# First Planted Tank (planning)



## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Ok so I need help planning out my first planted tank . So I already have the tank and some of the supplies. Its 10g with an incandescent fixture with 2x10w "Full-Spectrum" Tubular CFLs, the kind at Walmart. I have a thin substrate of pool filter sand, so I have room to add on that. I'd like to not have to use CO2 or ferts if I can help it. I'm also on an extremely low budget because I'm to young to have a job so I can only make around $15 every to every other week by mowing the yard . I need a heater, as the one in there is a little too big and doesn't have suction cups. I have an hob filter on there as well. I'm not actually going to be able to start this project until the middle of June but I want to go ahead and start planning so that I can get/do what I can before then. 

I need help picking out a list of plants for this tank, which is hopefully going to be a planted shrimp tank. I know I'll have some java ferns in there but I don't want it to be a monotonous tank lol. Also I'll probably have so anubias as well. So any other ideas? I'd like a ground cover, and then some foreground and background plants as well. I was thinking about changing the bulbs for 2 13 daylight cfls, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that would make, so any thoughts on that? Any help would be appreciated, thanks .


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

If you're on a budget, stick with lower light (about 2 watts per gallon or so for this size tank) and find plants that will do well in that. Crypts, anubias, java ferns, maybe some marsilea and some mosses. Rotala and anacharis may do well also.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

OK thank you. I really like the marsilea but from what I've read ot seems to be mostly a high light plant. Are there any specific species that could do well in a low light situation? Even so, I really like aquatic mosses and I've read shrimp do as well so it's a win-win lol.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Aquarium1 said:


> OK thank you. I really like the marsilea but from what I've read ot seems to be mostly a high light plant. Are there any specific species that could do well in a low light situation? Even so, I really like aquatic mosses and I've read shrimp do as well so it's a win-win lol.


For what it's worth, I've got Marsilea as a thick carpet 24 inches below my lights at only 1.248 watts per gallon, and have even had the lighting at only 0.624 wpg for a while. IME the trick is getting good spread with the lighting. The tank I have is NPT, so no CO2, no fertz, et cetera.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Ok, cool. Thanks .


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Ok, so I'm done using the 10g as a qt. I'm now disinfecting it and I plan on setting it up the week after next, since we're going on vacation next week.


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## Alston (Jun 5, 2010)

Hi,


I have read you problem and i can assist you by giving some suggestions like you can certainly get success in first planted tank you can use various techniques regarding this if you want you can use shrimp tank for this purpose and lastly i want to say that its good to use ground cover for the betterment

Thanks!

______________________,,___ll


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

I haven't been on in a while, mostly due to my vacation last week. Anyway, I'm bac lol. I had an outbreak of columnaris while qting some Acei but I disinfected the tank and all the supplies with a bleach-water solution and hope to get it up and running soon. The next time I go to walmart I'm going to look for some pool filter sand so I can start it. I also have an extra 2.5g bowfront laying around that I'd love to start a nano tank if only I could find an affordable lighting fixture.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

I got the pool filter sand today. One step closer


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## gwclark (May 10, 2010)

Going from the 10 watt to 13 watt CFLs is a 30% increase in light.

For the cost, I would probably do it.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Ok. Next time I go to walmart I'll pick some up. I might even get 14w or 15w lol.


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## Aquarium1 (Apr 26, 2010)

I started my build thread. Here it is, if your interested:
10g Low-Tech Planted Build


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