First Timer- Critique Me

I'm a first time live plant keeper and want to know what to do for the most success. I have a 10 gallon filtered tank with one male betta. I live at n a naturally tropical climate so water is always 78-80 with no heater. Plants are two java fern and two amazon swords. Gravel only. I'm interested in adding another substrate but price is a concern. I have LED lights but watts are unknown. Tank is PetSmart Grreat Choice. Please critique and educate me. Current concerns are holes in amazon, whether the larger amazon is crushed by thr gravel I placed in the center of it to hold it down, brown spots on leaves, and the discoloration on the gravel. Brown algae maybe?

 

Java fern shouldn't be planted or their rhizomes will rot, they should be tied/superglued to hardscape such as wood or rocks. Amazon swords like to take up nutrients from their roots so some root tabs will greatly benefit them

 

Java fern shouldn't be planted or their rhizomes will rot, they should be tied/superglued to hardscape such as wood or rocks. Amazon swords like to take up nutrients from their roots so some root tabs will greatly benefit them

Thank you! A few follow ups- what are rhizomes and do you have a root tab recommendations?

 

Good looking tank!

I always prefer sand in my tanks, planted or not. But, I will admit to having much better success with a mid-grain sand over gravel, or the extremely fine sand I like to use in other tanks. I'm not sure if you can find it, but pool filter sand works very nicely.

Your lighting is my biggest concern. I'd say that those LEDs most likely aren't enough to support most plants. I usually recommend something simple and relatively cheap. A desk lamp (or a clip-on aquarium lamp) with a 6500K (daylight) PAR 38 screwed into it. It'd be more than enough for a 10 gallon if you get the right bulb.

Holes in the leaves of plants are usually a sign of deficiency, so you might want to consider some root tabs for those swords. Either flourish root tabs, or homemade Osmocote tabs are your best bet.

I doubt the amazon is being crushed by the gravel in the center. But, that's another reason I recommend sand. It holds plants better, IME.

Brown spots on leaves could be a couple of things. The first is, again, a deficiency, which can be corrected by root tabs for the swords, and liquid ferts with the java fern. The other thing it could be is diatom algae, which you can just gently rub off with your fingers.

The stuff on your gravel looks like diatoms as well. Normal in new tanks, and nothing to be worried about. You can siphon it out easily.

EDIT: Rhizomes are simply the hard, fleshy part of the plant where the roots come out.

 

Good looking tank!

I always prefer sand in my tanks, planted or not. But, I will admit to having much better success with a mid-grain sand over gravel, or the extremely fine sand I like to use in other tanks. I'm not sure if you can find it, but pool filter sand works very nicely.

Your lighting is my biggest concern. I'd say that those LEDs most likely aren't enough to support most plants. I usually recommend something simple and relatively cheap. A desk lamp (or a clip-on aquarium lamp) with a 6500K (daylight) PAR 38 screwed into it. It'd be more than enough for a 10 gallon if you get the right bulb.

Holes in the leaves of plants are usually a sign of deficiency, so you might want to consider some root tabs for those swords. Either flourish root tabs, or homemade Osmocote tabs are your best bet.

I doubt the amazon is being crushed by the gravel in the center. But, that's another reason I recommend sand. It holds plants better, IME.

Brown spots on leaves could be a couple of things. The first is, again, a deficiency, which can be corrected by root tabs for the swords, and liquid ferts with the java fern. The other thing it could be is diatom algae, which you can just gently rub off with your fingers.

The stuff on your gravel looks like diatoms as well. Normal in new tanks, and nothing to be worried about. You can siphon it out easily.

EDIT: Rhizomes are simply the hard, fleshy part of the plant where the roots come out.

Thank you so much! Will be looking into some better nourishment for my plants and lighting.

 

Thank you! A few follow ups- what are rhizomes and do you have a root tab recommendations?

Rhizomes are a horizontal root-like structure that roots and stems/leaves grow out of. Most people use seachem, which is fine for the most part except it’s low in macronutrients, API is another option but the opposite, doesn’t contain micronutrients. A good water column fertilizer can make up for either, or using DIY root tabs from osmocote.