plant light

[Anonymous]

So, being new to planted aquariums, like myself, I will share something I have learned...since there are different types of plants, some end up being more than one plant in a pot when you get home. For instance stem plants like Ludwigia repens & willow hygro, which I just bought the other day. It looks like one plant bunched in a pot. When you get it home and take it out, it is actually several individual stems in a pot. From what I read online, each stem can be planted into the substrate by itself. Someone feel free to correct me, if I am wrong, so I can correct my tank, but this is what I read online. So, I spread it out throughout my tanks and from what I read, it should grow and fill out just fine. So, when I bought these two pots of plants, I got 4 stems of each plant and I put 2 stems of each in 2 different tanks spread out (since I have smaller tanks), sure right now, it may look a little sparse, but it should fill out pretty soon because they are med-fast growers from what I read online. Then there are other plants like anubias and such that you can split at the rhizome and make into more than one plant as well. So, really, I would start with a few plants to take care of, but pick plants that are stem plants like I did above, or you know you can split off easily and spread out throughout your tank or plants that spread like wildfire. It makes things cheaper in the beginning.

This is okay with most hygrophila species because they seem to grow and branch out really quick. I find it more rewarding with Ludwigia to leave 3-5 stems together and when they are large enough to cut tops and side shoots off to make another small bunch to start.

Pardon pict quality but this is an example. The background plant far left is where I started About 5 stems, then let it grow to the surface, trim and replanted next to the original bunch. This is a few months into it.

 

[flamechica]

Thanks for the tips! I still have a lot to learn, but thanks to everyone here, I know a lot more than when I started this journey a few weeks ago. I would've been scared to take the scissors to some of these plants without proper guidance. I still have some time until i do, but at least now I know what to do.

 

[ziggyzoo]

Thanks all for the info! I went with the finnex planted plus! As much as i love the coop, dennys had it $20 cheaper :/ but i bought manzanita trees from coop tho ill be selling my old one in the for sale section

 

[ziggyzoo]

I just remember being told 6500K was pretty decent for a light, but I guess it does depend on how deep your tank is.

Just FYI, a 6500K light can be any brightness. The 6500K describes a color spectrum close to daylight at noon, so they are trying to tell you it is a fairly "natural" light.

Lol ya i didnt know that either, untill i talked to cory att he coop saturday