[paperlilies]

I'm following Tom Barr's method to set up my 1st low-tech planted tank that doesn't require water changes, only top offs. ONLY if it is heavily planted with 50% fast growing plants.

Is this considered "Heavily" planted?

It's 10 gal with the following plants:

anacharis
vallisnerias
pennyworts
crypts
java ferns
pigmy chain swords
dwarf hair grass 3x5" mat

(The majority are anacharis, vallisnerias, pennyworts, and pigmy chain swords for the "Fast" growing category.)

Also, lighting is Finnex Fugeray Planted+. Is this too bright?

 

[jemanser]

Very beautiful. Your plants vary in their lighting needs so use you floater to provide shade for the low light plants. You may need to raise the light off the tank ( experiment). Your HG can be tricky to grow without CO2 however. Goodluck

 

[Django]

I wouldn't want to put more plants in your tank - it looks fine. It is certainly enough for cycling a tank or eating all the ammonia.

 

[sledge760]

Very nice!

 

[paperlilies]

Update: some problems with plant growth & low pH

I set up my 10 gallon tank 2 weeks ago and have encountered some problems with the plants melting and not growing well enough to "silent cycle."

The plants were stressed for 3 reasons:

1. They were shipped for 5 days.

2. The plants kept floating out of the substrate. Very frustrating! I kept shoving them back into the substrate. Now they stay put, but I'm super careful not to mess with them until they take root.

3. The light was too intense (Finnex Planted+). Burnt many leaves. I had to do heaving pruning since more than half of the plants melted. After changing the light to Finnex Stingray (should have listened to RusselTheShihtzu) the plants look happier and there are signs of regrowth, but slow.

My 10 gallon (1st picture)
Inhabits: nothing yet
Substrate: Up Aqua Sand
Light: Finnex Stingray for 6 hours
Filter: AquaClear
Heater: Eheim 50 watt, 79 degrees
Plants: Fast growing- anacharis, vallisnerias, pennyworts, pigmy chain swords. Slow growing- crypts, java ferns, anubias nana petite, Christmas moss, dwarf hair grass 3x5" mat & more individually planted (since no CO2 I consider it slower growth). I'm thinking about adding Frogbit since the pennywort isn't supplying much shade, but don't want it to block too much light. I suspect I didn't add the right kind of stem plants to "silent cycle."

Over 2 weeks the water parameters have fluctuated between:
pH 6.0-6.4, Amm 0.25-2.0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5-30
I did 50% water changes every 4 days. Tap water w/ Prime

What does that mean when Ammonia and Nitrates are high, but no Nitrites? The Nitrites spike and convert to Nitrates so quick I miss it?

The pH is awfully low. My betta, ghost shrimp, & mystery snail in my 5 gal are use to 8.0. Once the Nitrogen Cycle is stable in the 10 gallon I plan to gradually move them over (shrimp 1st). However, the drastic pH difference concerns me.
I want to add some Indian Almond leaf tea since they are use to it, but the pH is already very low.

My 5 gallon (2nd picture)
Inhabits: 1 betta, 1 mystery snail, 2 Ghost shrimp and a few babies (I call them the Casper family)
Substrate: inert gravel
Light: very low, Top Fin LED for 8 hrs
Filter: Top Fin
Heater: Eheim 25 watt, 79 degrees
Plants: 2 anubias, Christmas Moss, and an Indian Almond Leaf for tannins & partly food source, 2 fake plants.
water parameters: pH 8.0, Amm 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10

 

[paperlilies]

Also, everyone seems happy in the 5 gallon. Betta builds bubble nests, snail lays unfertilized eggs outside of the water, and ghost shrimp just had babies. Must be doing something right or the Indian almond leaves induced spawning. Once the 10 gallon is cycled I may add ghost shrimp from the store first before my happy established inhabitants from the 5 gallon. You can see by the pictures it's a big change between the tanks. When everything is growing well in the 10 gallon I could add Frogbit for shade and IAL tea for tannins.