New Tank Advice

[swaylight]

Hello again guys and gals.

Would just like some advice.

I've currently got a 60L tank 2x1x1 feet

Two filters running as i'm a little overstocked (fluval U2 + U1)

What i have in tank is...

6 fully grown cardinals
2 BN's
2 angel fish
3 zebra danio's (LFS told me to use them for a quick cycle) realised that's not a great idea now.
1 Giant Danio
4 amano shrimps

The tank is planted although i'm not having much luck with plants. (may be due to having white spot and upping the temp and leaving the air stone running while medicating with interpet white spot.
I decided to up my tank a little as i've managed to grab a bargin Juwel Rekord 96 (approx 116L) 2.5x1x1.5 feet

I'm going to cycle the tank and filter as if it was brand new out of the box, but with the tanks being in my bedroom i'm a little stuck for space and although i don't want to rush putting my fish in what would help my tank along so i don't have to keep both tanks running for a long period of time?

I want to set this tank up so that it looks nice, moderatly planted as i want to be able to see most of my fish. So my questions...

1) do i need a fert under my sand substrate as i've heard if your going to use liquid ferts you don't 100% need a fert base under the sand.
2) what plants are easy to keep without them dying? and that don't over grow the tank.
3) i'm going to use the filter supplied with the juwel rekord 96 tank will this be suffienct?
4) can i up my cardinals? my g/f has 8 of them she wants rid of as shes awaiting 2 amazon puffers (bee puffers i believe) can't seem to find much information on them for her so help on this would be great too?
5) what else would go with the above fish?
6) anything else you people think i should be looking into.

Regards

 

[Fishy friend2]

about the stocking, ummmm it is really bad every fish in that tank except for the cardinals shouldn't be in there at all after you get rid of thosee fish maybe you could up your tetras. good luck with the stocking

oh yeah and you can also keep the amanos

 

[swaylight]

Well those fish have been in there for around 2 months with no problems at all apart from an outbreak of white spot which has now cleared up now. I know the danio's should be in a larger tank and when my new tank is set up i'll be moving the danio's to my mum's 3ft tank so they have more space to swim.

But if someone could please help with my questions that would be great.

Regards

 

[Fishy friend2]

Which plants are you planning on having whether or not you need liquid based fertilizer and fertilizer under the sand will depend in the plants you get do you want swords, ludwiga, crypts, elodea, hornwort, parrots feather, dwarf lily, etc. some plants require high amounts of light, Co2 and fertilizer to grow successfully while others require little light, no Co2 and little fertilizer.
Easy plants for me that I grew with 2 WPG are anacharis, aquatic poppy, parrots feather, argentine swords, amazon swords, hornwort, ludwiga, moneywort, penny wort, green cabomba and java moss
IMO you cannot up your stocking at all your tank is already very overstocked as it is
IMO I wouldn't even worry about more fish at all with your sticking already
Something that you should look into is the stocking of you tank it is very overstocked

 

[the_lock_man]

What i have in tank is...

6 fully grown cardinals
2 BN's
2 angel fish
3 zebra danio's (LFS told me to use them for a quick cycle) realised that's not a great idea now.
1 Giant Danio
4 amano shrimps

So my questions...

1) do i need a fert under my sand substrate as i've heard if your going to use liquid ferts you don't 100% need a fert base under the sand.
2) what plants are easy to keep without them dying? and that don't over grow the tank.
3) i'm going to use the filter supplied with the juwel rekord 96 tank will this be suffienct?
4) can i up my cardinals? my g/f has 8 of them she wants rid of as shes awaiting 2 amazon puffers (bee puffers i believe) can't seem to find much information on them for her so help on this would be great too?
5) what else would go with the above fish?
6) anything else you people think i should be looking into.

Regards

1) You don't need it, no, although I have both.
2) Dwarf Cryptocorynes, Dwarf Amazon Swords, Java Moss are some suggestions there
3) If that's what the manufacturers supply, then it should cope with a sensible stocking level.
4) Yes
5) Even the new tank is too small for Angels, heightwise, I would say. To make some recommendations for other fish, what sort of pH have you got?

 

[minnnt]

Your Angel fish will out grow the tank. They are better suited to a 48"x18" tall tank.

As for your plans, a nutrient rich substrate isn't neccessary, but is great for your plants. The majority of plants will benefit more from a general fertiliser being dosed to the water though as this is usually their main way to get nutrients. Your filter would be sufficient for a correctly stocked tank. If you rehomed the unsuitable fish then you could take on the other Cardinals imo without a problem. The Bristlenoses are a little too big when adult for your tank.

A dark substrate with bright plants would show up the Cardinals and the Amano Shrimp very well indeed.

 

[swaylight]

this is one of my questions. I've got some plants in there now...

Rotala Rotundifolia
Cabomba

Another plant i can't find the name for, but it kind of resembles an Amazon Sword but i know it isn't that.


But i basically am after finding some plants which require low light as the tank i'm going to be using has one light. Not sure of the wattage just yet.

I'm aiming at having a moderate to low planted tank, with just...

2 angels
6 cardinals
4 amano shrimps
2 BN's

 

[Fishy friend2]

Your Angel fish will out grow the tank. They are better quited to a 48"x18" tall tank.

As for your plans, a nutrient rich substrate isn't neccessary, but is great for your plants. The majority of plants will benefit more from a general fertiliser being dosed to the water though as this is usually their main way to get nutrients. Your filter would be sufficient for a correctly stocked tank. If you rehomed the unsuitable fish then you could take on the other Cardinals imo without a problem. The Bristlenoses are a little too big when adult for your tank.

A dark substrate with bright plants would show up the Cardinals and the Amano Shrimp very well indeed.

+1 I agree

 

[swaylight]

the_lock_man:

Thanks for your advice and quick reply. I will take your options into consideration

My PH in the tank is around 6.7

Minnnt:

Thanks for the advice on the angels. I really like them and bubbles has really taken to me, coming up to meet me everytime i go to the tank. I'd be sad to have to rehome him but if you think he's unsuitable I may have to put him up for sale. I could also pass one BN to my g/fs tank if that would be more suitable or would rehoming the angels mean my BN's would be ok in my new 2.5ft tank?

I love my cardinals and at the mo the current tank has black sand but the new tank has a black 3d juwel background and i was going to go with argos playsand.

Fishy friend2:

Thanks for your current advice and support. I've listed the plants I currently have in my tank now for you. The only one that doesn't seem to be surviving even with fert under the sand and dosing 5ml of liquid fert a week is the Rotala Rotundifolia

Regards and thanks for all the response

oh forgot to add i have a nice piece of bogwood in the tank also

 

[minnnt]

Other low light plants are the majority of the mosses, Cryptocorynes and Elodea.

Crypts can be used to form the basis of your planted tank. They come in various shapes and sizes and a few different colours such as light green, dark green, bright green, orangey brown, brown and almost black. You can also get one variety called Tropica which has green and red/brown markings on the leaves. An idea plant for the mid ground of your tank. Undulatus is also a very nice species of Crypt as it develops wavey type leaves and looks very effective. Amicorum has small thin leaves and provides a great contrast to something like Wendtii Brown or Bullosa.

Mosses can be used as a carpet effect plant by tying it to slate/rock and placing at the foreground of the tank. It can also be used on bog wood or branches within the tank.

This will leave you with your Cabomba, Rotala and Elodea for the background to add height to the planting scheme and also offer hiding places for your Cardinals.