# I know nothing about plants :p



## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Specifically I am wondering about these plants: water sprite, hornwort, java moss, jungle val and duckweed. (Or any other plants that would be easy to keep alive.)

I have a ten gallon tank that will soon be a sorority tank and I've been interested in live plants for awhile but they seem too hard to keep alive  I'm not going to do a full on NPT right now. The hood I have right now had incandescent lights but I think (?) I can put different lights in it  I also have regular aquarium gravel from Walmart and a lot of silk plants.

So far, I have read many threads on live plant care and have even posted previous threads but I am still absolutely lost. I've never been much of a plant fanatic  I am confused about the specific care of plants... Lighting and nutrient needs and such. I've heard that there are many low light plants that need little care and then I hear that these "easy to care for" plants are dying and turning brown and causing ammonia spikes and all this other stuff that is really making me want to stick to silk plants for the rest of my life, lol.

Specifically... What do I need to do for lighting? I can buy different bulbs for the tank good that would be good for plants, right? (Lol). Amount of light needed? Number of plants needed to keep them all healthy? (Like, I can't just stick a floater or two in the tank and expect them to live?) Any specific additives I need to add for the plants (using gravel substrate)? Will these plants (or other suggested plants) need to be trimmed often? Can I trim them and use the parts trimmed off in other tanks? How would you trim a plant, lol? I've also heard that some plant roots can grow into the sides of the tank and make holes in the sides 0_0 (that doesn't sound great to me!)

I'm sorry these are probably kind of stupid questions and there are a lot of them. I don't want to do a full on NPT at this point and I also don't want to get plants and have them die and cause problems and make me wish I never even thought about live plants


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

You need to go get some Compact flourescent lights, they have the aquarimax brand in the fish section of walmart, 10 watts a piece and 650k. That'd be the easiest way to get them, but if you want a better deal you can look around in walmarts lighting section, or any home improvement store for some CFLs. Try for minimum 2watts/gallon
8-12 hours/day of light
You can have the lowest amount of number you want, really, you could stick two floaters in the tank and they'd be fine, just dont expect them to do much for your water quality that way. Really you could also add as many as you'd like, just make sure you get fertilizer just in case the fertilization source (fish) in the tank isnt enough to keep them healthy.
You dont specifically need anything other than fertilizer, but sometimes you dont even need that, depending on how many fish you have in the tank.
I'd stay away from duckweed, that grows like a weed, I'd get amazon frogbit or water lettuce instead if you want a floater, the water sprite and hornwort could need to be trimmed often, but it depends on all the different factors going on in your tank and water and lighting. trim them like halfway up the plant and re-plant wherever you want. The val's spread runners so you dont need to mess with that, when leaves get too high just cut them like grass, you cant replant those. I have never heard of plants breaking holes into the side of tanks. LOL that'd be interesting, I think you'd need something with stronger roots, most of what you are looking at are stem plants and dont have major root systems.


water sprite is an awesome plant, it can survive through anything. I had it arrive to me dead a few months ago and all I did was put the bits and pieces into my tanks and they started growing new shoots.
hornwort is a floater that can also be planted, it sheds its needles in new water parameters so you'll want to have your gravel vac ready, but its a nice plant!
java moss - I love java moss! it can be grown in practically no light. I keep it in every tank I have just to help a little with water quality. Its a slow grower at first but when it takes off it can take over your tank, all you have to do is break off what you dont want in the original tank when it comes time to trim and transplant or throw out.
jungle val - the only rooted plant in the bunch - nice and easy to care for, doesnt do well with medications so you'll want to move those out if you have to medicate the tank, and it will sometimes melt in new water param's, but all in all a nice plant and I recommend.
and duckweed -- i dont recommend it just because it's hard to remove once it gets in your tanks


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## logisticsguy (Sep 7, 2012)

I would take out the bulbs in the 10g and replace with cfl 6500 bulbs. The are cheap, last long time and most important have a great spectrum for plants. Hornwort, java fern, java moss, moneywort and duckweed work well in my tank. I take long floating hornwort and put plant anchor in the middle to get it to grow to the surface. Looks like a planted in substrate but is not. easy to move around and gives vertical coverage. A few drops of Flourish 2x per week keeps the plants healthy.

Haha..edit. What the very knowledgeable poster above me said! :-D:-D


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Wow! Thanks for the detailed response  Another stupid question... Exactly what kind of fertilizer would I need? Do they sell aquatic plant fertilizer that is safe for fish?

Edit: I didn't see the second post. Where do I get flourish?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Yes, at petsmart and petco they have plant fertilizer either near the plants or the medications aisle. You want liquid fertilizer, I use flourish comprehensive, it seems to be the most recommended, kind of pricey but lasts FOREVER. for a 10 gallon you'd want to dose 2ml/week if needed at all.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thank you!
Haha, a few more questions. When you QT plants, if I were to purchase them from someone on this site who gets them out of their already established tanks, is it necessary still to QT them? (If so, why?) I mean, if their tank isn't infested with snails.

And shipping plants in winter... I doubt I'll be able to find any good aquatic plants anywhere around here so I'll probably purchase them online, anyways, but it's freezing here right now (literally). Snow is still covering the ground from the 9 inches we got a few weeks ago and it has snowed more since then! And it also gets near 0 at night and usually no warmer than 20 degrees during the day. I'm assuming I should just probably hold off on ordering any plants?

Any other plants you recommend, aemaki?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I would still QT just to play it safe. I'm almost positive my columnaris rode in on an order of plants that I didnt QT, I could be wrong, but better safe than sorry, just leave them in a QT tank or bucket with good light for a couple weeks with un-treated tap water.

Most people will ship with a heat-pack, some say they dont want to and instead will insulate their plants very well before sending them off, I wouldnt worry too much about it. -- My weather is about the same as yours and plants have come in just fine to me! I would definitely pay extra for the heat pack if the seller offers them, or look for a seller that has them if they wont offer them though..

other than that I'm really not sure what else to tell you lol If you have any other questions though feel free to ask!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, my 0.0 columnaris? How would you be able to know if a plant had columnaris lol. Does untreated tap water kill everything? haha.

Any other plant suggestions?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

You wouldnt know if a plant has it or not, but from what I've read all those diseases and stuff cant survive in tap. I even qt my snails in untreated water if they are in a tank that a fish died in lol.
Anyways -- my favorites that I have are :: amazon sword, rotala (any species really,I have indica) bacopa, money wort, anarchis, frogbit, water sprite and wisteria, cabomba is a good alternative to hornwort, java moss, anubias, uhm...hmm LOL really, I love all of them. My suggestion is to get mostly stems and floaters, and only like 1/4 total of your order being rooted plants. In my 26 I have about 75% of the floor covered but only like 8 rooted plants in it.
does that make sense? lol


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

What is a stem vs a rooted plant? Are all those hardy and easy to keep in 2watt per gallon lighting?
I always hear good things about anubias.


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

I found this light, I was thinking about trying it myself.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...=LIghting+&amp;+Hoods&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> What is a stem vs a rooted plant? Are all those hardy and easy to keep in 2watt per gallon lighting?
> I always hear good things about anubias.


Stem is a "bunch" plant, its just a stem with leaves, no root system, they are normally tied together with lead weights, you plant them like you would a any other plant, just bury the base in the soil...I just prefer them because they grow faster.
rooted actually has a root system like terrestrial plants do. They dont come un-done very easily, but they dont grow like stems.
I think my preferance towards stems is just because I have so many tanks that I like trimming, but also because the faster they grow the better they help water quality.

All of the ones suggested are hardy. I'm pretty much a beginner with plants too, and these are all what worked for me so far.
2 watts per gallon is perfect for them. 
I only have 1 anubias nana petit in my tank, but its really hardy, I've got java and lace java fern in the same tank, anubias does best, regular java comes in second, and the lace isnt doing that great, but I think it might be because its baby plants.

You could also try moss balls, those require like no care other than a squeeze in tank water once in a while and rolling to a different side during a water change.

Anyways. I think that petco and petsmart will sell most of the ones I suggested


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Fishybitty said:


> I found this light, I was thinking about trying it myself.
> 
> http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11248156&lmdn=LIghting+%26amp%3B+Hoods&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo


that light could definitely work, but its a little over priced, you can get the aquarimax 10 watt lights at walmart in 6500k for like $3.

EDIT:: For some reason I've been saying aquarimax, when I really meant aquaculture this entire time lol


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> that light could definitely work, but its a little over priced, you can get the aquarimax 10 watt lights at walmart in 6500k for like $3.
> 
> EDIT:: For some reason I've been saying aquarimax, when I really meant aquaculture this entire time lol


 
I actually had that bulb from walmart. Mine costed $5.23. It only lasted me 1 month. Duh me though I didn't keep my receipt for the warranty. I just like Petsmart because the one by me, their customer service is awesome. If you have any problems they help you no matter what.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Fishybitty said:


> I actually had that bulb from walmart. Mine costed $5.23. It only lasted me 1 month. Duh me though I didn't keep my receipt for the warranty. I just like Petsmart because the one by me, their customer service is awesome. If you have any problems they help you no matter what.


 
yeah that makes sense, lol if I had that problem with mine I probably wouldnt buy them again either, but they work just fine and I'm one to search for the best deals I can find, I hate spending money lol.

but yeah, if you dont want the walmart brand and decide against petsmart, even though they sound awesome, you can find other good bulbs at home improvement stores like home depot, lowes, menards, etc for cheaper I'm sure...you just need to look for 6500k at around 2watt/gallon


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## Fishybitty (Dec 29, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> yeah that makes sense, lol if I had that problem with mine I probably wouldnt buy them again either, but they work just fine and I'm one to search for the best deals I can find, I hate spending money lol.
> 
> but yeah, if you dont want the walmart brand and decide against petsmart, even though they sound awesome, you can find other good bulbs at home improvement stores like home depot, lowes, menards, etc for cheaper I'm sure...you just need to look for 6500k at around 2watt/gallon


 
I hear you. I just spent like $36 on live plants. Eep! I always look for the 
"outdoor" to make sure but I can never find any. I can only use a 15 watt and it has to be thin.


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

What would you suggest for a 50 gal tank?, by the way im just as new and lost as the thread starter when it comes to liveplants. Only plant i know about is moss balls cause i keep reading that bettas love moss balls. Are there any that i dont have to put soil in the tank? Like just plant in the gravel or i can add in after ive already established my tank


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> Stem is a "bunch" plant, its just a stem with leaves, no root system, they are normally tied together with lead weights, you plant them like you would a any other plant, just bury the base in the soil...I just prefer them because they grow faster.
> rooted actually has a root system like terrestrial plants do. They dont come un-done very easily, but they dont grow like stems.
> I think my preferance towards stems is just because I have so many tanks that I like trimming, but also because the faster they grow the better they help water quality.
> 
> ...


What kinds can be trimmed and transferred to other tanks? And wouldn't a lead weight be dangerous 0.0


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

rangerserena said:


> What would you suggest for a 50 gal tank?, by the way im just as new and lost as the thread starter when it comes to liveplants. Only plant i know about is moss balls cause i keep reading that bettas love moss balls. Are there any that i dont have to put soil in the tank? Like just plant in the gravel or i can add in after ive already established my tank


 
I'm going to suggest the same plants. I'd definintely add a few pieces of driftwood and get some java moss, anubias, and java fern to tie to it. Try stem plants first then move to rooted like amazon sword or crypts.
You dont have to put soil in the tank unless you want to make an NPT, plants will do fine in practically any substrate. All my plants are in gravel for now.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> What kinds can be trimmed and transferred to other tanks? And wouldn't a lead weight be dangerous 0.0


 
haha you take the lead weight off when you plant them, people just put them on to help them stay together better in the mail, and so that you can just throw them in the water to QT without messing with like 10 stems of something you only mess with 1 big bulk of them.

Pretty much all stem plants are the ones you can trim and transfere


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

So out of water sprite, hornwort, java moss, jungle val, java fern and anubias, the only planted one is jungle val? Is it the only one that can't be trimmed and transferred?
Which ones are floaters and which are stems? Can the floaters also be trimmed/transferred?

Thanks for your help, aemaki! I'm not near as confused, now


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Floaters will divide themselves, they will send a new shoot out and grow a new plant then divide. The only true floater is duckweed, hornwort can be a floater but you can also plant it.
Water sprite And jungle Val can both be planted, but the sprite I a stem plant and propagates by you cutting it, jungle Val will send out runners and make new plants that way.
Java moss java fern and anubias are plants you should tie to hard-scape, but you can get away with planting it as long as only the roots are buried and not the rhizome, which is a stem holding leaves together. 
It's really simple once you see them for yourself, I'd go to the pet store and look at what they have there, look for the stick looking plants and the plants that look like they could be potted


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## 5150wicd4fish (Oct 28, 2012)

I'm gonna jump in  Aemaki09...am I getting this right that you can grow just about anything with aquarium substrate? You mean gravel? Reason being, I have a sand substrate in a 20g long with anubias,comba and someother plants can't remember haha, and I am struggling to keep some alive, I give liquid ferts 02,, I would like some feed back on maybe trying to add eco-substrate? If should add on top of sand, or risk crash if I tried to re-do tank..Or can I add eco, then another layer of sand?? 
I have a 60 gallon with same plants, but fish tear it up!! Geesh..

Thanks for any imput...love this post


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

5150wicd4fish said:


> I'm gonna jump in  Aemaki09...am I getting this right that you can grow just about anything with aquarium substrate? You mean gravel? Reason being, I have a sand substrate in a 20g long with anubias,comba and someother plants can't remember haha, and I am struggling to keep some alive, I give liquid ferts 02,, I would like some feed back on maybe trying to add eco-substrate? If should add on top of sand, or risk crash if I tried to re-do tank..Or can I add eco, then another layer of sand??
> I have a 60 gallon with same plants, but fish tear it up!! Geesh..
> 
> Thanks for any imput...love this post


 
man! I feel like a pro with everyone asking me questions lol
why lighting do you have? Eco substrate is good, you wouldnt have to add any fertilizers for quite a while after adding that, but plants should honestly grow better in sand, well rooted plants, because its easier for them to send shoots out in sand over gravel. It sounds like you are doing everything right, but you didnt mention lighting so that could be the issue.
If you add eco, I'd take as much of the sand out as possible, then lay a layer of sand on top of it if you want. I dont use eco-complete so I dont know much about it, I dont think you'd have any issues with the cycle if you do it fast enough. -- but that might be something you want to ask OFL.


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## 5150wicd4fish (Oct 28, 2012)

Thanks for reply ..my lighting is Aqueon 30" Day light LED (4 watt)..thinking of getting another strip..can add at least two more if take out blue light..
Yeah I was thinking maybe OFL will see this and comment, and yeah I think you qualify  ..you know your stuff!! I'm way new to this..haven't killed my anubias yet!! Hahaha.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

5150wicd4fish said:


> Thanks for reply ..my lighting is Aqueon 30" Day light LED (4 watt)..thinking of getting another strip..can add at least two more if take out blue light..
> Yeah I was thinking maybe OFL will see this and comment, and yeah I think you qualify  ..you know your stuff!! I'm way new to this..haven't killed my anubias yet!! Hahaha.


 
4 watts over a 20 gallon tank? Thats veryyyy low. The 2 watt per gallon rule is a good rule to follow, but if you get t-5 or t-8 you could get away with using like 1watt/gallon. --this is strip lighting. you want your lighting to be a full spectrum 6500k. 5000-10000k works, 6500 is most preferred.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I'm at Walmart and I'm not seeing many 10 watt bulbs or any k values! And the fish section only has a 75 watt bulb for reptiles. D:


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> I'm at Walmart and I'm not seeing many 10 watt bulbs or any k values! And the fish section only has a 75 watt bulb for reptiles. D:


 
go to the home section you need to check for compact flourescent bulbs


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Okay I found a pack of 10 watt 6500k fluorescent lights. I don't even know if they will fit my hood lol. We'll see... Walmart always accepts returns. And I think my Walmart is stupid. I found no lightbulbs in the home section and they were completely out of the aquarium bulbs and so was the warehouse.. And they haven't had aquarium thermometers for over a month.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Okay I found a pack of 10 watt 6500k fluorescent lights. I don't even know if they will fit my hood lol. We'll see... Walmart always accepts returns. And I think my Walmart is stupid. I found no lightbulbs in the home section and they were completely out of the aquarium bulbs and so was the warehouse.. And they haven't had aquarium thermometers for over a month.


 
thats insane!! Hopefully they fit!!
If not I'd return them and try to find some at home depot or lowes, or you can get those ones at petsmart, they sound perfect, but for me, thats more money than I'm willing to spend!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Java fern is great.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks, Choclate. I think I'll try java fern, too.

That pack of 2 bulbs I found at Walmart was on sale for like $4. If it works I might go grab the other two that were there.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

You can grow it in substrate as long as the Rhizomes not buried. Lava rock or Driftwood too.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Thanks, Choclate. I think I'll try java fern, too.
> 
> That pack of 2 bulbs I found at Walmart was on sale for like $4. If it works I might go grab the other two that were there.


 
I've never had luck with the bulbs you get in the packages. I bought one from petco that had apongenton, tiger lotus, and water onion in it and none of them sprouted, actually...the water onions both sprouted but then rotted afterwords...worst smell of my life!!
Hopefully you have better luck!!

Java fern is definitely nice! Try to get the biggest ones the store has that way you have baby ferns faster! I think I have only had mine for like 2 months and one of them already has babies all over the leaves.










Sorry its such bad quality lol I didnt realize that it looked so horrible, but gives you an idea


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Water Onions are easy to grow Bulbs.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Lol I meant lightbulbs  I've had some Betta bulbs before that did nothing, haha. And there's what all over the leaves?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Lol I meant lightbulbs  I've had some Betta bulbs before that did nothing, haha. And there's what all over the leaves?


hahah ohhh how did I misread that??

lol

anyways, java ferns propogate by growing baby ferns on their leaves lol so its baby java ferns growing all over my adult java ferns leaf.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

wow I really know less about plants than I thought I did, lol. This sounds like a whole lot of trimming and removing of plants. Also a whole lot of giving friends some live plants for their tanks, lol.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Babies start to grow on Java fern leaves when the leaf starts to die.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

That just seems so weird to me, haha!
I guess I still have a bit to learn about plants. I kind of want to make a spreadsheet for all the different kinds I'm looking at to map out whether they are planted/floaters/stems, how/if they can grow and be transferred to different tanks, how you would cut them, etc, etc...

I figured I would need to print it out and hang it by my tanks somewhere so I don't have to come back and look at this thread every time one of them starts agrowin' and I'm not sure how to trim them! haha.

Also I really need to grab a picture of those lights to see if you think they will work.


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

hey can anyone tell me if this looks like a reputable plant seller?
http://stores.ebay.com/AquaticMagic?_rdc=1


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

rangerserena said:


> hey can anyone tell me if this looks like a reputable plant seller?
> http://stores.ebay.com/AquaticMagic?_rdc=1


 
looks legit.

A good seller I always buy from is mikeswetpets on aquabid.com
He's got reasonable prices and doesnt run up your prices with shipping like most sellers do.


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## mushumouse (Dec 29, 2012)

i bought some little marimos from them a few weeks ago and they're in the mail... i did a lot of googling, and aggregate opinion is apparently they are a reputable seller in that they're very good about shipping what you buy, and replacing dead plants when they arrive, but possibly a little shady in that a couple of the plants/mosses they sell may not be "true" aquatic plants, just air plants that have been submersed (and slowly die underwater). so i would make sure to google the exact plant you want to buy by its scientific name before you make your purchase, and make sure other people are successfully growing it in aquariums.


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## mushumouse (Dec 29, 2012)

a few days ago i should say. i hope it doesn't take weeks!


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

mushumouse said:


> i bought some little marimos from them a few weeks ago and they're in the mail... i did a lot of googling, and aggregate opinion is apparently they are a reputable seller in that they're very good about shipping what you buy, and replacing dead plants when they arrive, but possibly a little shady in that a couple of the plants/mosses they sell may not be "true" aquatic plants, just air plants that have been submersed (and slowly die underwater). so i would make sure to google the exact plant you want to buy by its scientific name before you make your purchase, and make sure other people are successfully growing it in aquariums.


Most places do that. The plants can be emerged but not submerged. Meaning they are meant for vivariums and terrariums. You can also use them as filter plants. A good way to tell if it shouldn't be completely submerged is if it says varegiated or is a bamboo.


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

mushumouse said:


> i bought some little marimos from them a few weeks ago and they're in the mail... i did a lot of googling, and aggregate opinion is apparently they are a reputable seller in that they're very good about shipping what you buy, and replacing dead plants when they arrive, but possibly a little shady in that a couple of the plants/mosses they sell may not be "true" aquatic plants, just air plants that have been submersed (and slowly die underwater). so i would make sure to google the exact plant you want to buy by its scientific name before you make your purchase, and make sure other people are successfully growing it in aquariums.


You made your purchase from this particulare seller? How long ago was that? 
My main concern is shipping time cause i want to establish my tank this week so it can cycle all together


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

How many plants would y'all suggest for a 50 gal tank? I want some good coverage and some to grow on driftwood. The hood for our tank take the long florencent bulbs but i dont know what brightness to get for plant and fish


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## mushumouse (Dec 29, 2012)

yes, they are a huge seller on both ebay and aquabid. looking at my e-mail i placed my order december 31, and the seller was projecting they might get here january 10-14. not bad for overseas shipping if they make it! but i don't think it would get to you in a week. i've been going around to my local pet stores one by one using the yelp app and picking up most of my plants and equipment locally, i am also new to this. i've read good things about their shipping in general, but yeah, i would expect it to take more time than that. aemaki, the issue i was reading about was that some people believed that the moss they were selling as submersible would only thrive emerged, one of their species of fissiddens (sp?) that looked really cool. i don't know if they were right or wrong, but it did make me cautious, there's no harm in double checking what the seller is telling you!


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

rangerserena said:


> How many plants would y'all suggest for a 50 gal tank? I want some good coverage and some to grow on driftwood. The hood for our tank take the long florencent bulbs but i dont know what brightness to get for plant and fish


 
the amount of plants is something I'd check with oldfishlady about. the largest tank I have right now is a 26. I have about 6 different bunches of different species stem plants and like 6 rooted plants and it doesnt look very dense at all, so double or more? 
you need to get 2 watts per gallon, so 100w total, minimum, rated for 6500k in spectrum. you can get away with 5000-10000k, but 6500 is the most benificial to plant growth.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

mushumouse said:


> yes, they are a huge seller on both ebay and aquabid. looking at my e-mail i placed my order december 31, and the seller was projecting they might get here january 10-14. not bad for overseas shipping if they make it! but i don't think it would get to you in a week. i've been going around to my local pet stores one by one using the yelp app and picking up most of my plants and equipment locally, i am also new to this. i've read good things about their shipping in general, but yeah, i would expect it to take more time than that. aemaki, the issue i was reading about was that some people believed that the moss they were selling as submersible would only thrive emerged, one of their species of fissiddens (sp?) that looked really cool. i don't know if they were right or wrong, but it did make me cautious, there's no harm in double checking what the seller is telling you!


 
there are people out there that will sell moss balls as marimo, that arent really marimo. I dont remember what moss it is exactly, but it doesnt actually grow in a ball like marimo does and when the sellers roll them it causes the insides to eventually rot. You have to go through a reputable seller for the balls. BUT since the seller has mostly positive reviews I dont think that is the case.

Also, just letting you know for future referance, that it's illegal to import certain (if not all) plants without going through a transhipper. Some sellers will send them to you without bothering about the transhipper just to make it cheaper and faster for you, and they make more money. BUT if those plants were to get caught in customs you would be the one geting in trouble for them since the seller isnt a US resident.
Be careful about importing in the future


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Oops!! Mushumouse -- i got you mixed up with Rangerserena for some of what I was typing. Disregaurd what doesnt apply. But most of what I said can be applie to you both!
Sorry about that!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Oh, boy. The plastic cover things to protect the light bulbs from condensation touch the bulbs I have. I wonder if I can take them off? I don't think OFL recommends them anyways, but wouldn't the bulbs getting all wet from condensation be a problem? 0_0

I still need to get a pic of the lightbulbs I found to see if you think they're alright


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I don't know about removing the guards, I dont imagine it being a problem, I tend to get water all over my lights during wc's. Good question though. I am sure whatever you got is just fine to use! But maybe next time look for a tube light they don't seem to be so wide.

Maybe ask OFL?

Finding good lights is so much work! Lol gets rediculous! From now on whenever I find a good one I'm just going to buy out the entire stock! Lol
I actually need to get 4 more for my mini bows, but spent all my money on AB bettas so it'll have to wait


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The lights are the spirally ones, lol.

They were the only 10watt 6500k ones I saw. There were no other 10watt or 6500k ones. (Also the only box that had the k rating on the front instead of in tiny letters on the back.) I looked for ones shaped like the bulbs in the tank but didn't find any. My Walmart also sucks, though, lol. The new lightbulbs aren't too much wider than the old ones, but apparently they are still too wide and the guard things don't even cover the entire bulb, either. The ends of both types if bulbs (the new and old ones) stick out of the end of the guard. I need to get pictures of the box the new bulbs came in and pictures of the tank hood because I just don't know how to explain it.


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## 5150wicd4fish (Oct 28, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> 4 watts over a 20 gallon tank? Thats veryyyy low. The 2 watt per gallon rule is a good rule to follow, but if you get t-5 or t-8 you could get away with using like 1watt/gallon. --this is strip lighting. you want your lighting to be a full spectrum 6500k. 5000-10000k works, 6500 is most preferred.


Hi, I'm a little confused as I thought the LED "Day" light was good, I bought another strip yesterday and its still pretty bright, and box says compares toT-8, but doesn't actually say amount of lumens, so I've been trying to google it for aqueon modular LED and not giving too much info...anyway I also bought some 
API First Layer Pure Laterite?? 
Anyone have any good reports about that?? Gonna rinse repeatedly and give it a shot, and layer with my bb sand I have in tank now..
Thanks for any feedback...


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> the amount of plants is something I'd check with oldfishlady about. the largest tank I have right now is a 26. I have about 6 different bunches of different species stem plants and like 6 rooted plants and it doesnt look very dense at all, so double or more?
> you need to get 2 watts per gallon, so 100w total, minimum, rated for 6500k in spectrum. you can get away with 5000-10000k, but 6500 is the most benificial to plant growth.


I checked my local home depot all i can find is a 20 watt 6500k bulb for my hood. My hood is old so i think it will only fit those long slim florencent tube bulbs


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I have an old hood, too. Where do you get the Flourish for the plants?


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I got it at petsmart.

Its in their medications aisle. Made by seachem
Its a white bottle with green leaves on it


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## rangerserena (Dec 30, 2012)

http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-...0051&productId=3459898&store=1937&view=detail

http://m.homedepot.com/p/ViaVolt-2-...Light-Replacement-Bulb-6500K-VT52B/203124382/

these are the only. 2 bulbs I can find that meet the 6500


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

rangerserena said:


> http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-...0051&productId=3459898&store=1937&view=detail
> 
> http://m.homedepot.com/p/ViaVolt-2-...Light-Replacement-Bulb-6500K-VT52B/203124382/
> 
> these are the only. 2 bulbs I can find that meet the 6500


I suggest the one at home depot, but both would work just fine!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Specific types of anubias and java fern?

Which are best for beginners? And what are the differences?


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

the curly leaved windelov variety of java fern is a little more forgiving than the regular varities.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I have lace and regular (not sure of exact name but sold at PetsmArt) the lace doesn't do as well for me so regular, or windelove as suggested.

Anubias, bartieri, nana, practically any of them really


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

What's the difference between bartieri and nana? Lol

Also, I finally got a picture of those bulbs and also the light guards on the hood  but today one of the lights decided to stop working. The bulbs are not the problem, its the hood.. I'm not sure if I can fix this or if I need a new hood... Anyways,


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Hmm, Hopefully you dont have to purchase a new hood! their pretty pricey IMO. 
It looks like the light bulbs fit just fine. I'm thinking a fuse or something popped. IDK how to fix it though, I've never had that issue yet.

As for bartieri and nana -- bartieri gets pretty big -- about the size of java fern probably and nana is a foreground plant --actually the roots are pretty thick on the nana type so I've started to plant them in the gravel and they stay in there a lot easier than the java fern does with their thin hair type roots.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*That is one LOUSY condensation guard for your lights.*

Incandescent lights are somewhat SEALED so moisture can't get inside. 

CFL's are more susceptible to moisture issues. Any condensation is small enough to get INSIDE the bulb @ reach the circuitboard/microchips that ignite the gas that turns ON the CFL bulb. 

Too much moisture/condensation around the electronics = short circuit.


Excess heat = melts the microchips (if you can smell plastic it's overheating)
Condensation = shorts out the circuits (lights start to flicker & buzzing noises)

*Both will cause early bulb failure.
*
You need a better lid that keeps "water vapor" from getting INSIDE your bulb.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I got another hood from petsmart not to long ago and I didn't get the incandescent one with the lousy guards this time... Instead I got the fluorescent one with a better guard.
Now my problem is I can find a long 18" fluorescent tube bulb that is more than 15watts. Should I just supplement by placing another lamp near the tank? I'm at menards now and still can't find any 20watt bulbs.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

AyalaCookiejar said:


> Thanks! I got another hood from petsmart not to long ago and I didn't get the incandescent one with the lousy guards this time... Instead I got the fluorescent one with a better guard.
> Now my problem is I can find a long 18" fluorescent tube bulb that is more than 15watts. Should I just supplement by placing another lamp near the tank? I'm at menards now and still can't find any 20watt bulbs.


If its a t-5 or t-8 bulb you should be okay..
Also if you go to the lighting section of walmart they have 20w 18" flourescent tubes.


Also, I just wanted to show you the lights that I was talking about from walmart, if you ever end up needing more CFL's -- I've seen them in the fish section of all the walmarts in my area.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Well, it is a t8 bulb (full spectrum daylight) but its not that screw in type. It's the long bulbs that are like, connected to the hood on both sides? Lol.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

LOL no I know what you meant.

T-8 is good. I have a 15watt t-8 over my 28 and it grows plants and algea like crazy!!!

I was just posting that pic in case you ever needed screw in flourescents again lol


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! What does t8 mean, lol?

I don't think I'll use that other hood again since only one light works... Even with a single 20watt bulb, not all the plants would receive the same lighting because one side is dark and one is light, lol.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

I'm not 100% sure actually. One of those things I've never bothered to look much into. It's just higher strength than regular flourescent. T-5 was supposed to be the best of the best strength wise but people are saying T-8 outdoes it now.
and thats as far as my research went lol
As long as I know it'll work for my tank that's fine by me! 

Like I said, i have 15 watts over a 26 gallon and both plants and algea grow like weeds, so yours will be more than enough.


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## MSG (May 8, 2012)

*When I suggested a cover for your tank....*

I meant using piece of glass to fit BELOW your "stock" hood. 

The condensation from the evaporating water will probably short out your CFL light bulb in about 2-6 months if you're lucky. 

I'm not sure if I would use that AquaCulture mini CFL bulb because they don't specifically list the Kelvin rating.

If you're trying to grow plants, any bulb that specifically states it's rated @ 6500K can be used as long as it fits in the socket. 

Shouldn't cost you more than $1-$2 each if you look around.


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

MSG said:


> I meant using piece of glass to fit BELOW your "stock" hood.
> 
> The condensation from the evaporating water will probably short out your CFL light bulb in about 2-6 months if you're lucky.
> 
> ...


They list the kelvin at 6500K
It's on the back of the box in what looks like a nutrition table does in food


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## Sagat (Dec 13, 2012)

I forget the exact specifics, but:

T5: Newest fluorescent. Most energy efficient, by about 5% iirc
T8: Developed in the 80s
T12: Developed in the 30s

Interestingly, a web-search to try and refind the details I forgot revealed that t12s are no longer being manufactured as of the end of 2012


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