# 20g long planted tank



## Thepokerkid227 (Dec 27, 2013)

I am totally new to live plants and have been out of the hobby for a while so after deciding to get back into it and setting up a 20g long, thanks to $1/gallon sale, decided to go all planted. This tank has been set up and cycling a week to date. I have 2 T5 HO bulbs for lighting, a 22" zoomed ultra and flora sun, have been dosing flourish excel for carbon, and have added api root tabs. Forgive me if I get a few names wrong but so far I have hygro, penny wort, a amazon sword, red ludwigia, and forgot the names of the other two plants planted so far. Waiting for my driftwood to be finished soaking to add that along with rest of mid and foreground plants, along with some moss attached to drift wood.


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Good start except for the striped plant. That isn't aquatic and will rot in your tank. Need to pull it and put into flowerpot. Makes a nice house plant.


----------



## Thepokerkid227 (Dec 27, 2013)

Really? Petco sold it as aquatic and had it sitting in their tanks


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Really.Petco would be the largest common offender in this situation.Many of the plants they sell are not true aquatics.
Your tank looks very nice,but Susan is correct.


----------



## Thepokerkid227 (Dec 27, 2013)

Is it necessary to take it out immediately?


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

It will only die in the tank.The roots can stay in the tank if you could pop it through the top and expose the rest of plant to air.


----------



## Thepokerkid227 (Dec 27, 2013)

Just read online how petco sells these "aquatic plant combos" and none are in fact true aquatic plants. Think I may return them all today and give them a piece of my mind. I was sold them by so called "fish guy" after I told him I was a newbie looking for good background plants. Said they'll grow hearty, last forever, and flourish.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Nice looking tank and a good start for the plants.

You will need to control the time that light is on pretty tightly. You may be very close to too much light without using CO2. Excel does not take the place of CO2. I would start with only 6hrs. Leave it there for about 3wks and if algae has not shown up, increase 1hr. 7is probably going to be your max or possibly 8. Very easy to hit the area of too much light in 20B tanks.


----------

