Craig wrote:
Hi all, im new to plants in the aquarium (the uk has a tradition of UG
filters, so plants are a no no)

But, ive just set up a new (bloody snail free) tank, 30 gallons, fitted
a big clip on filter and am looking to get some plants.

I have had a look around the news groups and it seems that everyone is
using co2 (ive been away from fish keeping or a few years, it was in its
infancy when i last saw it) and i just wondered is it essential to have
this set up in a tank. (i mostly keep cichlids and would like to keep
the outlay to plants and lights for this tank if its possible)

I currently have a gravel bed, a plant growing lighting tube (it was
reccomended by the lfs,) cant remember the name, a filter and so on.

will this do to grow a few plants in a community tank or am i going to
have to fork out top dollar to get a healthy looking tank?

Cheers for any help you can give Craig

(also, i know from fish keeping that im sure this will balloon into a
mass spending spree where i end up with an aquatic rain forest in the
end, but id like to keep it small to start, lol... my god, thats how i
ended up with a bloody oscar in a 4' tank by itself )

You'll be fine without CO2. Bright lighting and CO2 just means you can
grow almost anything you toss in the tank. Lower light and no CO2 means
some experimentation to see what likes your particular setup. Also less
algae! I'd try plants like Crypt. wendtii, Anubias spp. , Sagittaria
spp., Java moss, or Java fern and see what grows. Use an iron
fertilizer and put laterite or other iron-containing tablets in the
gravel at the roots of any Crypts you buy.

--
__ Elaine T __
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