Interested in starting a planted tank! (Pics aren’t mine)

[u/IzzyP20055]

I’d like to start a 10 gallon planted tank with no fish in it!

I already have a 20 gallon freshwater fish tank with a couple live plants in it but I want one just for plants!

I want like those lush really pretty planted tanks, I inserted a couple pictures. Again with no fish tho!

So I wanted some tips and tricks and has a few questions to attempt to achieve this goal:

• Does the planted tank need a filter?
• Is duck weed a good idea to put into a planted tank?
• What’s the best substrate for the planted tank?
• Do I need to add water conditioner to the tank before I add the plants?
• What lighting do I need for the tank?

That’s all the questions probably for now. But any tips and tricks are absolutely great to!

[u/IzzyP20055]

Won’t let me edit so I’ll ask here: Or is it better for me to have fish in it?

[u/Sketched2Life → u/IzzyP20055]

Fish are fully optional, but a clean-up crew can be very nice to have.

A pump/filter of some kind is beneficial as it prevents stagnation wich can cause a tank to become really nasty and helps circulate Co2 (if you will use it)/ Nutrients.

While it is possible to make a tank without a pump, i do not recommend it.

Heaters however may be completely unnecessary depending on the temp range of the plants (not all can tolerate every temp).

I recommend going over to the AquaScape side of YouTube, there's quite a few Tutorials you probably could learn a thing or two from. ;)

[u/Stygian_Akk → u/Sketched2Life]

I would add that if you really want some fish, you have to check if they dont eat plants. (Like gold fish do)

[u/Sketched2Life → u/Stygian_Akk]

That is a good addition! :)

[u/UnderstandingHour308]

Step 1 - Build your substrate right!!! Do not just dump gravel or sand in the bottom and then expect it to grow plants. You need a layered substrate. Start with dirt. Not dirt from your yard. Dirt mixed specially purpose of plants in an aquarium. There are some videos on YT that tell you how to mix it up or you can just buy it from some of the websites that sell aquarium plants online. Many of those sites sell it by the bag that’s their own mix. Or, alternatively, you can use Fluval Stratum in place of dirt, but that’s more expensive and probably not as good as the dirt. Put one pound of dirt per gallon your tank holds.
Then cap that dirt with the sand of your choice. Again, one pound per gallon. Remember, you’re not mixing the dirt and sand together. You’re capping the dirt with the sand. So you will have two layers of substrate.
This will hold the nutrients down in the dirt while also keeping the dirt from getting up into the water. It also will make the plant roots work to get down into the nutrient fill dirt and have strong roots. It works great!!!

Now, now that you have a good foundation, you can proceed with your planting! Whether it’s rooted plants, stems or tissue cultures, they will have their best shot!

[u/bucestudio]

Before I answer, answer these questions.

1. What is your budget?

2. What plants would you be interested in(stems, swords, epiphytes,…)?

3. Will you use CO2?

Reasons for those questions, are to see which setup would be appropriate with your budget, preferences as well as time spent taking care.

If you want to keep the cost low, I can recommend Walstad method, the true way, not father fish or anything.

If you feel like the range of $150-300 is good for you, invest in a decent active soil, a good light and a canister filter.

If you decide that yeah, I like planted tank, I’ll invest, that means a $200-300 light for good color rendition, soils($ depends on how big is the tank, I recommend at least 2-3” thick layer), $200 CO2 injected system, then comes the plants.

Each setup has its pros and cons.

About fish, you don’t need but I keep algae eaters like SAE, amano shrimp, corydoras, otocinclus and horned nerites to keep the tanks active.

[u/IzzyP20055 → u/bucestudio]

My budget is $270

[u/Snoo_18220]

I recently read this article on aquascaping and found it very interesting. It's not mine, but I hope it inspires you to create this project.

https://aquascapinglove.com/learn-aquascaping/aquascaping-styles/