live plants?

Question

i got some live plants for my 5gallon betta tank the other day .]
i got one small amazon sword
2 foxtail things
and one other small plant that is green and red.
i updated my lighting because the guy at my fish store said they would grow like crazy with the compact flourescant bulb (its ten watts) for my 5 gallon hex.

my bettas only tank mate is one snail.

do i need to add anything to make more carbon dioxide for my plants? or will they be fine?

thanks

Answer 1

You shouldn't need to add CO2 for your tank. Just watch for yellowing on the leaves and be ready to add some iron if you see that occur.

MM

Answer 2

They should be okay, however, I would definitely consider adding some plant nutrients to your tank! This will ensure that they grow healthy roots and receive all the food that they need to flourish.
Many people tend to add live plants to their aquariums without considering the fact that they are usually fairly difficult to maintain!
You certainly can't just plant them in your tank and expect them to grow and stay beautiful! Just like your Betta, they are also living organisms, and require their own care to keep them healthy.
First of all, you need to ensure that you have a substrate that will suit them and enable their roots to grow. Plants do best when planted in a very fine gravel substrate. Sand is not great, neither is a substrate of large pebbles.
You will also need to ensure that the substrate is at least 3 inches deep.
Plants also thrive when they have soft, acidic water. If the water in your area is hard, then don't worry, as you can buy many different aquarium water softeners.
You can buy many different types of plant fertilizers, which can be mixed with your regular substrate, and will help the plants get all the nutrients that they need.
Personally, I use "Tetra plant Complete Substrate"
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/880/mia/d/plant+additives+fertilisers+tetra+plant+complete+substrate+58kg/pid/5753188
And I also use "Tetraplant Plantamin"
http://uk.tetra.de/tetra/go/39A3EEC77E96C076AE439F4518F2911E/?produkt_show_only=44&produkt_list=1&lang_id=20
This is great stuff! Anyway, try not to get too worried about your plants, as the ones you have mentioned are not that difficult to maintain.
Many aquarists just let the plants run their course, and then take them out and add new ones when they start to die! That's perfectly fine, but if you want your plants to last, then please follow the instructions I have provided, and you should do well.
Remember that every aquarium plant has different needs, and if you want them to all do the best that they can, then you need to follow the instructions regarding best temp, lighting, substrate, etc.
Good luck! And even though keeping live plants healthy can be quite difficult, your fish will love you for it! Live plants are 100% more beneficial to your fish than fake ones could ever be, and even though they require more effort, it is well worth it!
Oh, and also, whilst you say that you have 1 snail in your aquarium, please remember that adding live plants will almost always lead to more snails!
Most plants that you buy from pet stores will have snail larvea! I never had any snails, but once I added my first plant, I ended up with over 100 of the little pests!
Okay, so one may be cute, but when you have over 200 of them, they begin to become a pest! But don't worry, as there are also many snail eradicating products on the market, just be sure to remove your favourirte ones from the tank into a glass of water before you use it!

Answer 3

Dude. it's a 5 gallon tank. Unless you have delusions of showing your tank in a contest, you are wasting your time with CO2. If you get snails, a small (skunk or striated) loach will get rid of them. Now sit back and enjoy!

Answer 4

i wouldn't try co2 in a 5 gallon --

you should be able to get by with an iron suppliment -- they are labeled 0-0-3. api makes one called leafzone, tetra makes one called flora pride.

Answer 5

i believe that they will be fine as they are, nothing more needed as far as i know