Where Do I Start!?

[rvdbarnes]

Hi all

Iv tried many a time to get a few plants growing in my community tank(juwel rekord 96 (30g)).

Things tend to start well and i get some good growth, then things just tend to taper off, algae starts to grow on them, they die at the base, float around and die!!

I have a sand/fine gravel substrate and have always fed them with a liquid feed.

Im going to start a fresh and wondered if you guys could help me get started with substrates, lighting, etc etc

cheers

Lee

 

[Themuleous]

I would start by reading the pinned Estimative Index article at the top of the planted forum. Then read the lighting and CO2 ones. They should answer most of the questions you have. If you need anything after that, post a question

Sam

PS - welcome to the forum

 

[rvdbarnes]

thanks sam, will do.

Just having a browse of the members planted tanks to get a feel for the equipment you all use, then i will have a read on the issues you mention.

cheers

Lee

 

[Themuleous]

Good idea, try not to be to overwhelmed by the pinned articles they can be a bit tough going, but are packed full of useful info, so worth a second read if you don't get them the first time.

Just out of interest whats your budget of this, that could influence quite a bit what sort of planted tank you have

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

As Sam suggests, the pinned threads are a good start. The next three issues of Practical Fishkeeping magazine will give you a good idea too.

 

[Waterloo Kid]

The next three issues of Practical Fishkeeping magazine will give you a good idea too.

Stop blowing and step away from your trumpet!

It's true though!

WK

 

[George Farmer]

The next three issues of Practical Fishkeeping magazine will give you a good idea too.

Stop blowing and step away from your trumpet!

It's true though!

WK

It's blatant I know but there is a selfless aspect to my advertising. It's about time the UK fishkeeping public were brought into the modern planted tank era. The more that know the better.

 

[MoreCoffee]

rvbarnes,

Welcome to the forum and welcome to the 'green side' of the hobby.

There are lots of articles and lots of advice on offer here .... so much that you can feel swamped by it all.
Before you start, my advice would be to look closely at the requirements regarding lighting (particularly if using a standard Juwel tank) and also at Co2, fertiliser methods available (EI is popular and produces excellent results, but not essential) and type of substrate.

Once you've read the articles, I'm sure you'll have a long list of questions .... just post em !
A bit of prior planning and preparation and you'll be amazed just how quickly you can get a tank full of
healthy plants (your fish will appreciate it too).

Depending on the equipment you decide to go for, the initial outlay for some planted tanks can seem quite steep, however the rewards are well worth it.

George's articles for PFK will be well worth a read and will hopefully go a long way to 'shake up & wake up' the planted side of the hobby in the UK

 

[netcode]

barnes, someone just asked a similar question as you did. The thread is called "How?" in the planted tank section and I wrote a lenghty reply breaking down some of the things you need to take into consideration when starting up a planted tank. I suggest you take a quick jump over to that thread and read my post. By no means will it tell you everything, but its just a simple start. Goodluck with your tank, you will enjoy it once it gets going. Everyone gets the bug

 

[Themuleous]

Everyone gets the bug

How true is that!

 

[craynerd]

It's blatant I know

You can say that again

It's about time the UK fishkeeping public were brought into the modern planted tank era

and you can say that again

lol

Rvdbarnes...good luck. This forum along with the internet is a wealth of information. Use it!
People don’t just post for fun, they post to help one another so listen to things they say and use your research to come to informed decisions.

The first things you need to ask yourself:

1) What’s your budget?
2) High maintenance or low
3) What style tank: Dutch, jungle, ADA , creative....



Chris