# My Planted Tank Layout (29G)



## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi there! I have gathered a list of plants I would like to add to my 29G low-light plantless tank. Let me know what you think and if you have any other suggestions.

Foreground:
-Dwarf Hairgrass
-Petite Nana

Midground:
-Java Fern
-Cryptocoryne x willisii
-Cryptocoryne beckettii

Background:
-Anubias Minima
-Bacopa
-Vallisneria Spiralis (already ordered 3 small)

I have a scape drawn out for where to place these including hiding spots, rocks and caves. But any suggestions or comments will be much appreciated!

Thank you!


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## VadimShevchuk (Sep 19, 2009)

DHG is kinda hard to grow in low tech tank. Well thts in my opion. I have a 29 gallon with eco, 65w pc and diy co2 and its not doing to hot for me.


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## StaleyDaBear (Apr 15, 2010)

i agree. glosso is the only foregrounder I have got to work in my low tech 33, and even then, it struggled for two-three months then finally took off. I had to be really diligent about changing out my yeast/sugar bottles.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

What kind of substrate?


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

It is a sand substrate.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

IME you'll have much better luck with carpeting plants if you use a substrate with at least some nutrient content.

I'd probably go with a better low light plant than DHG, too.


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

What about the petite nana? I love the way it looks and it could be used in the foreground right? And a sand substrate will be enough right? I love the way the sand looks in the aquarium.


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## hamsterman (Jan 17, 2007)

It'll take a while for the petite to fill in  Yes, they are very low maintenance and will work well in a sand substrate. Be sure not to bury the rhizome however because this can cause it to rot.


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

I went to my LPS today and saw what he had on hand (it is a privately run store). He said that he isn't that big into plants, however fish and coral...he's the guy in town to speak to. I wrote down all of the plant options he had available and came home to research. Ruled out all of the ones that require anything near high lighting, since I am doing a low light fixture. 

What about (going off of what he has on hand):

Microsword in the foreground?

Rotala Indica in the midground?

Cabomba & Wisteria in the background?

I really want to get my plants in and working on my planted tank before adding my fish. Plus I cannot find nice smooth rocks anywhere!! I wanted to close off a section in the front where there is just sand, so they can swim around without having plants in the way. And block off the plain sand and plants growing in sand with a "rock wall" so to speak...not really a wall, but big flat smooth rocks to separate the two and give a nice borderline when the plants start to fill in. But it is so empty. But I don't want to just buy up the plants he has on hand, if they are not what I need or should get...especially since he has no idea and just randomly orders them. 

Thank you so much! I am just very brand new to this and have only ever had artificial plants. Such a noob.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I've never had luck with most microswords in low light either. Lilaeopsis mauritiana is the only of that genus that I've had do well.

E. tenellus 'narrow,' 'micro,' or 'red' would work. Marselia minuta, Dwarf Sagittaria would work. Crypt parva also, as long as the light isn't *too* low...

I've never had much luck with Cabomba in low light unless I float it. Any little bit that gets shaded sheds leaves and makes a royal mess.

I think you should check out the S&S here on the forum for plants.


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

Awesome thank you so much for the help and tips. Yeah I will look on the S&S and find some plants there because I don't trust many pet stores near my home except that one and of course he doesn't know much about plants. Thanks a bunch!


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## webgirl74 (Dec 2, 2009)

Yeah, except for the DHG, I think you were on the right track with your original list. If you don't find what you want on the S&S, there are lots of mail order plant sources. Don't forget mosses as well as options. Can add a lot of interest to areas of the tank where you need something random looking, or you're trying to conceal equipment, etc. You can trim it to the size and shape you want and it grows like crazy in a low light tank. I have 2 low light tanks and have java moss, a few types of java fern, several types of anubias, several types of crypts, red tiger lotus, spiral val and amazon swords, all growing well and fairly quickly considering that I only have about 1 WPG.


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

Thank you. I bought some plants today to play with and see how they do. I bought the wisteria, dwarf hairgrass (it already had good height - so I decided to go ahead and try it out), my Vallisneria Spiralis came in the mail, and a fourleaf clover plant. Well I thought I had the bulbs all picked out from other sources. I had a little over 2 WPG, but they are the regular soft white bulbs that are "regular, everyday use light." But when I bought the plants today, one of the guys in there told me to at least get the fluorescent coil screw in bulbs. Which is better? Or are they both okay? I don't have a hood on the tank, because of my over the tank filter, but I have two porcelain lamps on either sides of the aquarium to hold the two screw in bulbs.

I understand that being a beginning aquarium planter, I will lose some plants along the way, but I want to have the best odds given my set up.


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## Nymsley (Mar 24, 2009)

When you say regular bulbs, do you mean the incandescent ones? If so, the compact fluorescent spirals would be a better choice.

I'm curious about these porcelain lamps you mentioned.



bnjzusammen said:


> I don't have a hood on the tank, because of my over the tank filter


No worries, you don't need a hood but you can make one later if you want to.


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## apisto420 (Apr 24, 2010)

came in here expecting to see a pic....


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'm not sure how effective your light setup may or may not be- could you post a pic?


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

*Pictures of tank:*

Here are some pictures - sorry had them on my home computer.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yeah, I think those will work for a low light setup- IF you use screw-in flourescent bulbs, definitely not incandescent.

Even with flourescent, how much usable light is actually getting to the bottom of the tank is anybody's guess (unless you know someone you can borrow a PAR meter from), but stick with low light plants and I think you'll be OK.

IME all carpeting plants will fill in more quickly and thicker in nutrient-containing substrates rather than sand, however.


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## StaleyDaBear (Apr 15, 2010)

though the setup is something i aesthitcally like (maybe good for mh's) i would recommend getting Normal Output flourescent if your planning to stay with a low light setup. And root tab the crap out of your sand for your carpet plants.


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

Ok, I bought the Seachem Flourish system because the petstore guy said "if I want to keep my plants alive, then get it." Haha. But I have already been reading on here that using real fert (which is more concentrated than the Seachem liquid) would be best. But then other places I read that low lights don't really need fert and CO2 etc. That is why I am on here...too many opinions and I don't know what is best for my situation. I am going out to buy the Normal Output flourescent bulbs today. Yesterday I upgraded the 33 incandescents to 75 that I already had on hand, so that at least they could possibly get more output. Now I hope to save all plants I have in there when I get my other bulbs today. 

Since I want to stick with the sand look (looks more natural to me), I understand I will have to add nutrients to the sand. So I looked at some root tab online to see what it is. Now I see packs of 10 online, for a 29 gallon...how many do you think I need? 100? haha. The tabs look so tiny.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

A healthy planted tank is all about establishing balance. Key to that balance is your lighting, since the amount of light is the primary factor that determines how quickly plants grow.

Put lots of light over the tank and the plants will grow faster, thus needing a higher level of nutrients.

Keep low light over a tank and the plants won't need nearly the amount of nutrients, and may even be fine without any added ferts at all (which is the way I personally prefer to set up my tanks.)

So lighting is really your critical decision here.

Stick with what you have and I think you can make it work as a low tech setup. Put too much light over this tank and you'll need to also get a pressurized CO2 system going, along with a comprehensive fert regimen.


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## StaleyDaBear (Apr 15, 2010)

im guessing thos are 75 watt incandescent? the lower half of your tank will recieve little to know light. and the top half wont recieve much. its up to you but i would at least go with a few flourescents. if low-tech, even a strip light flourescent that you can buy at like petco or petsmart will be better. incandescent's wont do much for your plants, except make the water temp higher. IMO


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## bnjzusammen (Apr 20, 2010)

Alright. I'm thinking of going with the fluorescent coils for now. So if it is 2 WPG, then would it be ~60 watts on both bulbs to give even light? Or since mine is a 29G tall...should I get a higher wattage? 

And now algae is growing on that vase I have in there. Never had algae before...so this is new haha.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

You won't be able to go by the "wpg guideline" with those fixtures, the shape of both the bulb and the fixtures themselves mean that the light output is just going to be too different from running a CF or T8 tube strip, which is what those guidelines are based on.

I'd go with a higher wattage on the spiral bulbs.


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