I’ve had Cranium since March of this year. I did a fish in cycle, which went very smoothly, but if I upgrade him to a 10g I will be cycling it fully before putting him in. I’ve had this in mind for a while but I always worry something will go wrong introducing him to a totally new environment when he’s thriving in his current one, so I haven’t started thinking about it seriously until now. Even though he’s doing great, I just know a 10g with live plants will be a whole new exciting world for him and I want to give him that. And it can help keep the algae under control (I tried turning keeping his light off since he’s in a well lit room but it negatively affected his mood & he’s been much happier since I’ve been keeping it on again)
I’ve never done live plants before. Part of the reason is because I get worried they’ll pass a disease to him. Another is that I have no idea what the maintenance is like and what it takes, but that’s something I can learn.
A few questions below: (sorry if some are ridiculous i just get anxious)
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Are there any plants that are more “beginner friendly” or do they all require a similar amount of maintenance?
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How long would I need to quarantine a plant before I know it’s okay to add to the 10g I’ll be cycling?
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Is it possible for him to have a negative reaction if i move him into a fully cycled, planted 10g? I’m worried about it technically being a 100% water change even though that’s part of the point of cycling it
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Is there anything you wish you knew when you first started with live plants?
Cranium is in a 5g, 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite, 20ppm nitrate
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1ob5tzw
Posted by icy_blissful
6 Comments
https://preview.redd.it/4ytwrljew5wf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff36665b23c5cb2a4aea78b5a2f49c1c48d8e415
hard to tell in the pic but he’s got a heater and filter as well
1. Anubias are great
2. Not sure
3. Drip acclimate him
4. Buy plants in containers that are snail free or from a reputable aquarium store
https://preview.redd.it/cxdea3ksx5wf1.jpeg?width=3767&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd3be4f28aa987894420e3239f551e88a359bfba
I’m not even that experienced, but 10/10 recommend a planted tank! 🌱🫶🏻🤎
1) I bought everything in my tank from PetSmart except the floaters and java moss. I’ve got replens, rotala, java ferns, dwarf water lettuce, and java moss. All have been extremely easy to keep alive.
2) I’ve never quarantined plants, but MAKE SURE YOU BUY FROM REPUTABLE SELLERS.
3) Some bettas really do prefer “smaller tanks”. Mine have all loved 5 g/ 10 g tanks.
4) Make sure your plants are SNAIL FREE. Pest snails are a nightmare 😅
anubias, ferns, cryptocorynes, rosette swords are all incredibly easy. Ive spent hundreds on plants since starting the hobby earlier this year, and these are the ones I never have issues with.
When I quarantine my plants, I just soaked them in a bleach-water mixture for 45 seconds (1:19 ratio of bleach to water). but, if I buy them from petsmart, I never quarantine and Ive had no issues so far.
No, he should be completely fine when you do your water change as long as you drip acclimate him. This is basically when you put him in a bowl to float in the new tank and while hes acclimating to the temperature, you also slowly add in the new tank water to his acclimation bowl. I usually do this for 20 minutes and put in 1/4 cup of new water into his acclimation cup every 2 minutes.
Stay away from stemmed plants. If youre new with plants, anything that requires you to plant in the soil will be your worst nightmare. Often times they need co2 to look good. without the right substrate they will melt, and they constantly get uprooted. The reason why I mentioned the plants I did earlier is because they are slow growers, thrive when they are attached to objects in the tank (like rocks or wood) and have lower light requirements.
I find my water wisteria and red root floaters very hardy but my pennywort doesn’t do great