Want to Set Up a Planted Tank

[Massey]

Hey guys! It has been a while since I have been here, wow have things changed. Anyway I am putting my 30G tank back together and I wanted to part from the salt water setup and go with a planted freshwater. I have tried planting before and the plants have never really done all that well but then again I was just buying some and putting them in my gravel. I have searched the site and found people with problems and what not but noting really on setup. My tank is a 30G wide, and I am using a Penguin 350B HOB filter, I have power heads if needed, and a Standard hood light with a 24" florescent bulb. So here is what I was wondering

What should I use for gravel?
Do I need to add anything to the water or gravel?
How deep should I go with a 30G tank
Do I "Need" special lighting or can I keep my hoodlight and put a better bulb in it?
Am I missing anything?

Thanks alot
Massey

[louistheloach]

A lot really depends on how much work you want to have with the finished product. Do you want a show tank that has lots of requirements as far as high output light, daily dosing of fertilizers and pruning, pruning, pruning because you have a lush underwater garden, or do you want a tank with low to moderate light, minimal dosing of fertilizers, less pruning but good growth to keep the algae at bay and provide a healthier system for the fish. In other words "high tech - high maintenance" or "low tech - lower maintenance" What kind of intended bioload will make a difference in some choices as well.

There are some good websites out there that give good info on tank requirements, ferts whether do it yourself (pmdd) or just using products readily available by several sources.

Decide that then post back.....

ltl

[Massey]

I would like to go with the low tech setup for now. Maybe after a few years of successful low tech plant filled tanks I will try for bigger fish (so to speak). I was thinking of putting Mollies or platties in the tank and maybe some tetras too. Community fish that are not aggressive and will get along well. Also I am prolly going to go for a couple of Clown loaches to address the small snail issue that usually shows up on the plants. I am not planning on anything big and complex, just simple, pretty and living. This tank gets moderate daylight but no direct light from outside. Does this help you see what I am looking for? Thanks for your time

Massey

[louistheloach]

So you want to get between 1.5 - 2 watts of light per gallon, something like a compact flourescent or hagen puts out a nice little light called a GLO light T5's. They are a slim bulb, last longer than a CF and run cooler. You can decide between a single bulb or a double with out having to run a fan.

Use a substrate that is plant friendly, small size gravel, around 15 or so plants, anubias, crypts, java's, pelia (moss) what ever will kind of fill the space and are geared toward a lower light requirement. Some of these will die, others will do great. Use a regular plant fertilizer once a week or so. One of the owners of an online plant facility said he recommends switching around on the fertilizers. He says the ready made ones are all fairly comparable but that the plants will respond well to the changes. Lights on for 7-8 hours, then wait to see how the tank responds. You have to be patient as change comes about slowly.

As you watch your plants respond and it looks like something is not in the right balance, try to only change one part of the equation at a time (light, carbon or nutrients) or you won't know which was the instrument of change. Carbon can come in the form of occasional doses of Excel or putting in a little fermentation canister for additional CO2. On a low light set up, the demand on the plants is less so changes should be smaller.

At first it requires more work keeping track of the nitrates (5-10ppm max) etc, but afterwhile you will get the feel for how much your fish give off and how much your plants use.

I think it is better to start this way, as a low tech tank. If you learn what each tweek does here you will more easily be able to adapt it to a more invested and manipulated set up.

All your fish sound good. You may want to consider getting something like a yo yo loach instead of the clowns. They love snails too but they don't get as large as the clowns. Plus if you get your plants from reputable on line dealers, you are not as likely to get the malaysian trumpet snail, which IMO is the biggest pest snail and less palatable to most snail munchers because of their pointy shell.

As long as you keep your tank in balance, being near a window should not be a problem. If you start getting algae it is more likely a problem inside that tank than from outside.

It is really satisfying having a planted aquarium and being able to make this captive environment as natural as possible for the inhabitants.....plus it just looks really nice.

ltl