20 replies to this topic

[silly]

hey guys

Ive decided to try a planted tank setup. Im going to use my 3x18x18 and will try it with the DIY Co2 too. As for lighting im going to get a couple of fluoro's. From my research triphosphor around 5-6.5k. I'll probaly go for a black gravel substrate. Does this sound ok??

I think i basically got an idea about it except which fish and plants to get??

I figure my options are
rainbows
tetra's (always like congo's, and cardinals)
rams
catfish??
what else or combinations could i have??

Plant wise i would be looking for a grassy meadow type thing with a display piece of driftwood with plants attatched. I think i will use glosso (if i can find some) with anubias, java fern, swords, spiral vallis. Dont really have any idea if they are compatible/suitable?

As soon as its started i will post some pics.

Oh if anyone has any other tips/advice please feel free to leave them

cheers

ps. if anyone has any spare plants or trimmings please let me know

[duck]

IMO you should start with some easy plants like vals,javafern,moss,ambulia,hydro.
Lights between 6500k-10000K.
I would stay away from any bottom dwelling fish it your final objective is for a carpet foreground.
Here check out www.aquariumlife.com.au it a forum aimed at planted tanks

[piscevore]

CO2 units are becoming more popular these days but I dont find them necassary. The fish can supply plenty of CO2 through respiration and fertilizers can also be supplied by the fish through waste product. Go see the planted tanks at the LFS and see if any of them actually have CO2 units. Pisces Aquariums has some good displays and none use CO2 units

[FreddoFrog]

oh contraire piscevore.

I was in my LFS Perth Display Centre (or what ever it's called) and most if not all their tanks with plants for sale had CO2 injection. It wasn't till I asked that they told me as you can't tell just by looking at the tank. (They also have auto water changing which you can't tell by looking either...I can only wish)

And fish respiration only gives you 2-5ppm of CO2, no where near enough CO2 if you want to plants to really start to grow

cya
ff

[piscevore]

Actually I have to disagree, You dont have CO2 units in the wild, But there nature strikes a natural balance between what the fish provide and how much the plants need. I understand that fish are not the only source of CO2 and fertilizer but I think its easier to have the "natural balance" method, and its safer for the fish aswell (keep in mind that CO2 units have the potential to wipe out a tank). I would prefer to keep my $1500 worth of fish alive and well and still have my plants growing fine than risk it to keep $200 worth of plants growing faster than normal!

[sajica]

Interesting arguments brought up there guys. I'll add some discussion to this in point form.

IMO lately the whole CO2 injection trend, has become a bandwagon, they work, they're great and I'm a fan of them. A fully planted tank with an exceptionally large number of plants, as opposed to a sparsley vegetated river/ ecosystem is going to have a higher demand for CO2 then a relatively sparsely vegatated ecosystem, so yes in that contrast CO2 is valuable. But honestly if you had say, a 4ft tank with 3 plants, are you really going to bother with the expense of setting up CO2 injection? You would if you had 300 plants..

As for the lack of CO2 in display tanks, I can't comment as I haven't had a good look at the running gear in any LFS setup, but I would expect someone the likes of PADC to have at least 1 display setup with CO2, with the works, I thought last time I was there I saw a PH controller setup on the wall near the displays *shrugs*

Now Freddo, to me it sounds like your saying the stock tanks with plants for sale don't have CO2. I don't see the big deal, as they're stock tanks, the plants are only there for a relatively short time, so they don't need to be pampered with CO2. They wouldn't need to have a working CO2 setup if they had one running on a display tank. Imagine the cost if everyone of those plant stock tanks, and displays was running CO2 injection.

[Noddy65]

Also us planted tank people have a different perspective...I have tanks to keep plants and the fish are just an addition...I dont have tanks to keep fish with the plants as an addition...from that point its the plant health that is the most important thing to me...not teh fish..

Mike

[duck]

Also us planted tank people have a different perspective...I have tanks to keep plants and the fish are just an addition...I dont have tanks to keep fish with the plants as an addition...from that point its the plant health that is the most important thing to me...not teh fish..

Mike

I second it,Plants then fish.

It funny how this thread has turned out.
The Author was asking for some advice/tips about his entire setup and not about CO2 specificly.

Last time i looked i couldn't find any glass boxes or CO2 unit's or artificial lighting or canister filter's in the wild.

[Warp]

Sounds ok to me.. When you say black gravel though do you mean something like eco complete or a black substrate that has some nutrients? Fish wise all those ones are good, SAE (Siamese Algae eaters) are good, as well as ottos and bristlenose catfish.

Plant wise I agree with Duck, start with the easy stuff, and gradually get the harder to grow stuff as time and the tank progresses. Chain swords are ok for that grassy meadow kind of look (sorta) easy to grow also. The glosso you may find harder to grow unless you have good lighting CO2 and ferts etc.. other than that though the others you listed there sound ok.

If you like give me a PM closer to the time that you would be ready for some plants and you can have some vallis/chain sword/and cuttings of what ever else.

Cheers

Mike

[FreddoFrog]

Wow guys, a real "discussion", cool

Actually I have to disagree

Not sure what part of my post you are actually disagreeing with piscevore. I only had two points:

1. My LFS uses CO2 in their plant stock tanks (and display planted tanks). You might have misread my previous post, they do have CO2 in their stock plant tanks. Happy to be corrected if someone else wants to check up on it.
2. Fish respiration alone doesn't provide enough CO2 for your plants to really start to grow - which you agreed too

I never said anything about CO2 in the wild although I did see a tv program the other night on farting herring though that would be methane injection I guess

cya
ff

[piscevore]

Im not disagreeing completely, but this topic is about advice on setting up a planted tank for a newbie. So I dont think CO2 units apply for a newbie. Whenever you start off something new start with the basics, I think the natural method is better for starting off, that is why I disagree with what most people are saying, once the tank is starting to turn into a jungle then a CO2 unit might be an option. We have all been caught up in the moment and didnt actually give the advice needed. Think of what all of our first tanks were. Simple as can be and that is why I dont think CO2 unit is wise at this point. You should build up to these things.

Sorry if I came over wrong FreddoFrog, I think I got caught up in this discussion more than anyone else here.

[FreddoFrog]

no drama piscevore, understand where you are coming from.

btw my first tank was with lots of plants, DIY co2, ferts (like KNO3 etc), laterite, the whole bit. I just did a lot of research and got a lot of advice from people like from this forum.

cya
ff

[silly]

Thanks for the replies guys

I have finally setup my tank and now i'm ready for some plants. I already have java fern and moss so I'm chasing anything else that is easy or fairly easy to grow.

If anyone is doing any cuttings or has any for sale please let me know

cheers

[silly]

We'll i managed to get hold of some cuttings off Graeme (thanks again mate) and have planted them.

Plants are hygro, vallis, java fern, some type of sword and a tiny crypt.

Equipment wise i have used light grey gravel with root tabs spread under the plants, gravel is 2-3mm, Diy co2, eheim ecco filter and a HOB aquaclear.

Fish wise there are 4 juvi discus, 2 oto's and 2 bronze corys. I know i need to do a bit of re-arranging But what you guys think?? I think i got to get a background sometime too, hopefully the plants will create one for me
Also what are some good low growing/grassy type plants that i could have in the foreground? Im still after some sort of carpet effect.

A couple of days after planting




2 weeks

[Noddy65]

I cant believe you just gave away the Willow hygro...

Mike

[Graeme]

Great job Silly

that tank will soon rock!!

Glad to see your happy with the plants
Hope they bring as much pleasure as they have to me

Graeme

[silly]

Cheers guys!! I plant to do a bit of makeover once i get a bigger selection of plants, so i'll keep you updated on the progress.

I'm going to plumb the co2 into the intake line of my eheim filter to maximise efficiency. Hopefully i get good plant growth with the change.

BUT..... One question, how do i know when to change the co2 mixture?? At the moment i change it when the bubble rate drops to a bubble every 5 or so seconds. But if the co2 is plumbed into the intake i wont be able to see when its bubbling?? Should i just change it every couple of weeks?

thanks

[NicholasC]

I like how it seems so natural as if you have taken a specific piece of tropical lake from the wild and it is now shown in your tank (no cheesy ornaments )

As for the c02 i am not too sure

[bushie]

run your co2 line through a bubble counter.
i was using a coke bottle, line in under water, line out out of water.
as for running it through your cannister, I`m not such a big fan of.
I know many people do it without any problems.
I have heard of various others saying that you get a build up of co2 and it can create an air lock for your impellar ect ect ect.
I doubt those things.
my main thing is that your filter is just that, a filter.
by pumping co2 into it you are limiting the effectiveness of it to do it`s job.
nitrifying bacteria are gross o2 users and by using more co2 you will lessen the o2 and thereby the bacteria numbers.
the effectiveness will already be decreased by the higher co2 content in the water, injecting more in will obviously make it worse.
I think you are better of using either an intank diffuser/reactor or an external reactor if you dont want to see it in the tank.

I could be wrong with my ideas on that, but that is the way I see it.
I`m sure some of the other planted tank gurus will have their say on it.