# newbie to live plants



## spikythefish (Apr 14, 2004)

i have a 10 gallon tank, flourescent hood, a ugf, which i am gonna get rid of cuz its a pain in the ass, 2 ac 10 powerheads, an ac mini, and a 50 watt heater


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## T'S DENTICULATUS (Apr 4, 2004)

First you need some type of live plant substrate(ie flouride, or clay) then you need some type of live plant bulb (coral life makes a good one) and then depending on how you have it set up you may have to muck flow with those ac power heads. To much flow will release any co2 in the water. The ugf isn't too bad if you have a live plant tank.


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## Trimma194 (Mar 20, 2004)

what do you mean by live substrate, gravel wont do for live plants. cause if that is the cause. screw some live plants.


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## wiseguy (Mar 1, 2004)

i have live plants just stuck in to my gravel and they are doing fine. i do have a sunlight for the plants but they do get alot of light from the room.


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## SLANTED (Dec 7, 2003)

Picking out plants for your tank is no different than picking out a fish for your tank. You would not buy a silver arowana for your ten gallon tank for all the obvious reasons. Likewise, given your substrate, tanksize, and light , the types of plants you can house are also restricted. Some plants need a lot of light, a rich substrate, and C02 injections, others need only gravel, low light and the C02 given off by the fish in the tank.


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

What do you really want to know?

From what you've described i have to make the following suggestions:
First of all you have to remove the UGF cause you want be able to set up your tank properly for plants.

Install an under gravel heater,which will help the water-nutrient-heat circulation.
Put 1,5" of leaf mold (or any other plant substrate).Then on top of it put 2"-2,5" of gravel.
Aquascape the tank with plants carefully and put some furtilizer on the roots in order to help the plants on their first days in the tank.
I suggest you to add also some liquid furtilizer on a weekly basis.
You can make a DIY CO2 system and you have to buy also some lighting bulbs especially for plants.
Goodluck!

Enjoy your plants!!!


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