Creating my first planted tank - need advice

[BLASK]

Ok this is my plan:

I have a 20g sitting all cleaned out and ready to go. It was bought as a complete tank kit with the cheap looking hood with light mounted on top. The light is 18" , but the bulb itself is 15w. I have a 50, 100, and 200 watt heaters laying around. I also have a penguin biowheel 125 filter.

I intend to purchase everything off bigals except the gravel:

Lighting: Coralife Freshwater Aqualight- 24" Power Compact Light-1 x 65W = $57.99 PLUS mounting legs = $7.99

co2: Plant Gro Co2 Natural System = $21.99 + $4.99 refill kits every month I think.

Substrate: Seachem Flourite 15lb = $20 w/ shipping AND a 10 or 5 lb bag of some small gravel. I hear walnut grain size gravel is the smallest?

Plant food: Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food Supplement- 16 OZ = $7.49

I was thinking of ordering plants off ebay or getting them from the LFS, any recommendations?

Any tips on starting it all? I hear I should get a test kit for CO2 levels and KH levels? I have no idea what they are, my kit only tests for: Am, Nit, Nate, and PH.

Plus whats a good fish to cycle with plants i was thinking of getting a lone male betta or a couple of guppies instead.

Thanks!

 

[houndour]

You work out CO2 from KH and PH, so you only need a KH test kit.

You dont have to use the Nutrafin refills...you can use your own mixture of yeast and bicarb.

Have you ever done a fishless cycle? I prefer it. Remember it's not really recommended to have a Betta in a community tank, so unless you plan on moving him to his own tank, you may not want to get one to cycle. Guppies aren't actually that hardy are they? People always recommend danios. But if you fishless cycle then you wont have to pick fish that you might not want.

 

[George Farmer]

Sounds like the basis for a good set-up.

I think your bio-wheel may not be a good idea for a planted tank. The water agitation will drive off CO2.

I'm not familiar with US aquarium plant outlets, although I know these guys are good http/www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html

I echo houndour in that the Nutrafin sachets are a waste of money. You can better results for much less $ using dried yeast to replace the "Activator". You won't need to use the "Stabiliser" at all (bi-carb) if your water is over KH 4, GH 6. In a 20G I would use 1/2 to 2/3 teaspoon of dried yeast - this should give you around 25 to 30ppm CO2.

Use the chart in my sig to calculate your CO2 level.

You could grow most stem plants well with your lighting and CO2 i.e. Hygros, Ludwigia, Rotala, Ambulia, Anacharis, Water sprites. Plant heavily from the outset to acheive a balance and avoid algae.

The plant food you mention appears good for dosing micronutrients but you will need to dose macronutrients (i.e. KNO3, KH2PO4, K2SO4) also with all that growth, especially if you plan to stock lightly. Low nitrates and phosphates - a result of good growth rates - will cause algae. I recommend Tom Barr's Estimative Index method of fertilisation. There's a good thread running at the moment http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=101550 and there will be an article pinned quite soon on EI. You can source all the ingredients from
http/www.gregwatson.com/DryAquaticFertilizers.asp

Good luck.

 

[Nospherith]

I have a 20g planted as well and it's a rewarding path that you decided to take. It takes a lot of maintenence, mainly algae control, to get plants to grow to their fullest potential. basically, (i don't know whether or not if this is gf's own philosphy or not but I heard it here first) basically you want to start out with the tank loaded with plants, a good 3/4 of the substrate filled with green. so ordering some fast growers (ie hygrophelia polysperma, rotala rotundifolia, ect) online (can't go wrong with Aquabotanic) is probably your best bet. but before you do that, you're going to want to aquascape! get some hardscape (driftwood or rocks) and place according to your vision of an aquatic garden. then plant accordingly. You don't need drifwood or rocks, but it helps.

get the CO2 going asap, as well as the light. some of the plants you order (65w should be able to grow most plants) may suffer in lower light (eg ludwigia) so this is important. be sure to have at least 3/4 of the substrate covered before you switch to >3wpg otherwise a massive algae bomb's going to be dropped on your tank and believe me it's not fun.

I also have a penguin 125 (the best hob-biowheel imho) and it does create turbulence so it's important to keep the water-level topped off so that the flow is horizontal thereby creating minimal surface turbulence for the co2 to escape from. anyway, good luck with your tank! :thumbs"

 

[BLASK]

thx for the info everyone-

so I got it all down except the food for the macronutrients. as I understand I will need "nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium: npk" ?

is this correct?

seachem makes individual bottles of each for about 8 dollars a bottle. That will run 24 dollars for 500mlx3 of additional food. I saw ur journal and I can barely understand it, hehe.

also any input on that special coated gravel that I want to put on top of the flourite?

 

[Jen]

Where is a good place to by the KNO3? I can't find it at my 2 lfs's.

 

[iggy01]

Where is a good place to by the KNO3? I can't find it at my 2 lfs's.

[snapback]860313[/snapback]​

You may be able to find potassium nitrate (KNO3) at a gardening centre. Failing that you can get it from Greg Watson.

 

[BLASK]

once I get all set up, do I need to remove carbon from the filter?

like i said before im using a penguin 125 bio wheel and i will fill the tank to the top so the water doesnt bubble - but those filters have cartridges that have carbon already inside, should I just switch over to some whisper filter that has cartridges that you have to load carbon yourself. Should i just use that w/o the carbon? thanks

second question is a cover for the tank, what is a good idea since my light will be mounted on legs? If I get a glass cover top, can it be lexon glass or plexi glass? and should there be a small opening for gas exchange or should it be a complete seal? thanks!

 

[BLASK]

* BUMP *

 

[zig]

Yes remove the carbon from the filter, it can remove nutrients from the water that the plants need.

Im not familar with lexon or plexi glass perhaps someone else can help you with that.

 

[BLASK]

I got my plants yesterday, planted them - this is my first shot at planted tanks and actually planting something at all mind you, so I would like all the comments on where to move everything correctly. Once again, I got 15.4lbs of flourite and 15lbs of white fine gravel, I plan on mixing them really well so that the white doesnt show as much like it is now. Here are the pics: (sorry u gotta scroll sideways )

2 MARBLE VALLISNERIA
1 AMAZON SWORD
1 RUBIN SWORD
6 DWARF CHAIN TENNELLUS
2 RED TEMPLE BUNCH PLANTS
2 MONEYWORT BUNCH PLANTS
1 RUFFLE SWORD
1 ANACHARIS BUNCH PLANT
2 CABOMBA BUNCH PLANT
2 anubas (sp)

 

[Yenko]

Where is a good place to by the KNO3? I can't find it at my 2 lfs's.

[snapback]860313[/snapback]​

Hydroponics stores are also a good source.

 

[nodding_dino]

Hi BLASK!

Great start you've made on the tank...a really good piece of advice that I was given right at the very start was to plant EVERYTHING you have, and then sit back and watch it grow for a few weeks. That way, you get to learn the speed at which things grow, the height, colour etc. It's a really usefull experience. Once you have all of this knowledge under your belt, you will be able to start tweaking the look of the tank...maybe take some of the plants out entirely, others you might move position etc...

You may also be amazed at how much things grow in such a short space of time! There is a link on here to a place that sells KNO3 (and the others) in the states...I'll try and find it for you!

 

[George Farmer]

There is a link on here to a place that sells KNO3 (and the others) in the states...I'll try and find it for you!

[snapback]879530[/snapback]​

It's in my post at the top of this thread

 

[nodding_dino]

Well I knew it was in here somewhere!!!!