My First 'proper' Planted Aquarium...

[nosoup4you]

I already have pea gravel in my tank and I'm actually quite fond of it. Would it be to my (my plants) benefit to add in some sand to the gravel (I already have some) or should I just scrap the gravel and go ahead and get some proper plant substrate? Also, I have been thinking about creating small pockets of peat (already have that as well) only where needed for more demanding plants rather than creating a layer of peat beneath the gravel. Would this be wise? Basically, to sum it all up, I would just like to do this as cheaply and easily as possible as I know that planted tanks can be quite costly. Thanks in advance for any help offered.

 

[jonnyf84]

i'm in the same position as you at the moment and as far as substrate goes i am opting for Caribsea EcoComplete, its nutrient rich, natural colour, holds plants well and even helps with cycling, it has a low CEC level which means it wont effect PH and hardness like most nutrient substrates do such as ADA aquasoil.

 

[nosoup4you]

Another question, do root tabs go bad and can you use lily tabs for ponds? I have a huge abundance of these but they are a few years old.

 

[jonnyf84]

not sure, a pack of root tabs would last me a months max, as long as they are well sealed then i think they should be ok. Best not to use the lily tabs if your not sure, especially if they are years old.

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, that's kind of what I figured but I got these free and have been clinging to them just in case for years. lol I'm kind of an aquarium/aquarium supplies packrat.

 

[aaronnorth]

it has a low CEC level which means it wont effect PH and hardness like most nutrient substrates do such as ADA aquasoil.

Can you expand on that please? As i see it, it draws in cations (positively charged ions such as K+, Mg+, etc) which do not affect water quality.
Other substrates such as aquasoil only lower the pH due to the acidity of the soil.

Sand wont bring any benefits to the plants, only better thing is that it is easier to plant in. Cheap substrate include:

http/www.warehouse-aquatics.co.uk/tetrap...58kg-1055-p.asp
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...roducts_id=1120
http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...products_id=193

 

[nosoup4you]

Any suggestions for moderate light foreground/carpet plants?

 

[frozenbarb]

How much wattage of light and how big is the tank?

 

[nosoup4you]

It must be fairly low growing as it will be in a 10 gallon. At the moment I'm running 2.6 watts/gallon...

 

[aaronnorth]

2.6wpg is fairly high and will need CO2 injection. Foreground plants include:

hemanthius callictricoides
glossostigma elatinoides
eleocharis parvula
marsilea sp.
Moss Carpet

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, I have my DIY CO2 setup prepared already...just waiting for my plants. Thanks Aaron, I really wanted to do glosso or marsilea but had resigned myself to the fact that my lighting wasn't strong enough. Good to know that these are still an option.

 

[aaronnorth]

Marsilea is a low light carpet plant.
The glosso and HC may struggle if there isnt enough CO2 so make sure you keep it at around 30ppm, and also heavy fertilisation with something like Tropica plant NUtrition+ (which contains NPK & trace)

 

[nosoup4you]

Yeah, I had read that you suggested TPN+...It's already on order.

Marsilea is a low light carpet plant.

Yeah, I actually had read that it did well in low light...I had just forgotten. I've been reading too much plant information over the last few weeks. My head is spinning with it. lol Do you think that Lilaeopsis brasiliensis would do well in my tank?

 

[nosoup4you]

What kind of root tabs do you suggest? Would these be okay?

http/aqmagic.com/store/advanced_search_r...amp;x=0&y=0

 

[aaronnorth]

What kind of root tabs do you suggest? Would these be okay?

<a href="http/aqmagic.com/store/advanced_search_r...amp;x=0&y=0" target="_blank">http/aqmagic.com/store/advanced_search_r...amp;x=0&y=0</a>

they should be fine, and i dont see what could be wrong with them, if you dont use root tabs then heavier water column dosing is needed. Other root tabs include tropica capsules & API root tabs.

Do you think that Lilaeopsis brasiliensis would do well in my tank?

Yes.