Plant cultivation tank

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I’ve heard of folks having a plant cultivation tank and wondered if I could get some opinions on lights, substrate and filtration. 

I have a 10 g standard Aqueon tank. I have some Leftovers from my ponds - aquatic potting mix, gravel, crushed coral, lava rock etc as well as some laterite powder from Brightwell. My thoughts were to put the aquatic potting soil and laterite down, then a layer of lava rock, gravel/sand/crushed coral layer over that and then plant. 

Lights I have an Aquaneat and a shoplight laying around and figured I’d put both of those on it full power for 2 sessions of 5 hours each. 
 

Plants I was going to do ludwigia species, crypts nurii rosen maiden, tropica, and pink flamingo, and I thought this linderia india variegated looked cool. 
 

Im hoping not to do CO2 but I’m open to it. 

[Jungle Fan]

Sounds like a great idea, I would add a thin layer of Mironekuton deep sea minerals on the very bottom, and distribute root tabs in a grid  about every 6 inches apart, and add some bacter for easier colonization in the lava rock layer. Should be a rockin' grow tank. Don't know about the Aquaneat, not familiar with it but for the light I'd recomment a Fluval Plant 3.0, or a plant prow light if that's not in the budget for now.

 

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/type_lights/products/fluval-plant-3-0-led-light

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Well the plant grow out is coming along very well. Some nitrite still but good amount of nitrate as well but have no immediate stocking plan. The lights are now a 6500 k flood light and the Aquaneat- I’m getting some pearling and typical crypt melt but the color has been really great. 

[Brackon]

My grow out bins as they are not actually tanks are all emersed. This means no algae and no need to run CO2 since they are in the air. I did this as I used to grow anubias this way years ago. When I broke down my high tech planted tank a few years ago this meant I didn't have to throw away my plants or watch them melt and now that I'm creeping back into planted tanks I don't have to buy everything again just pluck from my bin.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Thanks for the shout out @citaerletand @Brackon. This is a high light dirted 10 g. I threw in a bunch of cuttings and half of a plant order I got. It’s gone well. Had a nice bloom of brown algae and then transition to green spot now to green hair algae. The plants are starting to take off. My sword plant sent out a shoot with a bunch of babies and I’ve planted those as well. Love the colors on my Cabomba. The crypt nurii Rosen maiden looks great. 
 

Setup is an led spotlight and substrate is a mix of leftover pond plant soil, laterite, capped with lava rock, Flourite sand, crushed coral and aragonite sand.