# Natural planted tank



## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

I would like to do a nano planted tank in my 5 gallon would you give me a list of things you need to start one of. could you give me the prices for things so i know roughly how much it will cost. can the plants live on natural sunlight because the tank dosent have a light would one of these work?




so here is my tank that i plan to plant at the moment it has 2 marimo moss balls and a small amazon sword plant 









http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...a&productCode=17492&catalogId=10601&langId=-1


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

This link should get you started

http://thegab.org/Plants/setting-up-a-walstad-natural-planted-tank.html


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## kelly528 (Aug 31, 2009)

You'll want a clip on light or even a high-wattage desk lamp like the Hamilton Bay desk lamp. The only plant I have ever seen thrive purely on sunlight is algae!!!

The folks on plantedtank.net could probably suggest a suitable desklamp for you.


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

oldfishlady do you have to have crushed oyster shells ans soil? or can i just stick with sand? wot lamp do i need?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

If you have soft water then you may need oyster shell, but if not then no you don't need it.

The NPT is a soil based tank and the soil is what help make it what it is and so you don't have to add ferts because the nutrients in the soil will feed plants along with the waste from the fish and other livestock, by using just sand you will not get the same effects....

You can successfully have NPT soil based tank with just the natural sunlight, however, having an added light will help on those cloudy days
You will need to start off with stem plants along with the other type of plants you have, sword are slow growers and I don't know much about the moss balls to be honest......It takes lots of active growing stem plants to make this type of tank be a low care reduced water change NPT

Sword can be grown with low light of just sunlight, naja grass is another that would work well.


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

i will take the sword out. is hornwort a good choice of plant? i heard its fast growing.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Hornwort is a good floating plant, however, they do tend to drop needles if they are not happy with your water, I like water lettuce for my floaters

I would use the sword in the NPT, you just need to add stem plants along with it. But with soil and high nutrient at its roots it may out grow your tank pretty fast. I have a baby sword in one of my 3g and I have to keep its leaf cut back a lot and replace it every 6 months...lol....but give that sword some good root food and it may give you some baby swords....lol.....


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

the sword plant you see is a baby sword from the mother plant. she gives me 2 babies each month and she is in my 6 gallon with only natural sunlight. so when i go to the petstore next week wot do i need to buy? 
i will get potting soil . do you add about a 1 inch of it and the rest sand?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Make sure you have the needed plants on hand before you start a soil based tank or it could end badly

Look for potting soil that is all natural with no additives 11/2 inch and 1in sand on top of that, add water to 1 inch above this carefully so not to disturb the layers and plant the stem plants and sword, fill with water, and then do a couple of 50% water only changes and then fill, add the heater and filter if you plan to use them and sit on a east or south window, if the water clears up and you have enough plants add the fish and other livestock and then make 50% water only change every day or so, monitor the temp so not to cook the fish and plants

If you have trumpet snail add them if not poke the soil with something every day or so until the stem plants start growing to prevent anaerobic dead spots until the plants start bring oxygen into the soil.


A little tricks-
add your potting soil and then water just to cover but not enough that you have pools of water and then top off with dry sand and then cover with more water an inch above the sand and then plant
You don't have to rinse the sand, the back to back water only changes will do this
You do want to sift the potting soil and get any big pieces of wood out and clumps


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

wouldent haveing it on a window make the temp go up and down? do you have any pics of your small planted tanks to show me?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

This is one of my 2g tanks-it has guppy grass or called naja grass, hygrophlia corymbosa (looks like a sword in this pic), java moss in the back, rotala indica and water lettuce, unfiltered and with a heater, potting soil substrate and black sand cap, the little pebble you see are to hold down the plants when I first set it up. It has red cherry shrimp, newborn and now 3 week old longfinned pleco and Betta fry in it right now (all fish will all be moved in the next 3 weeks).


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

it looks brilliant what light do you use?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

The light is one of the few aquarium bulb I buy....it is called a mini aquarium bulb 10w fluorescent full spectrum...have no idea what the kelvin is on it...but the plants grow great with it none the less....


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

do your over tanks just grow on direct sunlight?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

I have one that is 80% sunlight in a east window 25g tank-I do supplement with some light and I have plant only half to one gallons 100% sunlight in an east window, but when I put Bettas in them, I move them and I use lights, with sunlight IMO/E is too unstable for fish especially Bettas-I would do them with guppies or endlers, but more because they can handle more extreme temp changes


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

it was for my betta to go in so i will have to buy a lap for it are lights expensive?

how long do the plants take to grow if i started my tank this week would it be thriving by say christmas?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Stem plants should be actively growing within a week and you will need to do your first trim within 3-4 weeks......

Light cost vary...all depending on where you go, yard sale are great, thrift stores, pawn shops etc.....check craigslist..it doesn't have to be aquarium it can be a desk lamp...plants in the small tank are a bit more forgiving with lights

Also, If you have indirect light and a heater for the tank that should be fine for both the plants and Betta...it is direct sun that I would avoid with fish in small tanks.


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## anglnarnld (Aug 27, 2010)

How do you post pictures???


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

so i dont really need a light if its not in direct sunlight? sorry im asking all these questions .
i think im gonna have stem plants at back (amazon sword)
middle-dont know yet any ideas?
front marimo moss bolls


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## Alex09 (Aug 9, 2010)

weluvbettas said:


> so i dont really need a light if its not in direct sunlight? sorry im asking all these questions .
> i think im gonna have stem plants at back (amazon sword)
> middle-dont know yet any ideas?
> front marimo moss bolls


No, NEVER put the tank in direct sunlight. The temps will be too extreme. What I did is just get an old desk lamp, go to a regular store and buy a flourecent lightbulb that is 6500k. These are usually labelled as "daylight" or "sun" or whatever. Click here to see what I mean [link]. Then I just shine that light on my tank for maybe 8 hours a day. The bulb is 13w and my tank is only 1.5g so I move the light a bit further back for it to be not too bright.


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## Fermin (Apr 18, 2010)

Oldfishlady said:


> Hornwort is a good floating plant, however, they do tend to drop needles if they are not happy with your water...


^^Agreed. My tank is overwhelmed with a ginormous tangled mass of hornwort. It grows _like crazy_ but like Oldfishlady said - it sheds like a Christmas tree. Also, don't bother attempting to anchor hornworts in the gravel/soil because they'll either remove themselves to float around or their bottoms will rot.


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

ok so on my list of things i need is .....
. Potting soil with no additives or anything.
. A flourecent bulb that is 13 watts

anything else?


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

so Today i bought the plants i bought 3 buches of water primrose and a piece of driftwood with some javafern on. Buying soil and lamp tommorow. With the tank having soil i have read that you dont need a plant fertilliser is that true?
so my plan for the tank have the water primrose in the back and down the sides the driftwood in the middle and some pebbles in the front. sound good?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Usually you don't need added ferts in soil based tanks

I have never heard of water primrose, who did you get it from and do you have a link on it...love learning about new plants for the aquarium.....

When you aquascape-go by thirds, put your driftwood off center some


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

you probally know it as luwigia. should i plant the plants as they are or cut them down so there small?


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Okay...never heard it called that....

Depending on how tall and healthy they are, they are easy rooter IME and I frequently pinch them and re-plant at least weekly


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

i think im gonna keep them as they are . thanks for the advice!  will post pics of the setup tommorow . what other fish or shrimp could i get in there?


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## weluvbettas (May 29, 2010)

I would like to thank oldfishlady for all the help she has given me  everyone clap for her!!! 
so here is my nano planted tank


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

Clap, clap, clap!


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