The Newly Planted Tank

Today is the day I give real plants a try, again. I did it before, once. I didn't have the right lighting. In fact, the Wet Pet guy, Matt, told me today that my fixtures (somewhat older hoods) wouldn't truly have accommodated the light I really needed for growing my plants. So, despite my fluorite, my root tabs, and my CO2 system, my plants died anyway. Even the idiot-proof sword and java ferns died eventually, proving that I was, indeed, an idiot. This time, I went to the experts at Wet Pet, and spent some bucks. $50 for two glass lids for the tank, 24" Aqueon VersaTop, and $80 (I think) for the appropriate light and fixture, Coralife Aqualight 48" T5 Dual lamp fixture. 1-10,000K 28 watt and 1 Actinic Bluelight 28 watt. (That's what it says on the boxes. I have nary an idea what any of it really means.) Here's how it looked with the new light. Which, I might add, I screwed up on when I glued the stick-on handle to the wrong damn side of the glass lid.

*I'm suddenly aware that my bulb specifically says for saltwater tanks. Wondering if I should call Wet Pet and ask them if this was an oversight or if I was purposefully given a ridiculously bright bulb for my plants, because I purposefully told him I was an idiot.*

I am already thrilled with how much sleeker it looks. It's just begging for plants. (Although, I have to say, I don't think the fake plants looked as bad as all that.)

So here we go with the new plants. Still cloudy, as this photo was taken (with an iPhone) right after I stirred up the scene with my big human hands.

From left to right, two Amazon swords, Java Fern, Wisteria, Watersprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) and one last Java Fern. I could have bought so much more, but how many times can you swipe a piece of plastic? Let it be known, for my own posterity, that Matt from Wet Pet told me I did NOT need root tabs or CO2 diffusion. He told me the light would be all I need, along with the fluorite. We shall see if he's correct. Now that it's home and planted, so so wish I'd gotten the Ludwigia....


*EDITED to add, at 10:30 at night...
My over-active researching now has me fairly convinced that I received the wrong bulbs. I have marine bulbs. I need freshwater bulbs. The actinic is blue, which Shawn likes and which I thought I liked. But looking at the before and after photos overandoverandoverandover, I'm not sure now. The bad news is that a 10,000k bulb is going to encourage algae growth, as is the blue-ness of it. The good news is that if I want to switch bulbs, they're only $11. I need to call Wet Pet in the a.m.