Newbie question about plant control

[Marinus]

Hello planters,

I'm new to everything FW, you may have caught my thread about starting a 30G planted tank for my 5 year old son in the FW forum. We would really like to have a planted tank and we saw some beautiful tanks here already!

cemantic
http://ovas.ca/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=30881.0;attach=24472;image

Fishnut
http://ovas.ca/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=30874.0;attach=24539;image

I was just wondering how one would go about keeping the plants from overtaking the tank? Would one pruning plants? How about moss? I guess it all depends on what type of plants/light/setup etc... etc... What I'm hoping for are some easy to keep plants that won't really over take the tank. I noticed for example that the plants in Fishnut's tank showed rapid growth (see reply 10,11: http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=30874.0). How much work goes into plant control for these types of tanks?

Thanks!

Serge

[charlie]

Hi Serge, plant control will depend on the type of plant & set up, some plants are stem plants that will need trimming from time to time, the type of set up ( lighting etc. )will dictate how often, so a low light tank will result in minimal trimming.

The other type that propagate by runners can be controlled by simply removing them, again the set up & type of plant will dictate frequency( low light less maintenance ) .
Regards

[Marinus]

Thank you,

I thought about getting a 30G because I have a spare 36" Aqualight. However, this light apparently not that good for FW. So, now that the light is out, Im thinking a 20G setup would be just fine.

Laura helped me with a list of some relatively easy plants to start out with in another thread:

Don't be afraid of plants.  There are lots of easy ones that do well in low light (and often available at the auctions!)  Java fern, java moss, anubius and african fern all do well under low light conditions and need to be attached to driftwood or stone (wood works better IMO).  They are great for starting out.

In the same thread, sdivell mentioned you may be of some help with lighting:

That bulb/fixture isn't the best option for what you are trying to do.  96watts on a 30gallon tank is 3.2watts per gallon making it a pretty high light tank for plants.  You would be now looking at pressurized Co2 to keep the plants healthy.

Look into getting a T-5 light fixture for this tank.  Either buy a stock off the shelf one like this:
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA/ctl3664/cp17943/si2949165/cl0/currentusanovaextreme362x39wt510000kfreshwater

Or look into a DIY light hood with some T-5 fixtures from a hydroponics store.  Charlie is a good person to ask about this.

I would have posted my questions there but now that the topic has narrowed to plants and lighting for plants, I thought I might as well carry on here.

Could you suggest a good light for the plants Laura listed. Remember, the key thing here for me is low maintenance.

One more question... moon light LEDs are so cool on my SW tank, are they ok to use in a planted FW setup as well? If so, which would be better; blue, white or both? It would be nice to be able to see the tank at night... I'm hoping to place it beside the bed so he can look at it when he lies down.

Thanks Charlie!

Serge

[zima]

Thank you,

I thought about getting a 30G because I have a spare 36" Aqualight. However, this light apparently not that good for FW. So, now that the light is out, Im thinking a 20G setup would be just fine.

Laura helped me with a list of some relatively easy plants to start out with in another thread:

In the same thread, sdivell mentioned you may be of some help with lighting:

I would have posted my questions there but now that the topic has narrowed to plants and lighting for plants, I thought I might as well carry on here.

Could you suggest a good light for the plants Laura listed. Remember, the key thing here for me is low maintenance.

One more question... moon light LEDs are so cool on my SW tank, are they ok to use in a planted FW setup as well? If so, which would be better; blue, white or both? It would be nice to be able to see the tank at night... I'm hoping to place it beside the bed so he can look at it when he lies down.

Thanks Charlie!

Serge

Hi Serge, welcome to the planted world! Low-maintenance planted tanks are absolutely wonderful, and are often disregarded in the hobby. With the approach you're taking (low maintenance), you'll be fine with 30-40w over a 20 gallon tank. You also, in my opinion, do not need to go for T5's florescent; any florescent light in the right colour range (5000K - 10000K) will do the job. T5's are great lights when it comes to plants, but more on the high-tech side.

LED moon lights are absolutely safe to use over fresh water, day and night. Fish are not bothered by them at all. I use them over my 75g - looks really cool at night, especially if you have some stem plants moving due to the flow.

[Marinus]

Excellent! Thank you zima!