# First Time Plant Keeper!



## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

So I've got my 29 gallon tank cycling for a little less than a week with PFS and I'm going to have rams and some cories. So I want to try some plants. I don't have CO2 and I just have the standard lighting so I want to get easy ones. Here are a few I was thinking that I want so let me know how this would work or what to change!
Pygmy Chain Sword
Cryptocoryne
Dwarf Hairgrass
Hygrophilia Angustifolia
Let me knoe what you think and when I could add them and do plants speed up the cycling process?


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I can't help with any of those, but I know that anubias and java fern grow in low light with next to no special care needed.

My Anubias is growing all be it slowly in my 55g and I have done nothing to encourage it besides turning the lights on for 10 hrs or so daily.

I think plants can slow the cycling process down, but it may be a moot point unless you really add a lot.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd skip the chain sword and the hair grass.

Crypts like a rich substrate, but are fine in lower light.

Not sure about that particular Hygro, the one I have likes more light (difformis).


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

I really wanted to get the hair grass. What could I do to modify the setup for the hair grass? Homemade co2?


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Could I just add an air stone and hook it up to an air pump? Or I could take a two liter and put the yeast sugar and water in then run the tube thru into the tank connected to an airstone. I think I have one 20 watt bulb how much would the hair grass need?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Serious plant lights and rich substrate. I'm sure CO2 would help as well. Carpet plants are high-maintenance in general.


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

How many watts would you suggest? An does that mean pfs wont work? Is there similar plants to this that would be easier to keep?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

mattawan_cichlid said:


> How many watts would you suggest?


Try 2 watts per gallon (or more). That works with T8 fixures, you would have to convert if you get T5's or something else.



mattawan_cichlid said:


> An does that mean pfs wont work?


Not well.



mattawan_cichlid said:


> Is there similar plants to this that would be easier to keep?


Not to my knowledge. As mentioned, carpet plants are high maintenance.

Hey, you can try it. You never know what might work. :thumb:


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Well i dont know if I have time or patience for high maitanence especially for my first time. Maybe ill pass on the carpet plants


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

So is getting a double strip hood the only way to get two lights on your tank?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I found when I wanted plant fixtures, I needed to go to glass tops and then the wider double bulb fixtures just rest on the glass behind the front part that opens.


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Okay. Im researching starting a dirt tank on plantedtank.net. that place is great its like this forum only for plants! :thumb: so I may try some higher maitenence plants and see where it goes! Ill keep you guys posted on how it turns out. Hows my filtration on this djr? I've got a penguin 150 biowheel?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

What is the gph of the filter?


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

it's only 150 gallons per hour which is about 5 times the whole tank. My Africans have 880 gph for a 75 gallon which is almost 11 times but there is more fish. Should I increase to a 350 gph? My 150 biowheel sometimes doesn't work.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

5X should work for a planted tank. I've run African tanks with as little as 4X and it was fine.


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Okay cool thanks!


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

What is the maximum wattage I could get out of a single strip bulb? I want some plants that need medium light so I think I would want more than 20 watts. I may have to get a double light fixture anybody know any cheap places to get one?


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

I recently bought a fixture from fishneedit.com. You can choose the type of bulb (white, blue, pink or mix and match in the multiple bulb fixtures) and color temp (6700, 10000, 14000) which is a nice option. The price was right. These are not high end fixtures, but better than some low end IMO. I had a question before buying and got a quick reply to my email.

The week point of these fixtures as I see it (I got the 36", 2 T5bulbs @39watts ea.) is the mounting bracket. It's a good design, but cheaply made. I'll probably not use it and simply rest the fixture directly on the glass top. If I go "open top" I'll use the bracket and see how it holds up.

Also, plant forums usually have "lighting" forums and a lot of helpful people, just like here.


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Yeah I posted on a plant forum and I'm getting help from here and there. But let me know how those lights work out I may get them! I :thumb:


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

So if I get an aqueon light fuxture with two t5 light setups could I buy two coralife bulbs and use them in place of the aqueon bulbs? Will these bulbs fit in a different set up?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

mattawan_cichlid said:


> So if I get an aqueon light fuxture with two t5 light setups could I buy two coralife bulbs and use them in place of the aqueon bulbs? Will these bulbs fit in a different set up?


You would have to match the pin arrangement, length, etc. Maybe but not necessarily.


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