# First plant experience



## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

This is the first time I have ever attempted keeping alive plants.

I went out today and got a red lugwigia (sp?) and put it in my 10 gallon tank. I am going to do a community tank with neons and other little fish like that. So to start my cycle I put in the plant, water, water conditioner, and a few goldfish. Then tomorrow I am going to clean out my XP3 from my p's tank and stick some of the media in the filter of the ten gallon. (Didnt think of doing that until I got home)

Im kinda clueless when it comes to plants and I have read some stuff on them but im not going to get so far into it (yet) as to get co2 injection or anything like that. I have a 20 watt light in the tank so that should be plenty.

I also bought some "Plant Gro Iron Enriched Plant Fertilizer 0.15-0-0 " When should I add this stuff or is it not necessary?


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

sprtslvr785 said:


> This is the first time I have ever attempted keeping alive plants.
> 
> I went out today and got a red lugwigia (sp?) and put it in my 10 gallon tank. I am going to do a community tank with neons and other little fish like that. So to start my cycle I put in the plant, water, water conditioner, and a few goldfish. Then tomorrow I am going to clean out my XP3 from my p's tank and stick some of the media in the filter of the ten gallon. (Didnt think of doing that until I got home)
> 
> ...


You shouldn't need CO2 with your lighting. You do need to keep the plants fed tho. U need 10-25ppm nitrates, .5-2ppm phosphates, micro nutrients, iron and potassium. 
You should be ok dosing the nutrients 1ce, maybe 2ce a week with your lighting.. maybe 1.5X







Keep your eyes on the nitrates, don't let them bottom out, same as phosphate.
also, buy low light plants, and get some that grow fast, like hornwart, or water sprite


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

haha....thanks for your help, but can you explain to me what " nutrients 1ce, 2ce, 1.5x" And how do you adjust phosphate??

sorry to sound like a dummy.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

sprtslvr785 said:


> haha....thanks for your help, but can you explain to me what " nutrients 1ce, 2ce, 1.5x" And how do you adjust phosphate??
> 
> sorry to sound like a dummy.


u don't sound like a dummy ..

I meant keep the nitrates at 10-25ppm, and no lower.
Phosphates .5-2ppm, no lower.
There are test kits for these 2^^ and places sell phosphate--flourish phosphorous, and fleet enima at your local drugstore is pure phosphate.









iron, and micro ferts (flourish comprehensive, Tropica Master Grow) as recommended on the bottle, maybe a dash more.
potassium same as micros & iron


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## sprtslvr785 (Mar 3, 2005)

So should I wait until my cycle is over to add some plant fert or should I go ahead and dump it in there?

Here is a pic of it. Not the exact one, its one I found online. Mine still has some green in it.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

sprtslvr785 said:


> So should I wait until my cycle is over to add some plant fert or should I go ahead and dump it in there?
> 
> Here is a pic of it. Not the exact one, its one I found online. Mine still has some green in it.


don't starve your plants.. put it in now. That is like starving your fish.

If you have the red plant.. I can't tell from the pic, but it doesn't look like Ludwigia repens--looks more like Ludwigia glandulosa.
Either way, they will be hard pressed to get that red with 2wpg. They need high light and CO2 for the reds to come out nice.
You have to feed these plants what they want. NO3, PO4, K, Fe, & micros. If you don't feed that plant right, and keep it in direct light, it will get holes, and start to disintegrate.


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