Christian Patti

Hi i just made a stand that will hold two 10 gallon tanks one on top of the other. I've been keeping fish for a decent amount of time now but I really want to venture into the world of live plants. I want to start with my 10 gallon tanks. Heres what I need to know.

- What kind of lighting should I have and where can i buy it without breaking my wallet and also where can i buy this lighting.. keep in mind im handy and do DIY stuff all the time
- what kind of CO2 setup do i need (if i need any at all) ive heard about producing CO2 from yeast cultures
- What kind of plants should I get and where can I get them
- and anything else you feel i should know since im a complete newb to underwater plants

coffeebean

lighting depends on what kind of plants you want to keep. all my tanks are 2 watts per gallon or under and i grow low - medium light plants. anything over about 2 watts per gallon and you can grow the high light plants but you will also need to supplement with CO2, which i know little about because i dont do it.

if it was me, i would start low tech. on a ten gallon tank it will be easy to get 15 - 20 watts per gallon of lighting without breaking the bank. you can either rig something up utilizing your local hardware store or buy some bulbs at the pet store...or online stores. i got my best deals online for lighting

plants can be really expensive in store. if you can find someone locally that will sell you trimmings that is the best bet. try craigslist or similar sites

aquarist48

Good morning. Java fern and java moss are good low light plants that will do well in generic lighting that comes with most tanks. You may want to give them a try. Below is a link concerning aquarium plant life that you may find helpful. Hope you can share some pictures
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=84