# Want to start a planted tank!



## Flynn (Aug 14, 2013)

I can't seem to find a straight up answer for this. I have a 10g currently cycling and once its cycled I want to add some live plants and fish. I don't have any of this fertilizer stuff in my gravel, and I don't want to have to be adding CO2. I'll have 2 10watt (5100k, if that matters) fluorescent bulbs. All I want to do is buy some nice plants, stick them in the gravel and not have to worry about them. Is this possible? If so, what plants are they possible with? How would I "feed" them? Thank you very much!:-D


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## Stone (Jan 6, 2013)

java fern water sprite wisteria anubus some crypts and so on will do good in low med lighting and you can get some jobes plant spikes if they need fert which they might if you only have one fish in the tank might want to get 6500k bulbs but other than that i think it will be ok


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Since you're using an inert substrate, most plants will require fertilizers. I would do plants like wisteria, water sprite, hornwort, water lettuce, etc, and you could probably get away with weekly seachem flourish dosing, depending on your stocking.


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## fishkid (Jul 29, 2008)

Don't wait for the tank to cycle before planting


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## Flynn (Aug 14, 2013)

i'm loving these answers!



fishkid said:


> Don't wait for the tank to cycle before planting


so I can plant right now? regardless of all the readings? Is it still okay if I plant after it's cycled?


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

It is ok to plant any time really. Plants will do better if you replace the lights. Most all plant sections have the 6500k bulbs in a blue box, which is what we use in most of out 10 gallons and they grow plants great. 

If you don't want to do weekly dosing, some type of root tabs work great. I use jobe's fert spikes for household plants 15/15/15 and break them into about 6 pieces then stick under the plant. So far the plants love them and they don't mess up water quality. Place them about 3 inches apart or right underneath the plant you want to feed, deep in the substrate about every 2 to 3 months. You can use different brands of course but the jobes's are 99 cents a pack and the only thing our small Wal-Mart carries that is suitable.

You'll also want to limit the light being on, start it at 8/10 hours a day and see how the plants do to make sure you don't grow an algae factory


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

Flynn said:


> so I can plant right now? regardless of all the readings? Is it still okay if I plant after it's cycled?


Yes! Planting now will help your tank cycle more quickly! I ran my filter with just plants in it for about two weeks before I did a fish-in cycle. My tank was cycled two weeks later. So it only took 4 weeks for my tank to cycle. It felt like shorter because I didn't have my fish yet when I started cycling.
Any kind of organic matter will help to cycle a tank.


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## Flynn (Aug 14, 2013)

Just got my plants, here's my current set up!








is it okay that the wisteria is direction under the filter and planted without any fertilizer or anything? also that the water sprite is still potted? i thought i might as well keep it potted until i get fertilizer or whatever you're supposed to get. What should i get to keep these things alive?


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

Flynn said:


> I can't seem to find a straight up answer for this. I have a 10g currently cycling and once its cycled I want to add some live plants and fish. I don't have any of this fertilizer stuff in my gravel, and I don't want to have to be adding CO2. I'll have 2 10watt (5100k, if that matters) fluorescent bulbs. All I want to do is buy some nice plants, stick them in the gravel and not have to worry about them. Is this possible? If so, what plants are they possible with? How would I "feed" them? Thank you very much!:-D



You grow plants like I do if they don't or can't make it on their own I don't need them. I do use Seachem Flourite Black as my substrate and no fertilizer with inert substrate will require root tabs for root feeders

rick


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## Flynn (Aug 14, 2013)

well... does anyone know what to do with the potted water sprite..? it's just sitting there, along with my other plants. what do I need to do to keep them alive?


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## Flynn (Aug 14, 2013)

the water sprite is floating now but I still don't know how to make sure these wont die


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