Planted Nano Tank

[Million]

Hi all. I currently have a 120L tank which is planted and decorated with slate and bogwood. I am getting a 28L tank over easter, and this time I want to put a bit more effort into the plants.

I'm thinking first of substrate - some kind of fertilizing layer that won't affect water quality, followed by coarse sand or fine gravel. I'm thinking of putting dwarf riccia on slate in the fore, and bogwood in the back, and I want planting of all heights, front to back. Does anyone have advice on what spp. to go for?

Also, i'm not sure whether to bother with a CO2 system or not, thoughts please. Plus, the only thing hardare wise that I don't have, is lighting - I was looking at light pods, with CFL bulbs, around 9 or 11 watts - sufficient for 1 foot cubed?

Thanks for reading

 

[grantcairns]

Funny that you're doing exactly the same thing as me this weekend. Great minds think alike, huh?

I'm not that hot on ferts myself, know next to nothing about them. I tried recently to do a tank with a layer of soil in the bottom covered with gravel. That one worked well enough that I'm tipping the whole lot out and starting afresh - i never even got to the point of adding fish!

The tank i'm working on is one of the new Arcadia Arc tanks, its about a foot cubed - 45 litres. It comes with an 11w pod, but i'm lucky in that i have another one, so 22w in total. The pods are great. they're clean and look pretty smart over the tanks, if you're thinking about one, go for it.

Regards to co2 there's a balance to be struck. more co2 means less fish - one not to forget. using a fertilised layer is really only a smart move if you've got lots of light and co2 injection. you won't get the full benifit of the ferts if the other things the plants need aren't there.

That said, just think carefully about what you're doing, and read up around these pages. I'm a newbie myself at planted tanks, the one i ave has been done entirely without fancy technology like co2 and ferts. just gravel, fish, plants, water changes and added liquid ferts. And it looks great.

Best of luck, and show us some pics!

 

[aaronnorth]

Regards to co2 there's a balance to be struck. more co2 means less fish - one not to forget.

Not really, i have a high fish load and co2 along with lots of others, as long as co2 is kept at 25-35ppm then you will ok, dosing nutrients is more difficult because if you have a high fish load you are likely to have a higher nitrate than normal so you will not have to dose as much N (if you do dose)

For substrate, if you don't want to affect water quality then eco-complete is good, it is gravel so it can be used alone. For your size tank then go for 2 x 11w bulbs and that should do for lighting and for co2, i wouldn't attempt riccia (or dwarf) without co2, it thrives well with it and sometimes, added Phosphour helps if it isn't doing to well. If you go for co2, then pressurized is better but if you can't afford it then you can get a nutrafin kit to help or make a DIY setup, Try and use 2 bottles/ cannisters for nutrafin & DIY because you can then change 1 mid week and one at the weekend, by doing this it helps to keep a more stable co2.

 

[Million]

I've been looking at TetraPlant Complete Substrate for a base layer, then was thinking about black sand over this. I've never used sand as a substrate before - is it problematic?

I will be including slate, or possibly wood, maybe both. I'm also thinking about putting in some small alabaster statues I have of greek gods - just a thought!

I want to grow anubias on the wood, and to have a carpeting plant such as Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba''. Maybe something grassy too - Echinodorus Tennellus maybe?

 

[SuperColey1]

Agreed. I have 2 inches per gallon in mine with 30ppm CO2 pumped in and the CO2 is on 24/7. There is no correlation in fish numbers and CO2 injection. If you inject too much into a tank it will not matter if there is 1 fish or if it is crammed full. They will suffer.

Your substrate sounds OK to me and no probs with sand. Both scapes in my sig use slate and wood. The pic on the left uses tetracomplete with silver sand on top.

HC will need high light and this does mean 'real' CO2 meaning pressurised!!!!

andy