone else have problems with which way the pump should face? I am having a hard time with it. There is yucky stuff on the top of the water and it isn't being filtered from the top of the filter.

And why do they have a slit in on the inside of the tank near the middle?

[jemminnifener]

Originally Posted by nguymi

Anyone else have problems with which way the pump should face? I am having a hard time with it. There is yucky stuff on the top of the water and it isn't being filtered from the top of the filter.

And why do they have a slit in on the inside of the tank near the middle?

I just jammed the pump all the way to the bottom of the compartment with the suction cups attached to the bottom of the tank. I have the wire coming out of the pump along the side of the tank where the arm of the light is attached.

I'm assuming the slit on the inside of the tank near the middle is to help the water levels stay balanced so that if you put or take water into or out of the filter compartments, it will leak into the main compartment and vice versa.

[Thunder]

I think the filter compartments go on the left side.