Hia There

[bluemoono]

Hia

Just signed up as I was looking for a tropical forum that looked knowledgeable and friendly - this looks to fit the bill after a brief scout about.

I have recently cleared out my reef tank and I am in the horrendous process of clearing off coraline algae etc. This is taking me ages as I keep prognosticating...but whilst doing this have been doing some research on my tropical set up.

I have had a tropical tank before and had different sized tanks but always had a community tank and not for several years - this time I have decided to go for a planted Angelfish setup

I have a Rio 400 currently it has nothing but the tank (and algae) which is built into my living room wall. I have decided on some bits of kit to get and others I'm not so sure.

I will be going for as natural look as possible and I'm studying different aquascapes (the thread on this site is excellent btw) before rushing into everything.

I have not used a Co2 system before and wondered what people could recommend for ease of use, cost and end product? I was hoping not to spend more than £150

Was just looking at this? Co2

Filtration is another one I am unsure of and I have looked at the Eheim Pro filters which look superb but pricey or the Fluval ones - I have had a Fluval before and found it annoying and noisy but realise the newer ones are better so not sure and yes I know it is a source of great debate. If I went for Fluval would the 405 be adequate or is the FX5 a better option? Alternatively if I was to go down the Eheim route which model would people recommend? Would this eihem filtration be aequate? Eheim

Lighting - I will be getting a new T5 unit

Substrate - any recommendations for something to help my plants and not break the bank?

I used Salifert test kits on my reef tank - what are the best test kits for tropical?

Can anyone recommend any good local suppliers to me (was thinking more for my livestock as I am happy to order most dry goods off the net) ? I live in Bacup.

Anyway - I'll have a decent look through some threads later on tonight and hope to find some answers

I am in no rush to set my tank going other than I'd like to have it up and cycling by at least October so it gives me time to buy kit a bit at a time and also do some research so hopefully I don't make too many noob mistakes.

Cheers for now

Scott

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Bluemoono.
I like that you are taking your time and doing your homework. In the end it will definitely pay dividends. The CO2 you are exploring has a significant drawback in my mind. It has a tiny 500 gram disposable cylinder. If you get serious about a high tech planted tank, you will want a minimum of 5 Kg but I would even say a 10 Kg tank of CO2. I am in the US and burn through a 10 lb., about 4.5 Kg, in 6 months on a 45 gallon, figure about 160 litres, tank. I bought my regulator and solenoid kit on line for much less than that kit but found that my local welding supplier was ready to sell me a CO2 bottle and fill it for a small amount. After that, each refill was really a bottle trade. the cost for a 10 pound refill was almost the same as a 20 pound refill. Most of the cost was not the gas but the filling service. The price difference was only about 10% for a 100% difference in gas quantity. I had to learn it the hard way but you don't. You heard it here first.

You could try another approach as an experienced aquarist by going along the NPT lines. That means using an organic substrate and bright lights, by freshwater standards, to grow a variety of plants using nothing more than fish waste for fertilizer and no added CO2. It is an entirely separate approach from the high tech model, but can work well when you actually can grasp the concepts involved. Diana Walstad has published her book with a good discussion of the science behind her approach and directions on how to carry it out. I find the book enlightening and have this tank to show for trying her methods. Substrate for a NPT is as simple as some cheap potting soil and a bit of gravel to keep the potting soil from floating around in your tank. I used a layer of 1 inch of potting soil and found some coarse sand/fine gravel to hold it in place in a half inch layer.

I do not need to trim that tank as often as people with high tech tanks but I also do not need to do weekly large water changes like I would with a tank using the EI, estimative index, approach. A lot depends on your objectives with your planted tank.

Salifert makes fresh water test kits that are quite well respected but I find the API master kit is adequate for a freshwater tank and costs less to use.