New Setup.

Mbuna Dave

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I am starting a new fish setup,the first for a few years as mentioned in my introduction.

I am getting a Juwel vision 260 on friday and i would like to create a planted aquarium to be proud of.

My question is,which substrate is best used to create a beautiful looking tank,i have read on these forums that beachems and onyx is good but i am new to these products,in my early days as an aquarist i only used gravel and always had ugly looking and tired plants which never really grew well.

Some of you say that sand i best,this again i have never used.

Also i have read that a mix of them both work well,i just done know which is best.

If i use a mix would it be difficult to clean and would the two become one when cleaning.

And what plants are best used.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

Regards.

Dave.
:)
 
I on the sand-side definately, I have always used sand in my planted tanks and wouldn't change it. Sand has lots of bonuses;

- plants root quickly
- cheap
- solid fertilizers won't dissolve into the water
-Looks pretty
- Corydoras, loaches, etc. definately prefer fone sand substrate
- fish waste and other stuff stays on the surface so it's easy to vacuum off

minuses;
- must be thoroughly cleaned before putting into the tank
- can block up if sand isn't stirred every once in a while(malaysian trumpet snails do this for me)
- looks a bit too bright in a bare tank

easy. modest and pretty plants to start out with;
- Anubias barteri/nana
- Hyghrophila polysperma/corymbosa
- Vallisneria spiralis
- Microsorum pteropus
- Echinodorus bleheri
- Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
- Echinodorus 'Ozelot'

I started with these and had success without any CO2. Try google and you will find more detailed information. Hopefully this helps, good luck with the project!
 
Thanks Osteoporoosi.

That has certainly helped.
Sand sounds like the one to do.Is it just sand on its own or do you put something else with it,like i said before i want to create a tank which supports plantlife to great effect. I have seen photos of lots of lush and beautiful aquariums and i want mine to look like them too. :)
 
I use a great deal of solid fertilizers in the sand (sometimes Tetra Crypto, usually DIY-fertilizer balls that contain red clay, peat and sometimes other nutrients).

I also add PMDD, which is a liquid DIY-fertilizer that mimics Tropicas Mastergrow.

You can view my picks from the link in my signature, all the tanks are set up in the same way as I wrote before. Altough the livebearer tank looks a bit bare now, as it is just set up.
Planted tanks aren't that hard to create, just try things out and you'll now what suits best for you :)
 
There's no harm for the plecos, I would be more worried about the plecos re-decorating; digging plants up and things like that :) Digging is their natural behaviour.
 
There's no harm for the plecos, I would be more worried about the plecos re-decorating; digging plants up and things like that :) Digging is their natural behaviour.



Thanks
I have read elsewhere you might get a bacteria spot don't quote that as correct name but a clump of something then disturbed would upset H2o so think as a begginer too difficult.
 
I`ve just bought 4 bags of playsand from Argos and will be setting up my new tank when it arrives this weekend,after washing that is.

Should i use a layer of Eco complete or seachems flourite on the bottom or is sand alone enough?

Are 4 bags enough for the Juwel 260 vision tank?

Thanks again.

Dave.
 

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