# 5.5g Low-Tech Planted Tank Advice?



## pandakami (Dec 1, 2014)

So I love to plan ahead. A lot. So I've begun to plan out what I want to do with my 5.5g and I decided on trying my first planted tank. It's going to be a simple, low tech planted tank with a few shrimp inhabitants and easy to care for plants.

Currently I have a sponge filter and a 50W heater for it.

Flora I have in mind:
-I really wanted a carpeting plant, so I was thinking either java moss or marsilea minuta.
-Hornwort(or something similar?)
-moss balls
-java fern and possible an anubia?

I had a simple design in mind, something like this rough Paint sketch xD







Hornwort is behind the stone centrepiece while the anubia/java fern would be on the right side in front. Some java moss will be near my sponge filter for the shrimp to nibble on and some moss balls on the opposite side.

Now I need help with lighting and substrates. Being a part-time student and part-time worker, I don't make a ton of extra cash. However, I do want to find the cheapest products that are still decent quality. Like, I don't mind spending a few more bucks if I know that it'll be better (or longlasting) than the cheaper alternative. I do not have a hood on my tank, so I was hoping for lighting that could attach to the tank itself. Substrate I prefer something that won't cloud as much as I may plant/re-plant and move plants around. Any recommendations?
You guys know way more than I do about planted tanks, so any advice/learning tips will be much appreciated, as well as any suggestions on flora/lighting/substrates etc.

Thanks  <3


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