# Low Tech Planted Goldfish



## someguy9812

Hello,

I am looking to start a very very low tech goldfish planted tank, but I want to know if it is feasible. 

It is a 55 gallon tank with stock light (2x 15 watt daylight 6500k strips). Gives me .54 wpg. I know it is very very low.

I have another planted tank with some plants that could possibly work but i wanted to see if this would be a waste of time or if i have a chance.


Currently i can add to the tank, java ferns(narrow, regular and windolv), crypt retrospiralis and wendtii, hornwort, anacharis. Also considering ordering some anubias and perhaps some vals.

Can anyone chime in with some of there wisdom if this may work or if it is futile.... 

If you say it is futile for me to do it and this is becuase of the light, then I may decide to do a diy hood with some lights to get me up to about 1.5-2 wpg.

I want this to be low tech with no dosing ect ect, and I am not expecting to have tremendous growth, just want to make a planted tank for the fish to help clear out some of thier nitrates.

What do you guys think will and wont work

Thanks
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=75


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## GlassCat594

I have had a hard time keeping plants in my brotehrs Goldfish Tank B/C of the Goldfish. They eat anything and everything. 

They ate a big Tiger Lotus that came from my tank, They ate the roots AND the bulb. I suspect they will eat the delicate plants you mentioned. 

I had the most succsses with an Argetine sword, they did not try to eat it they just up rooted it alot. It is not doing so hot but that is b/c he only has 30Watts on a 55 gal. 

Similar thread
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/goldfish-safe-plants-112119.html


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## Axelrodi202

They don't eat crypts either.


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## ex225

Every goldfish is different so I'm not sure if yours will be a plant eater, uprooter, or none at all.

That said, in my experience keeping shubunkin goldfish, they will eat anything and everything. I've tried all sorts of plants and everything was devoured. Sometimes uprooted, and then devoured. The only ones I haven't tried and are supposedly goldfish-proof are anubias. I think with your light and setup, you could put some driftwood with anubias tied to it and achieve a nice planted look. There's no risk for uprooting and I imagine the big leaves and thick stems would be hard for the goldfish to pick at. Some moss tied to the wood would look nice as well but my goldfish will eat moss so it really depends on your fish. With your lights, the anubias should have some very slow growth but in my experience, it will still grow under .5wpg.

Other than that, you can try out some cheapo fast growers like your hornwort and anacharis and if anything it'll be a good snack for your fish.


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## finfan

from a light perspective i think anubias will work, but i have no experience with how goldfish and plants work!


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## someguy9812

Alright, thanks for the advice. I may start out with some anubias and java ferns, and see how that goes, then perhaps later upgrade my lights and try a few more things

Off to order some anubias


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## spacemonk1420

I have fancy goldfish (oranda and lionhead/lionchu) in 75 gallon high tank with 1 wpg for 6 hours.

They go along fine with tough leaves like Anubias, Jave fern and Sword. It's the root that they like to dig. I use plastic container with top soil+gravel covered by big rocks to avoid them digging. You may want to bump up your wpg if you want other than anubias and java fern. 

You can find more goldfish safe plants at http://thegab.org/Articles/GoldfishPlantsLowTech.html 

I attached my tank pic (a bit blurry, sorry). Oh, my first post here too albeit long time reader


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## nytowl83

spacemonk1420 said:


> I have fancy goldfish (oranda and lionhead/lionchu) in 75 gallon high tank with 1 wpg for 6 hours.
> 
> They go along fine with tough leaves like Anubias, Jave fern and Sword. It's the root that they like to dig. I use plastic container with top soil+gravel covered by big rocks to avoid them digging. You may want to bump up your wpg if you want other than anubias and java fern.
> 
> You can find more goldfish safe plants at http://thegab.org/Articles/GoldfishPlantsLowTech.html
> 
> I attached my tank pic (a bit blurry, sorry). Oh, my first post here too albeit long time reader


Thats a really pretty tank


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## rotnak1271

No pics to share, but I've got a low tech planted tank with fancy goldfish, lighting consists of twin 4 foot fluorescent lights that I think give me shy of 1 wpg. No added ferts, just fish poo. I've got a couple of swords that are huge in there, and have had no problems with crypt wendtii, lutea and ponterderiifolia. All of these have spawned daughter plants. To keep them from constantly pulling up the plants I used river rocks around the crown to keep them from digging there. Worked like a charm. 

The goldies don't bother my anubias or java ferns either, and the hornwort and anacharis that I have in there grows quick enough that it doesn't matter if they snack on it.

The beginning of June I re-did the tank to go mostly bare bottom and planted everything in clay pots with soil to make cleaning and re-scaping easier, and everything has taken off. 

Below is one of the sites that I used for information when deciding what to plant my tank with.

http://www.well.com/~debunix/fish/goldfishPlants.html


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## someguy9812

Thanks for the response guys.

I went out to look for cheap light sources for my 55g tank and let me knwo what you guys think.

Found shop lights for both T8 and T12 bulbs for 10$. 
The T12 takes 2x40watt 6500k bulbs= 1.45 wpg
The T8 takes 2x32 watt 6500 bulbs= 1.16 wpg

But I hear that the T8 are more efficient. What would you guys choose T12 or T8. Both would cost me under $20 with bulbs included.

Another option would be to go with regular light fixtures and use 4 26 watt spiral bulbs for 1.8 wpg.

What do you guys think? What would you do? I want to keep it under 25$ for the lights, and hopefully $35 for the entire hood and lights(i priced the wood and it will be around $10 for build the hood)

Also do you think it is more effective to line the hood with foil or just paint it white?

Thanks


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## Mori

I've recently set up a new tank for my goldfish (the old one was unplantable because it was 30" tall). I have sand as a substrate which is harder for them to move about than gravel. They aren't the most diggy of goldfish, either. So far, the swords are all mostly defoliated, but they keep putting out new leaves. One species is less tasty than the other, but I can't tell which as the leaves are too tattered to identify (and I don't know plants very well). Java ferns are doing well. What's doing _really_ well are the jungle vals. I wish I'd taken the time to plant them in a good spot, but I didn't think they'd form a mat so quickly. I wanted a mat to make it harder to uproot, just not front and center.

My tank is room temp (68-80F) and has a pretty strong current. No fertilizers yet. Lighting is 3 36" 39 Watt t5 tubes over a 120 gallon 72x18x24(?)" tank. I've never grown vals before and think they need more light than you're planning, but aside from Java fern which is a good goldfish plant, these things are the best GF plants I've had. I might lose my fish in there soon! (Of course there's no guarantee your fish won't think vals are delicious.)


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## someguy9812

well i upgraded the light and built a hood. Now have 2 40 watt t12 on there so gives me 1.45 wpg on it.

Ive thrown in a few plants to see what they tear up and what they dont and I plan on going from there.

right now have some wisteria, java ferns, anachris, hornwort and crypts wendii. They like to eat the hornwort but perhaps it will grow faster than they can eat it.

I am getting swords in a week or so as well as a few more different crypts and some vals(on order waiting for them to arrive).

Ill keep you guys updated on the progress as well as snap some pictures when i get the plants in the tank


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## someguy9812

oh and i am placing larger rocks around the roots to try to keep them in the gravel


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## nytowl83

i am excited to see how this finally turns out, the color of the goldfishes contrasting the greeneries of the plants would be a nice visual feast


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## kameia

I have java fern, anubias, wisteria, argentine sword and marimo balls with my goldfish. They uprooted one of my wisteria, and they like to pick at the marimo. But the marimo do alright because they're big and I have a bunch of them. 
I also have a veg clip for romaine lettuce, the idea being maybe they'll eat the lettuce instead of the plants...hopefully.


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## nytowl83

I have an idea for spacemonk1420's setup that will make the goldfishes and plants stand out more, since it great to have no substrate to a goldfish tank (hygiene) maybe we can add more contrast by placing a non-reflective black plastic on the tank bottom so it will then be black all over


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## equinecpa

I just posted some updates to my 30 gallon goldfish thread:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/77205-30-g-low-tech-goldfish-cube-2.html#post882390


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## spacemonk1420

nytowl83, thanks! pls post your setup  I am sure in philippines you have easier access good fancy goldfish (esp ranchu).

equinecpa, maybe the mod can merge this thread? nice tank btw. I have cherry shrimps as well hiding among java ferns and under driftwood. emergency food I guess


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