I had no idea that planting was so complicated. I have a new aquarium and I didn't give any thought to substrate as it relates to planting. I do not plan on changing or adding new substrate.
I know some things can be tied to driftwood and I like that, but I also wanted to grow some of the grassy looking plants and/or the creeping mossy type plants-please forgive my terminology
Any suggestions??

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Patricia

Good morning tulip. You'll need to get an understanding of the lighting you have to have success with your plants. I have low tech (no CO2), low light in my tanks, so have Anubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne and a variety of the stems, like Water Sprite, Water Wisteria, Rotala, Ludwigia and Pennywort.

If you can tell me what you have for lights, I'd be glad to give you some suggestions.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

Not many of the grassy types will grow in just gravel.Microsword will,but you will need root tabs for them.Amazons will also,but again,root tabs will help the plants.You just poke the tabs under the plants once a month or so.Java moss will grow on driftwood,I dont think any of the glosso will do well in just gravel,but I could easily be wrong.

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

Nearly all swords, vals, crypts, wisteria, java fern, anubias will grow in just gravel. They are also fairly low light plants.

Vallisneria and Sagittaria both thrive in a gravel substrate. Java Fern can be grown as either a rooted plant or a drifting one. None of the above plants need any additional fertilizer.

B- I knew someone would ask about lighting. I have the bulb that came with the hood. I believe it is 20 watts. I would gladly upgrade. I've been looking at new bulbs, but there is such a variety that, honestly, I'm confused.
Again, any suggestions on that would be great, too.

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Patricia

I'm in the same boat as you, Tulip. I spent all my time researching fish, the nitrogen cycle, filtration, etc and didn't research plants. When I decided I wanted a few plants in the tank a worker at Petsmart told me gravel was fine and directed me towards several Top Fin plants in a plastic tube. The tube was clearly marked aquatic, and the instructions said to just pluck the plant out of the gel and into the aquarium and all would be well. Alas, I realized I had actually purchased non-aquatic plants that would eventually die and rot in the aquarium. I was devastated, now the search begins to find plants that will thrive in gravel :(

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30G planted aquarium with Aquaclear 50 and two Aquaclear 20s. 7 Cherry Barbs, 12 Cardinal Tetras, 1 Albino Bristlenose Pleco, 1 Golden Honey Gourami, and a handful of Ghost Shrimp.

Hello again. If you have a small tank, up to 30 gallons, a 20 watt tube is enough to grow the plants I mentioned in my earlier post. A new light isn't necessary. I have a couple of 30 G tanks and have no more than 17 watts in them and have healthy and growing plants. I do make an effort to plant in or near the middle part of the tank and directly under the lights. The other, less lit areas I decorate with pieces of driftwood and rocks I've collected from area river beds.

I do use different liquid fertilizers in addition to the kind the fish provide, because I've found over the years that low light plants need a little boost to do well. But, that's another subject.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper