# Help me add plants to 10 gallon Community tank



## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

So as the title says, I'm looking for some assistance in adding some plants to my 10 gallon community tank.

The tank has been running with its current inhabitants for about 9 - 10 months. The fish are 5 fancy tailed guppies, a chinese agli eater and a ghost shrimp.

I have recently added 2 dwarf frogs and 2 black swordtails.

I have NO plants. I would really like to get some plants going in here but everything I'm reading is just confusing the heck out of me.

I'd like to have some places for the guppies to breed and stick their eggs to so the frogs can eat their fry  

As a substrate, I'm just using standard aquarium gravel.

Any suggestions?


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

It all depends on your light mainly. You can add the nutrients later if needed, but if you don't have enough light the plants won't do well.

For low-light tanks I've had success with cryptocoryne varieties, java fern, and smaller vallisneria varieties. Mosses could do well. 

Also, I don't think guppies drop their eggs, they are live bearers. So floating plants like hornwort, or a "bushy" stem plant like cabomba or limnophila could work depending on your light. When you go to the fish store, just ask to see their low-light, low-maintenance plants. For the fry I would suggest bushy stem plants.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

First of all, what lights are you using? If it's incandescent bulbs, replace them with *DAYLIGHT* compact fluorescent bulbs, found at Home Depot. If you're using fluorescent tubes, make sure its "full spectrum daylight" tubes.

As for good and easy plants, hornwort is and java moss are excellent for guppy fries. Water wisteria is also a relatively easy plant.

Don't bother going to stores to buy plants, get them from fellow members here, at a fraction of the price that stores charge. In fact, I've got some extra hornwort for sale myself, so PM me if you're interested.


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## fuhreakz (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll look into the suggested plants. I just threw an amazon sword in there from my cichlid tank as the water was too hard to keep it. So I pruned the dying shoots/leaves.

I am going to need to replace the canopy on my 10 gallon tank and at that time I'll be purchasing a new light. I'll get one of the daylight bulbs. I also need to change the filter in there as the one i have is making a horrible noise.

Should I add some sand to the gravel substrate to help the plants root better?


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## theeyrietrainer (Dec 9, 2010)

To my knowledge, the amazon sword will eventually grow out to be too large for your 10 gallon. Your gravel bottom should be fine for plants that root so its not absolutely essential to add sand. However, not all of the plants mentioned above will need to be planted so it all depends on which plants you've picked for your tank.


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## Rmwbrown (Jan 22, 2009)

If your going to use gravel, and you want your plants to root better, you have two options that can be used separately or in conjunction. First, you can use a substrate fertilizer like Seachem's Flourish Tabs or Root Medic's Complete. Each of these will provide a substantial amount of both Macro and and Micro nutrients along with essential elements. If you really want to focus on the roots, then you could also start dosing something like Seachem Trace. During the first 3 months of the tanks life, and while the plants are doing a significant amount of rooting, trace elements are in high demand, and dosing will insure that you wont bottom out. Depending on what kind of plants you get (if they are heavy root feeders or are feeding in the water column itself) you will want to choose one of these two options accordingly.

That said, if you are dosing trace elements, the plant may or may not be able to use the available trace elements if they are not also receiving a full spectrum of macro and micro nutrients along with the appropriate general hardness. To fix this, you have to start full spectrum dosing. 

The easier solution would be to ditch the gravel, buy a proper plant substrate and ignore everything i have just said until your ready to start fertilizing the tank!


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## fishclubgirl (Mar 4, 2010)

Here's a thought, don't try to root your plants. Anubias grows above the substrate and java ferns can be attached to wood. Hornwort is fine floating and so is java moss. A sword plant and crypts may be fine with some root tabs and general fertiliser and if they get too big, sell them and get something else. Then..... when we've got you hooked on plants, you'll look at at changing your substrate, lights, adding CO2, other ferts, etc. Right now, let's get some plants growing for you so you can enjoy your tank!!


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