New Tank

[jason26]

Hey everyone

Having a new tank delivered this week, 240 litre fluval roma. I have never used live plants before and want to give it a try, have ordered 100 easy growing plants off ebay which should also arrive this week. Just after a bit of advice really what subrate would be best to use, can i use gravel.

I know that i get a free bag of gravel with tank its a 30kg bag which all i know is natural dorset gravel.

 

[Colin_T]

gravel is fine.
Add a liquid iron fertiliser to the tank each week. Sera Florena is pretty good.
Have the lights on for 10-16hours per day. start with 10 hours and if the tank doesn't go green straight away then increase the lighting period by an hour each week. If the water or glass starts to go green really quickly then reduce the lighting period.

 

[Themuleous]

Gravel is ok but you'll find the plants do better with some sort of nutrient substrate (either as a layer below the gravel or on its own). Once you have a base below the gravel work out cheapest, the tropica one is probably the best and should break the bank

[URL="http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...n1s8m1ebdphqnb2"]http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...n1s8m1ebdphqnb2[/URL]

What light levels will you have over the tank?

Sam

EDIT - just a word of warning, ebay is notorious for people selling non-aquatic plants. These die very quickly when underwater. If you are able I suggest posting pics of the plants you get when the order arrives so we can ID the plants for you, stop you putting any non-aquatic plants in the tank.

 

[jason26]

Thanks for your advice, is tropica commonly available from pet stores or aquatics.

This is the spec on the lighting that comes with the tank: Fluval GLO lighting, one of each 40watt PowerGlo & AquaGlo.

Will take you up on posting pics to identify the plants when they arrive.

 

[Themuleous]

Tropica plants are excellent and becoming more and more available in LFS in the UK.

Sam

 

[jason26]

Could anyone recommend anything else other than tropica plant having trouble trying to get hold of it.

 

[Million]

Sorry to jump in, but that looks like a great site - and free postage, so there's no point in you finding it in a LFS really! I was looking at the HC they have, and the plant media too. What do people think of the TetraPlant Complete Substrate? I'm thinking that, with a layer of black sand over it, for my planted Betta nano tank

 

[donkey]

Its only free postage if you spend £50

 

[Themuleous]

Greenline plants is probably the next best.

BTW I wouldn't have the lights for more than 12 hours at the most. 8 to 10 is more normal.

Sam