Yes

[CKutz]

Hi guys.

it's been difficult reading through your plant jargin, and it's only going to get more difficult. but i've decided i want to try and do this..go planted. but first get it all planned out. and get some answers.

Ok so i'm thinking about getting a 15 gal tank, or a 20 gal High tank. it is going to be in my dorm..so i'm hesitant to get the 20 H. I don't wanna go too crazy.

I'm also going low tech, as i think just figuring this all out and staying on top of it in the simplest way will take up way too much of my time already.

the tank is going to house 5-6 khuli loaches, hopefully shrimp, snails, 6 harlequin rasbora, dwarf gourami, 2 peacock gobys, 6-8 pygmy corys.

now keep in mind..CHEAP is what we aim for. I'm on a students budget..and got a wonderful fine that i've basically put all my money for the past year into.


question 1: I am going to have sand substrate...but is that all? Can i keep plants with just a sand substrate? or should i say, would adding a substrate better fit my situation?

question 2: i thought a light bulb was a light bulb...I just saw a hood and light on craigslist for a 24 x 12 tank. so i might get that. it has fluorescent lights. don't know what though. if i don't get that..i've got two spare lids and lights for 10 gal tanks. i am planning on a getting a glass canopy (lid) so i could set the one light on that, because it detaches from the hood. the other one i could diy into the same thing, but they are incandescent light bulbs. the fluorescent light is a 18" 15 W Eclipse Natural daylight.
so what are my light options.. put together what i already have somehow, if i can't get that bigger light fixture. or get the light fixture...and then what? guess it depends on what lights are in it..

question 3: ferts. is there just an all around fert i can use? keep in mind i'll have enough on my hands maintaining the tank, and fish, with my 18 credit semester. so i don't want to bother really with making my own stuff unless it would be really simple and i could make a big batch before i even go to school.

question 4: i saw someone mentioned that these endcaps which make your t? fit into a t? else usually come with the lights? just curious incase i got t5 or t8 or want to change.

question 5: what else should i know?

question 6: ha, that was kinda a joke but probably applies..umm i guess the only other thing for now is which plants...but i konw you guys answer that a 100 times a day, so i'll try and figure it out for myself to a point.


should this be in a journal? i thought i'd just get my questions answered, and once i actually start putting it together i would start a journal

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

 

[Curiosity101]

I'm no expert but will do my best...
1) I only have sand in my tank, but having a layer of fertiliser substrate with sand on top isn't a bad idea if you have the money. Mainly for plants like Swords which tend to get their 'food' from their roots more so than from the water column. Mine have been ok with just liquid ferts in the water...but I do stick a root tab under them every now n then.

2) Hmm, I get tripped up on lighting myself to be honest. But the way I understand it is that on a small tank the WPG rule isn't quite as accurate. So where 30W over a 30Gal tank is 1WPG if you have 10W over a 10Gal it'd actually be more like having 20W over the 30Gal...
I think it's that way round, as opposed to the logical way, which would be that the light has a shorter distance to travel so surely would be stronger...
Anyways on a 15Gal I'd aim for at least 15W, but I think 20W would be better. And would still be classed as low tech.

3) I think for your situation it sounds like you'll not want to do EI dosing. So just bog standard out of the bottle ferts are a good plan (though mixed up powder ferts are cheaper). Not sure what you have where you are. But I just use TPN+ (Tropica Plant Nutrition +) and AE Liquid Carbon (AE = Aqua Essentials).

4) You lost me here. lol.

5 + 6) Not smart enough to write much here. Other than if this is your first time with plants stick to easy hardy plants. Eg. Java Fern, Java Moss, Cabomba, Elodea (aka Anacharis), Amazon Swords (Though I'm not sure these are all that good starter plants as I tend to see alot of pics of them with mineral deficiences...), Vallis (My twisted vals melted a bit when I first got them, but since then are very undemanding and quite pretty )

Oh and I think starting a journal once you 'sorta' know what you're doing would be a good plan.

 

[RadaR]

question 4: i saw someone mentioned that these endcaps which make your t? fit into a t? else usually come with the lights? just curious incase i got t5 or t8 or want to change.

Brushings set so that the t8 light systems on tanks like the old Juwel tanks can be fitted with t6 bulbs instead of t8 bulbs.
t8s are ok though for low lighting.

t8s are completely different to t5s though. This is because t8s are powered by magnetic ballasts, whereas t5s are powered by electronic ballasts. You cant swap and change t8 bulbs with t5s because they wont fit and wont work.

 

[CKutz]

i was thinking of something more like this maybe they are pointless or more expensive then it's worth...idk.
ohhh, but i see what you mean...so which bulbs can go in the same fitting?

thank you for the reply curiosity!
what are some typical substrates to use?
if i go with the substrate, then i don't need to use root tabs correct?

i was really confused with which ferts you need..cause it seemed like just one doesn't always meet their requirements, so thanks for telling me what you use. what would the powders be called so i can look up prices for that stuff. or is that the EI method? I kinda like the liquid ferts in a bottle idea..except they probably cost a bit and if i run low it can be difficult for me to get to a lfs in my area when i'm at school...but i guess that wouldn't make a difference with which method i use.

 

[RadaR]

i was thinking of something more like this maybe they are pointless or more expensive then it's worth...idk.
ohhh, but i see what you mean...so which bulbs can go in the same fitting?

I'm stumped.

 

[baron von bubba]

i was thinking of something more like this maybe they are pointless or more expensive then it's worth...idk.
ohhh, but i see what you mean...so which bulbs can go in the same fitting?

thank you for the reply curiosity!
what are some typical substrates to use?
if i go with the substrate, then i don't need to use root tabs correct?

i was really confused with which ferts you need..cause it seemed like just one doesn't always meet their requirements, so thanks for telling me what you use. what would the powders be called so i can look up prices for that stuff. or is that the EI method? I kinda like the liquid ferts in a bottle idea..except they probably cost a bit and if i run low it can be difficult for me to get to a lfs in my area when i'm at school...but i guess that wouldn't make a difference with which method i use.

jbl aquabasis seems like a cheap popular substrate, i believe it should be capped with gravel/sand tho, i you use some thing like this you can do away with the root tabs.
TPN+ has added phos and nitrates which is probably not needed in a non co2 tank, (just dose some micros/trace) if you start adding easy carbo (or inject co2) then you will probably need to add phos and nitrate however.
but as it seems you are after a low maint tank its probably best to keep the lighting low and not bother with adding co2.

 

[kris6458]

I am also a broke college student and doing a similar tank. 29g Planted SA tank. Ill post what I did, im not very knowledgable compared to everyone here , but I do have very recent experience (last month)

I bought my sand from Home depot. Its cheappp and my plants LOVE it. Just make sure to rinse it well.
I bought my 20watt Plant Bulb from home depot.

If you need a fish tank, your cheapest bet is going to be Craigslist or a garage sale.

Rocks/drift wood.. I just went to my buddys parents house and took some river rock they had for there yard and boiled it. Same with the driftwood.

After research and asking everyone on these forums for about a month I bought the most hardy and easiest plants to take care of that dont need CO2 or Fertz bc im broke and lazy. Java fern ($1.99), Anubus ($4.99), Sword(5.99).

If your going to get "coolie loach" then I wouldnt get snails, from what I hear they love to eat snails. Which is the main reason I will be getting 2 of those loaches to take out my little snail problem that came with my plants.

 

[CKutz]

i'm not sure if khulis eat snails..i actually heard they didn't as their mouths aren't the same as other loaches.
you might consider chain loaches, yoyo loaches, zebra loaches. i have yoyos in my 30 gal and they are doing great.

yea i'm on craigslist every day..not many smaller tanks in my area though. I found a 15 gal, at a thrift store though. they want $15 for it..and it has no top or light or anything...so i'm not sure hoping it goes cheaper soon. someone has a free tank and accessories nearby so i'm hoping to swing by..even if its a 10 gal, i might take itt just for the accessories.

back to the plants.
radar, i kinda think i don't have a need for that thing..although my 30 gal has a t12 light on it, designed for plant and aquarium. not sure of kelvin rating at moment...but i've had a bit of an algea problem in that tank so i was thinking of switching to a lower kelvin rated light. do t8s fit in t12? i dont get these light things..

this is why this planted thing is so confusing, one person uses one set of ferts..another person tells you there's no need for those...
I don't want to do co2, and i want low maintenance. the less amount of dosing i have to do the better. haven't had a chance to check out those substrate prices, thanks for a recommendation though.

i am planning on using play sand bought from lowes.

baron could you clarify. you're saying go substrate. no easycarbo. some type of trace dose (which?). and i'm set?

thanks for everything so far guys

 

[CKutz]

huh..it looks like the only substrate i can find around here is flourite for $16 for the plain flourite color, 15.4 lb/7 kg bag. also can get a 20 oz thing of pure laterite

it seems like it'd be better to buy a substrate than to have to buy the root tabs over and over.

tpn+ looks to be a UK only thing.
i have access to flourish products, kent pro-plant, brightwell aquatics florinmulti.

http/www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/infoL3...72/category.web

 

[kris6458]

Looks like a snail to me

 

[CKutz]

hahaha

uh oh, looks like my apple snail might be in trouble then..it's either the yoyos or the khulis..i wish that thing would get big quicker...i seperated him from the yoyos cause they were starting to pest it..but it hasn't grown at all..i'll have to figure out if i'm doing something wrong with it.


any advice on the plant stuff?

 

[Curiosity101]

It also looks like a dead snail to me.

It is true they will eat dead snails. I've regularly seen them hoover out shells of dead snails. But they WILL NOT hunt and kill live snails like other loaches.

 

[baron von bubba]

this is why this planted thing is so confusing, one person uses one set of ferts..another person tells you there's no need for those...
I don't want to do co2, and i want low maintenance. the less amount of dosing i have to do the better. haven't had a chance to check out those substrate prices, thanks for a recommendation though.

i am planning on using play sand bought from lowes.

baron could you clarify. you're saying go substrate. no easycarbo. some type of trace dose (which?). and i'm set?

thanks for everything so far guys

yeah, it can get very confusing!
just to confuse you some more! have a read up on the "diana walstad" method.
http/theaquariumwiki.com/Walstad
potting soil as a substrate, no dosing, no water changes (or every few months) this is a low maintenance as it gets! :0)

i couldnt tell you much about different "off the self" ferts as i dose using EI (dry powders i mix myself)

 

[CKutz]

this is scary.

i dont know how i feel about the lack of water changes..the way the tanks sorta build up debris. i read somewhere the tanks sorta get a darker look to them. and i'd also like to be able to move things around a bit. because most of these plants i don't really know what they look like..or how they grow. so it will take some adjusting till i get them looking nice. i also like a very clean looking set up.

the low maintenance aspect is tempting..and that it's probably cheaper for the soil then these substrates. i'm going to continue reading about this method though.

..gosh i don't feel like i'm getting anywhere...
if not the walstad method. then...
laterite vs. flourite?
what type of ferts would be needed to back up the chosen substrate?

 

[Nick16]

to conclude and end the debate khuli's will not actively hunt down snails, it will be the yoyo loaches.

hop over to uKaps for more plant jargon!!