Amanda

I have a newly set-up 55 gal. It has pool filter sand as a substrate. I want to add live plants. I haven't began to cycle it just yet - when should I add the plants? Also, what types of plants should I add? Here's a pic - I was going for a river bottom look. Help please, I'm kinda lost here.

tony

What type of lighting do you have and how much? I just planted my 55g tank a few days ago also. The plants largely depend on what sort of lighting you have.

Amanda

I really don't know...it's a single bulb

tony

Ok. Than you should probably stick with low-light plants, since medium or high- light plants will die without enough light. This is guide with different low-light plants that you could add to your tank, http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_...=1&filter_by=2
As for putting the plants in before the tank has cycled... I wouldn't think that you can do that seeing as how plants need fish wastes for nutrients and the CO2 from the fish, and you shouldn't have any fish in the tank while it's cycling. But I'm sure there are ways around that, I don't know for sure.

Amanda

I read somewhere that live plants help to hurry up cycling - something about absorbing the ammonia?

tony

Well they do. But the whole point of cycling is to have ammonia for the new bacteria in your tank to feed on and grow. Are you doing a fish-less cycle?

Amanda

I'm hoping to...but it's a bit overwhelming. I don't know where to start. I was planning on adding the drops of pure ammonia.

tony

Ok. That will give the bacteria something to feed off of. And as for putting plants in there without fish, I really don't know. I would just wait until the tank has cycled and there are fish in there but like I said, I'm not sure. Hopefully someone who does know will come along

As for what plants to put in the tank... stick with low-light plants for now, until you find out what kind of bulb you have. Once you know that you can figure out how many Watts Per Gallon you have. But if I'm correct than you should have 2 15 watt bulbs, if you are using the hoods that came with the tank. Is that right?

Amanda

Yeah, that sounds right. I bought the tank secondhand, so I'm flying blind here. I don't knwo anything about plants.

lilsoccakid

hi amanda, i have a planted tank with sand so maybe i can help you out

to start, check ur lighting and see how many watts the bulb is. standard bulbs are usually not strong enough for any plants except java moss and java fern.

for around 100 bucks you could get a T-5 108watt light

if you end up adding plants, you can add them when you start the cycle. the amount of bacteria built up in the filter depends on the amount of ammonia their is at a steady rate. The more ammonia=more bacteria. Adding plants helps to start because you dont have to build as up as big a colony. Why wait till after the cycle when you have built up all the bacteria, just to have the colony shrink from the plants sucking up ammonia?

hope this helps!

tony

Ok. So someone who knows came along lol. So I was right, good to know I'm not giving out bad information and if those came with the tank then you have 2 15 watt bulbs which is 30 watts total. Which gives you .54 watts per gallon. 30/55 = .54

So you have very low lighting. Between 1-2 watts per gallon would be good for some low-medium light plants. But your tank only has 1/2 of a watt per gallon. Which is very low. You won't be able to grow many plants with that lighting. You can look at the link I posted earlier and find the lowest of the low-light plants.

Amanda

How about planting my 10 gallon tank? Would plants do better in there?

tony

How many watts is your 10g tank bulb?

Amanda

Whatever the standard bulb that comes with the hood is.

tony

I don't know what bulb comes with a 10g. Can you look? It should say on the bulb or maybe the fixture.

Amanda

15 watt

tony

Ok. Than yes, your plants will do much better in that tank. You have 1.5 watts per gallon which is between low and medium lighting, so you could definitely grow some low-light plants and maybe some medium light plants. But there is more to lighting than just power, you should have a decent color temp. Somewhere between 5000-6500k will do nicely or something in that area.

Amanda

Ok, thanks. Now I have to go to Petsmart *shudders* and try to see what they have. That's the only fish store around me.

tony

Your welcome The petsmart here isn't that bad. What's so bad about your's?

Amanda

They don't have anything. They used to have a huge open top tank with live plants i it - now the plants come in little tubes with a "free snail!". And their workers don't know that much about animals in general.