For a fantastic Planted Aquarium Tank, it is best to use resilient plants which do not require much maintenance like Java Moss, Java Fern, Water Sprite, Najas and Anubias. Such plants can make do with lower levels of light and fertilizer. You may use the low maintenance filter under the gravel or even a little power filter inside the tank will work just as well.

Before you begin to setup a new plant tank:
1. Make sure you scrub it clean without using soap.

2. Next, you should put an under gravel filter at the bottom.

3. Over it, place a layer about an inch thick of normal filter floss or static quilt batting

4. This should be covered by a layer of Aquarium gravel approximately two inches thick.

5. Next, position your plants according to your taste.
•A bit of Java moss in a couple of places with some gravel to keep it down.
•You can put a few Java ferns maybe to the left putting just enough gravel on the roots to keep
them from floating upwards.
•And you could have floating at the top a few Water Sprite plants.

A Plant Tank of ten gallon capacity will need just one florescent light that normally comes with a it. The plants will be supplied manure by the fish and besides the usual upkeep of changing water, vacuuming the gravel and feeding of the fish, there is not much else that you need to do.

For sure success, make sure you put in quite a few plants right at the beginning so that the algae doesn’t get a chance to grow. Just put them in and forget about it. Make sure that they get consistent light which is not necessarily continuous; light for some eight to twelve hours per day should suffice. You could use a timer to make your task easier.

Since the plants I mentioned get nutrients from the water, you don’t have to put in fertilizer as the fish produce it and the nutrientsare replenished each time you do a water change. Be aware that some shops might be selling you plants which are not really aquarium plants. Some like Corn Plant will live for at most two weeks in water. And Bog Plants may survive in water for longer but will not thrive.
After this point is done, the very next step will be some design work. We will cover that topic in the next post. :)

David