I just bought a 29 gallon and I am thinking about making it planted...it would really look beautiful. The thing is the florescent lights are only twenty watts. Is this too low for plants? Thanks

Do you have one fluorescent light bulb or two?

I only have one, its the strip kind. There isn't any room on the hood to install extras.

That is very low lighting for plants, however, I would try some of the plants that can grow in low light conditions. Look for cryptocornes, anubias, java moss and java fern. I have also had success with eel grass (vallisneria) in tanks with just one bulb.

Is it easiest to grow plants in a cycled tank? Mine isn't cycled yet and I think it would be easiest to try some out before I put in goldfish. Something tells me they won't do well in a not-yet-cycled-tank tho.....

Thanks for the recommendations

No, the tank doesn't have to be cycled. When setting up a planted tank, most people plant the tank, then add the fish

One of the fish stores in my area told me that plants can help cycle the tank. I've used Val and crypt, anacharis, and onion plants before in a cycling tank an not had a problem.

Would it be hard to syphon the gravel with eelgrass growing in it?

I just vacuum lightly around the eel grass without shoving the gravel vac way down into the gravel. The actively growing roots of the plants keep the gravel sweet and prevents unwanted bacterial growth in the gravel.

Didn't know that! Can anyone find any good pics of eel grass? I can't seem to find any except for black and white drawings. I've got good pictures of the other plants.

When I get some money, I'll probably try to grow one of each of the plants recomended while I'm cycling the tank fishlessly...it will give me something to do while I wait.

What kind of fertilizer do I need? Cheaper is better, especially since I don't know if the plants will work out.

Here is a link to the Tropica website. They have a exhaustive list of plants. Look for Vallisneria (they are several varieties). The smaller varieties are most suitable for your size aquarium.
http://www.tropica.com/default.asp

I have very low lighting in one of my 20's and my vals do wonderfully. they are getting so lush and have so many little babies, im gonna have to thin them out. plus, they are soooooooooo pretty!

heres one of my vals (sorry for the bad pic)

oo! i might have to be trying that out! thanks for that Christi!!

Very nice! I love those spiral ones

i have 0 light in my 10gal, i use my living room light..... :|

Is that the corkscrew kind? And raith, are you succesfully growing plants with that light or are you saying thats why you can't grow plants?

yea, thats corkscrew vals, the fish ate the other (eel grass) i like this better anyhow, more substance to it.

they thrive, i use no fertalizers or anything, just pure fishy poo

and raith just grows lucky boos outta his tanks i think, and some anacharis, but that stuff would grow outta toxic waste

Hey I was right! I learn so fast when its something I'm interested in. I just wish I was more interested in summer school right now....

Anyways, its really pretty! I saw on a couple sights that it needs more light than I have. I've only got a little more than 2/3 watt per gallon. How much do you have Smack?

uhm...i wanna say i either have 1 watt/gallon or a bit less. i dont know what my tubes are, i wanna say 20 watts, but theyre old, so gotta be less by now

Okay thanks

That is something to remember, as tubes age, they lose a lot of their intensity.

I think I'll have to replace mine before I get plants. The people who had them before me new a lot about fish keeping, but didn't really do any heavy cleaning and they never had plants in there. I have a feeling that the lights are as old as the hood lol.