Need plant advice for my first tank

[C00ki3]

Ok so wanting to order my plants for my very first planted tank and haven't had much feedback on my journal
so looking for help.

Here is my tank 12"x12"x12" 29G tank low tech with no Co2 or ferts.

Think that I have decided on some plants, can you let me know if I will have problems with these in my low tech tank and with the size of its, i'm especially worried about the size of the Echinodorus quadricostatus.

My Basket
1 x Staurogyne rubescens - For the slopes round the outcrop and the left foreground
1 x Tropica Rotala rotundifolia - For the background probably infront of the filter on the back left
1 x Tropica Echinodorus quadricostatus - For the background between the filter and heater
1 x Tropica Vesicularia ferriei 'Weeping' 1-2-GROW! - For the carpet on the top of the rock outcrop

I'm still trying to decide what to put on the front right rock as I fancied a plant that would grow on it but not to much in the substrate.

Let me know what you think I really need advice before placing my order.

C00ki3

 

[Alastair]

Hi C00ki3
I think your plant choice is fine for your tank, all those plants will do fine in a low tech no co2 tank.
I'm not too sure but the staurogyne may grow a little taller than normal with a lower light set up.
The Echinodorus quadricostas although it can grow up to 15cm tall and wide probably won't in your tank as it will grow at a much much slower rate than co2 injected higher light tanks. If it does it will take a long time. I have echinodorus species in my low tech that when I kept in my high tech grew enormous, but in this are far smaller.
Will you be relying on no or little water changes and fish waste/food for fertilisation


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nry]

You may benefit from Tropica Plant Nutrition for trace ferts, or possibly Plant Nutrition Plus to get some levels of N P and K going in...the rotala will do much better with higher light, and it will benefit from some level of fertilisation.

 

[C00ki3]

Thanks for the advice, glad i'm somewhere on the right track just hope it looks as good as it does in my head once the plans are in and start growing a little.

Alastair - I'll be relying on fish waste and food for the fertilisation basically because with the standard lid i can't increase the light so don't want to increase the fertiliser to much.

Nry - I know that they would benefit from more light and nutrients but the light is built into the tank and i can't find a more powerfull light for the fitting the current one is the standard PL11W mix Triphosphor 7.1k & Biolux 8k Fluorescent Tube. I had thought of removing the whole lid from the tank and just getting a different light for it but until I do I was worried about adding fertiliser if I cant increase the light with it to get the balance.