# Starting 40 gallon - Need plant advice



## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

Hello,

As the title suggests, I am starting a 40 gallon low tech tank (36" L x 12" W X 20" H) and I want some help on picking out plants as well as quantities to get started. I have black sand and will be adding some dark grey slate like rocks and perhaps some pieces of wood. I want to create a carpet effect. I like Glossostigma but have heard mixed things for low tech. I am open to anything but am not really big on some of the mossy kinds of plants. For background etc. I'm open to suggestions; the hardier the better!

No plans on adding fish but someday maybe some schooling ones like tetras.

Thanks!:biggrin:


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

In my 75g (no CO2, topsoil sand capped, Fluval Full Spectrum LED I have the following

Sagittaria subulata
Glossostigma elatinoides
Anubias barteri Var. Nana
Anubias barteri Var. barteri
Rotala rotundifolia
Egeria densa
Bacopa caroliniana 
Ludwigia repens
Najas guadalupensis
Pistia stratiotes

I started in June, and all are doing fine.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I really like the dimensions of those tanks. 38 tall. I would definitely get some Crypts in there. And Rotala Indica. 

btw, are you going to be using this as just a planted tank with no fish? Just curious.


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

I want to get some plants established and then ill see. Maybe some neon tetras or some other schooling fish

I think I'm going to get glosso for sure. Anubis and swords seem to be easy ones too. I really liked sunset hygro but it looks like it's difficult to get unless you have a local connection. Anything similar? I like the bright pink!


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## FatherLandDescendant (Jul 24, 2014)

You could start a WTB (Want To Buy) thread in the WTB/RAOK section and see if anyone would sell you that Sunset Hygro. I've bought 3 fish (juvniles) and 3 types of plants from members on this site and EVERY SINGLE ONE has been great, just awesome. 

Also watch the RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness) threads, a lot of people will share plants with you for the cost of shipping. The people here are wonderful


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

that is a great idea. I'll do just that!


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Do you have any pics of your setup?


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## psych (Jan 7, 2013)

I purchased one plant from one of the big box stores in the gel and it's doing fine. The rest of the plants I've purchased from members, swords, anubias, java fern, and more, and it's all looking good. If anything it came in better than it is now. But that's my fault!


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

Here it is. Not a whole lot going on yet although I have added some black sand. I used black sand in a previous salt water tank but the fish made it pretty nasty looking; hoping it stays clean!

I have everything ready but the plants! Not sure on the lighting (4 bulbs @ 39w ea); my current setup is pretty overkill from what I've read so I might take out one of the bulbs and just run 3. I have an LED light just for effects that I was going to run in the evening to give it a nice glow. 2 200 GPH filters and a heater are on the side.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

If you want a low tech carpet using glosso,I would say success rate is good with dirt. Using plain sand/gravel, I rarely see good carpets (not counting larger, easier stuff like dwarf sag) compared to the number of failures.


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## ylot77 (Feb 11, 2008)

Xiaozhuang said:


> If you want a low tech carpet using glosso,I would say success rate is good with dirt. Using plain sand/gravel, I rarely see good carpets (not counting larger, easier stuff like dwarf sag) compared to the number of failures.


So it is possible to get a good glosso carpet with just dirt capped with sand, and no injected co2 or bright lights?


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I never have any luck with glosso in low light. Maybe that is just me. Dwarf Sag grows like a weed and needs very little in the way of care. I think it is a great plant to start with.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

ylot77 said:


> So it is possible to get a good glosso carpet with just dirt capped with sand, and no injected co2 or bright lights?


Hmm I can't speak for "without bright lights". But using dirt with cap, with good lighting in smaller tanks < 10gal, with some water fertilization (KNO3, KH2PO4), reasonably good flow/HOB filter, I find that for glosso and DHG, it seems easy without special effort. I do start the tank for a couple of months without livestock though, perhaps this allows higher lighting without algae issues.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

3 Gal nano with hairgrass 








Roots in 2 weeks









5 gal with Glosso








in about 6 weeks ?









All with $12 Ikea desklamp


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I just think there is a big difference between 5 gallons and 40. I find I can do lots of things in a small tank that I just can't do in a larger tank. I guess the par values just drop off quickly or something. Plus there is the fact that ambient light just penetrates a small tank more.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

Oh yes, PAR drops off quite fast unless you're using stronger penetration lighting. Also surface area to volume falls off as tanks get larger, the plant mass ratio is higher in smaller tanks - less algae issues. Of course the trade offs as well - larger tanks are more stable, etc.


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

What about fertilizer tabs or dousing? I have read that can be a good alternative to CO2. I am looking at getting Flourish Excel.


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## ylot77 (Feb 11, 2008)

Excel is an excellent option IMO. I use it exclusively in my lower light tanks, and for spot killing algae in my higher light tanks. It just gives me a headache every time I have to buy a jug of it at the store.


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

Do you think it would allow glosso to grow well? I dont mind the cost or having to dose daily or every other day but I just want it to look nice and green there are so many gorgeous tanks on this site and I want to add my own!

I dont mind dwarf sag. It seems like its ridiculously easy to grow and has a nice grassy look to it. I just like the glosso more because of the bright color and leafiness


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## ylot77 (Feb 11, 2008)

I would assume that it works well, but I have never grown glosso. Probably would be fine.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

overcookedegg said:


> Do you think it would allow glosso to grow well? I dont mind the cost or having to dose daily or every other day but I just want it to look nice and green there are so many gorgeous tanks on this site and I want to add my own!
> 
> I dont mind dwarf sag. It seems like its ridiculously easy to grow and has a nice grassy look to it. I just like the glosso more because of the bright color and leafiness


In my opinion dwarf sag would work for sure, but I haven't seen many good examples of low tech glosso carpets with just a sand + excel combi. If sand + excel grew glosso, every low tech tank here would have a carpet.


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## overcookedegg (Sep 17, 2014)

Great! Thanks for all of the replies. I'll do some more research and hopefully get started soon.


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