# [Wet Thumb Forum]-My first planted tank pics



## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

here is my tank! it is 3 large apongenton plants and a couple lillie bulbs that havent grown much and some java moss on the right
any suggestions would be nice, i am trying to get more low light plants but cant find any around..
*LEFT*








*RIGHT*


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## KRiley (Jun 30, 2005)

Hey,

Nice tank! I love the wood. I would add some crypt speices to fill in the gravel areas. Maybe attach some java fern to the wood. Crypt wendtii 'red' would bring some nice reds to the tank. You could also add some crypt wendtii 'green'. Also if that is a common pleco, he will eat your plants and get HUGE. I would suggest a bristlenose pleco, or a rubbernose pleco for algea. Good luck!

Riley


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## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

thanks a lot. are those plants you listed low light? i only have a 25watt light so i dont want something that will not strive in that. also i am getting a clown pleco to replace the common, will he eat algae like the BN does ?


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## KRiley (Jun 30, 2005)

Hey,

Yeah the clown should eat most of the algea like brown and green, but you need other fish to eat black brush algae and hair algae. What size tank is it? I would try to cram more light on the tank if possible, but yes they are low light. Keep in mind...low light means slow growing. You can greatly increase the amount of plants, by adding light and possibly CO2. 


Riley


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## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

yes, i am getting one clown, i have in there now 2small angels, 2 small rams, 4 small cories and 3neons which might be taken out for some rasboras? (something the angels wont eat) will i have room for some other fish to eat the hair algae and black algae? i dont want the siamease algae eaters, i have some in my 10g and dont care for them much. i want to add more plants and more light but i want to make sure my fish are going to be alright before i start adding more money into the setup, i want some more plants as the ground, now i have java moss and its really nice, but i want something else that is something like what sod is to a yard. just a large pad to drop in and have it root and grow around ? anything like that for low light?


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## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

anyone ?


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

hey bsmith00

do you have a bubble wall or something going in your tank? there seem to be lots of bubbles in the water column. if so, might i suggest you remove it? the agitation of the water surface cause a massive loss of dissolved CO2, which of course your plants need, in the production of glucose by photosynthesis. your plants will grow noticably better if you do this. higher CO2 levels are also reported to limit the growth of certain types of algae. 
don't worry about oxygen for your fish too much. the more plants you have the more oxygen they produce for the benefit of your fish. i know you're only using low light plants, so if you see any of your fish, turn the airstone on at night only, when plants aren't using the CO2 anyway. 
just some thoughts. you can always by plants online (try aquabotanic!!!). they can help if you can't find any plants nearby. 
i recommend anubias, especially the rarer species like "marble" variations and anubias gracillis if you're up for it. they do tend to "attract" algae due to their slow growth, but as your tank balances, even algae on anubias plants begins to disappear. 
hope this helps.


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## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

hey, i just had the bubble wall in when i was cycling my tank to make sure all the water gets moved around with my other filter that i was using. it is out now for sure.
you also said you like the anubias plants, are they a plant that will act like sod and cover my ground with a plush grassy surface ?
and do i have too many fish in this tank or how does it look with 2small angels, 2small rams, 1pleco, 4 cories and a couple neons. 
thanks


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## cturtle (Jun 21, 2005)

Hi B
I have a Bolbitis fern that is growing like crazy in my low-light natural tank. The can also be attached to your wood.

As for a plant that will plop in and look like grass, I read somewhere that you can split open a marimo algae ball and fasten it flat to the bottom. I have a marimo ball which is doing well in the low light. I'd like to fasten it down as "grass" but haven't quite figured out what to us that won't rust or dissolve and harm the fish. Anybody else heard of this technique?

You might also try Riccia fluitans fastened to a flat rock or piece of wood. Good luck!


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## bsmith00 (Aug 13, 2005)

ok, i am getting two more of the plant that i have in there, apongenton? but two smalls, as well as a java fern and some more java moss to go in ! i'll get some pics up next week when i get them delivered. but now i need help deciding where to put my new plants !
pic one is my java moss, i am having trouble keeping it settled down, i have it around two of the small rocks with a little gravel holding it down, i think it is catching a lot of waste sitting at the end where the filter spits out, 
in the next two pics is where i want to put my 3 new plants, i have my lilies that are next to the wood, and the PVC pipe that i can take out sinse i havent seen anyone go in it ! i also am thinking about putting the moss that i have and the bit that i am getting and trying to make a grass-like bottom in that area with the plants around them somehow !


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