Whre To Start

[psyber]

Hello everyone,
I recently acquired a used 55gal aquarium and want to turn into a planted tropical tank. Problem is, this is my first tank and I know very little. Before I jump in I would like to do some more research. Can anyone here recommend any good books or websites for beginners in my situation?

Thanks a bunch.

 

[prmdc098]

Hi and welcome
i found this site good
http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/index.htm
i got most of my advice from there

 

[Colin_T]

Howdee & Welcome

you can ask here for info
Maybe pop down to your local library and read up on what they have.

You can run a plant tank in several ways. One is to put a substrate down in the tank that encourages plant growth. The substrate can be potting mix, red clay (Laterite), manures (only a very small amount should be used), etc, and this is put into the tank first. Then a layer of aquarium gravel is put on top. The other option is to use gravel without anything else added.
Once the substrate is in and the gravel on top, you slowly and carefully fill the tank with freshwater and aquatic plants. Turn the filter & heater on and let the tank run.

You can add aquarium plant fertilisers. These are available in liquid and tablet form and should be added regularly. Most containers suggest adding once a week but better plant growth is attained if the nutrients are added more frequently, 2 or 3 times a week, or even every day. You can get test kits for many of these nutrients and they help you monitor the amounts in the tank. Then you can add more when necessary.

Plants need light and depending on how tall the tank is will determine how much light you want. Tall tanks over 2ft high are best lit with metal halide light units. These units are hung above the tank and produce a powerful beam of light that can penetrate several feet of water without any problems. If the tank is only 18inches high/ tall, then fluorescent lights can be used instead. Fluorescent lights are available in standard sizes with the common globe being known as a T8 globe. Newer slimline globes are referred to as T5 globes. The T is the diameter of the globe, T5 being 5/8inch, T8 being 8/8inch.
T5 globes are available in standard output and hi output (HO) forms. HO T5s provide more light than the standard output, but use more power due to their higher wattage.
Plants grow best when given light that is similar to sunlight. Sunlight has a temperature or Kelvin (K) rating of about 5,700K. Try to get globes that have a Kelvin rating between 5,000K & 10,000K. Globes outside is range will grow plants but not as well as globes that have a similar temperature to sunlight. My preference is for 10,000K globes as these produce a nice white light that shows off the fish well.
Lights can be on for anywhere up to 16hours per day. However, plants need 8 hours rest so 16hours is maximum. Many people only have the lights on for 8-10hours per day and the plants do really well. If you have too much light or the lights are left on for too long, you will often get algae problems. Reducing the lighting period will help control algae.

Plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) to grow. There is plenty of CO2 in the air and tank water. If you have lots of plants in the tank and only a few small fish, then you can add extra CO2 to the aquarium. This can be done with a bottle of CO2 that you get from the petshop, or a home brew kit that uses yeast, sugar and water to produce ethanol and CO2 gas. You will also need hose and connectors to transfer the CO2 into the tank. Complete kits are available from the petshop or online.
In an average tank with some fish and a few plants, supplemental CO2 is not necessary due to it being provided by the fish, filter bacteria and from the air (via gas exchange at the water surface).

Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Elodia, Hygrophilla polysperma, Ludwigia, Swordplants and Narrow Vallis. These plants are all readily available from most petshops.
Some plants are illegal in certain countries so depending on where you are located, you might not have access to all of those I listed.

 

[aaronnorth]

Lights can be on for anywhere up to 16hours per day. However, plants need 8 hours rest so 16hours is maximum.

16hrs maximum! I would go 12hrs tops.

There is plenty of CO2 in the air and tank water.

There isnt enough in the water, there is only about 6-8ppm on average, which is way too low for plants to use, the only time you can have this amount of CO2 in the water, is when you have low light, in which case the plants will not be using much, if any CO2.

psyber - Have a look at the pinned topics at the top of the plants & planted tanks page
also another useful site: Aquatic Eden

Main thing to consider is light - this drives the amount of nutrients & CO2 the plants use (more light = more demand for CO2 & nutrients)

 

[SuperColey1]

If you choose the book route via the library or buying then be very careful what you choose. Most books that are out there have outdated and incorrect views on the planted tanks using old theories and methods that these days are known to be wrong. The best places to research these days are on forums like this where you will be able to see where the latest 'common ground' is rather than in a book where the user will be biased towards their own method. The user may not even be using the method in the book anymore!!!

I wouldn't worry about the tank height as to a choice of which light you choose. Unless the tank is ridiculously tall then a 2ft or 18 inch tank will be fine with fluorescent lights. MH is OK but I would always suggest flourescents unless the tnak was 3ft+ Wattage would however have to be more for a tank inbetween 2ft and 3ft but not by much.

I also wouldn't worry about the K rating too much. If you like blue light then buy blue light. Some of the best scapers are currently using blue marine LED units!!!. Buy whatever colouration you like and the plants will grow just the same, but look different in colouration due to the colour of the light.

If you are only using the natural (very low ppm) of CO2 that is naturally in the tank water through gaseous exchange (you ignore the fish respiration as this will be virtually zero) then you also have to take into account that you will need minimal surface turbulence, very low light and no water changes (meaning 6 monthly/yearly.) This is because tap water is saturated with CO2 and therefore you would create inconsistent CO2 levels within the tank by doing weekly water changes. With CO2 it needs to be stable so we either inject at a consistent rate or leave the tank without water changes to allow the natural CO2 content to remain consistent. Failure to maintain a stable level whether through injection or other methods will encourage algae

It doesn't matter how many fish you have in the tank for injection. My tank is normally well over the standard 1" per gallon rule, normally closer to 2" and I inject with full pressurised system. The important thing about injecting CO2 is to monitor the tank as you would normally. If you see fish gasping at the surface then you turn the CO2 down.

Also try to remember that whilst some people will suggest that fish will supply N and P they will never supply anywhere near enough for a fully planted tank wether low light or not and no matter how many fish you put in there. Some suggestions are that they would provide less than 3% of a plants needed N and P in a medium light heavily planted tank so don't fall for the not adding nitrate and phosphate because you have fish argument. Even in a non CO2, low light setup you will need to add a little fertilser dosing.

Do some proper research on fertilisers as some still go by the N and P is bad rule or the fish will provide it and leave them out of the mix. Steer clear of these as you want the N and P.

Ac