32L Planted Aquarium

[Naringlo]

Hello!

 
So this is my second attempt at a planted tank. I'm hoping it goes right this time.
 
So here is the plan:
 
Aquarium - AquaSpace 40 32L
Filter - Aqua one filter rated 350 - 400 lph
Heater - Aqua one 50w heater
Lighting - Arcadia Ellipse 18w
Substrate - Colombo Florabase 5L brown
Co2 - Neutro Co2 (I'm a bit broke for pressurised and this tank will be torn down in year and a half)
Fertiliser - Neutro + for now unless I'm meant to be using Neutro T? Feel free to clue me in

 
Stocking:
Apart from blue shrimp and a nurite snail, I'm unsure for now. Focusing more on the plants

 
Plants: Haven't ordered them yet but it's a rough idea.
- Heteranthera Zosterifolia
- Rotala Rotundifolia
- Eleocharis Parvula
- Anubias Barteri nana (on bog wood, but I bought a tiny piece online unfortunately)
- Taxiphyllum spikey
- Pistia Stratiotes
- Moss ball
- Echinodorus harbii
 
Currently waiting for the substrate to arrive. Should come tomorrow. May order some plants tonight. And when I go in to college on thursday, I'm probably going to get a piece of acrylic cut to replace the glass lid as the lighting bracket doesn't allow the lid to fit properly. And it's heavy.
 
Any suggestions welcome!
 
And here is a photo of the current state:

 

[Naringlo]

Soooooooooo I'm a complete fool xD
 
I heard this stuff leeches ammonia and causes cloudiness so as soon as it was delivered, I put it in a bucket and let it run with water so it would remove the cloudiness. 5 minutes later I decided to read the packet which said "do not wash". So I immediately stopped the washing process.
 
Anyway I've put it in the tank. However, I didn't think about the filling process so I just put it in the tank and filled with water. It now looks like this:

 
I'm not all that fussed though, I'll just let it settle. I think I put too much in so I'll try and dry some out and put it back in the bag. Hopefully I haven't lost too much of the nutrients and so so.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

I'd keep swapping water as it will leave a powder on top of the substrate which will cloud the tank every time you switch the filter back on.

 

[Naringlo]

Good to know, I will then. I thought I would just be wasting nutrients is all. Suppose it's meant to last a year. I did a 100% water change a minute ago so I'll carry on. Thanks for the tip! 

 

[Naringlo]

And this is where we currently are after messing around with it all day. Bogwood is a bit pathetic. I'll probably be getting more at some point.
 

 
I've ordered moss balls, taxiphyllum spikey, heteranthera zosterifolia, and pistia stratiotes. May go pick up some plants on Friday  Will be covering the back, especially the filter and heater.

 

[Shelster]

Looking forward to this - I'm starting mine tomorrow.

Awe the Anubias look so tiny. - I bought some giants from that place for under £4 in my sig ( not that you'll want huge ones) I just thought they were a bargain going to get some more tomorrow.

 

[Naringlo]

Ah I look forward to it! 
 
Yeah they're pretty small because they are cuttings from my other tank that I'm selling. I fancied growing them from small to see the progress of my tank 

 
I think I'll also be hatching some baby fish as well. I prefer to do all of it from scratch. (Y)

 

[Joshwainwright]

Looks like a nice little project you've got going. I'd love to do something similar but I don't have any space at all

 
In fact, I'm currently looking around my room now... 
I could fit one on top of my drawers if I found somewhere for the printer 

Oooh, maybe under my desk! 

 
Sorry for thinking out loud 

 
Back on topic, I'm looking forward to seeing it progress!
 

 

[Naringlo]

Haha thanks. I didn't have room when I bought it so i just threw away some things to make space. 

 Definitely make some space!

 

[Naringlo]

So I got home and found a small box.

My favourite plant heteranthera zosterifolia (which happens to be on my arm as well 

) arrived and so did the pistia stratiotes arrived a week early. 
 
I bought trimmings off eBay because as I said before, I like growing things out from as small as possible. Feels like you've put more in to it.
 
I can't remember if I'm meant to cut the heteranthera in half and plant or let the roots grow and then cut in half. (There are no roots to this plant right now as it's a trimming. Also started dosing the ferts and liquid Co2.
 
Anyway, some update pics:
 

 

 

[Naringlo]

Just a quick update. I got some eleocharis. Not sure which one. All trimmed down to hopefully spread. Got some really red cherry shrimp too
 

 

[Shelster]

Did you get those from totally tropical?
I think i saw you today in trimar I had to buy a new light unit - went LEDS
Have I done your old tank justice?

 

[Naringlo]

Sorry for the awful photo. Couldn't get it to focus with all the little bits of eleocharis floating around.
 
@Shelster Nope, haven't managed to go yet. :L I do want to check it out though.
Haha yes I was in Tri Mar

Got those shrimp and assassin snail there.
Shame you bought that in a sense, I have a 11w LED clip on light from my new tank that I am selling.
And yes, I actually really like it, so much better than when I had it! Full of plants, and that really nice piece of bogwood, puts mine to shame! Perfect tank for a betta

UPDATE: So I received my moss balls this morning. One floats, but it's fairly amusing. I'm now waiting on my taxiphyllum to arrive, along with some eggs

I will be ordering some Rotala rotundifolia at some point and I think that shall be it

 

[Joshwainwright]

I can really see myself becoming jealous of this 

 

[Naringlo]

Haha thank you, this is the first tank I've actually been happy with. Hoping it goes well!