150g RBP/live plant tank

Capsaicin

Gambusia
MFK Member
Aug 25, 2009
206
6
18
Minnesota
Gonna stock my newly made 150g tank (5x2x2) with 10 reds and some real plants. I got 250 lbs of 3M Colorquartz (S-Grade) as a substrate...do I need anything specific if I want to successfully grow Amazon Swords and Anacharis (Egaria Najas) in the tank? Going with a black background, 3ft long HUGE driftwood for centerpiece and a ton of plants to make it look natural. Any advice will be mighty helpful.
 

ChloroPhil

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 9, 2009
6
0
0
Georgia
Cap,

I'd mix the lowest inch of substrate in that tank with strained organic top soil. Go with the cheapest stuff you can find but make sure it's 100% organic with no fertilizers in it. The straining's for getting rid of the big chunk's that'll float and cause a mess when uprooting plants.

Regards,
Phil
 

fish_n_vw

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 19, 2008
846
1
0
Tacoma Wa.
When you get yor tank planted post some pics. I love this type of setup my friend had a 72 planted bowfront with like 40 or so exodon paradoxus it was awsome. Ahhhhh preditors in "pretty" tanks.
 

I'mHooked

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 19, 2009
183
0
0
Florida
Yeah, I'd get something underneath the colorquartz to actually provide some nutrition - especially if you're putting some swords in there...those babies are serious root feeders.
 

FSM

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jan 1, 2008
5,261
9
367
Georgia
You'll need a decent light fixture and probably some fertilizer/root tabs for the sword plants.
 

Fishdude401

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 15, 2009
339
0
0
New Jersey
Sounds good.

Make sure you have at least 3-4WPG or more if you want nice plants.

You've got a lot of substrate, nice!

Make sure you quarantine ALL feeders for several weeks ( 1-2 months ) so start buying your feeders now, make sure your conditions for the feeders is presentable because in bad conditions fish get sick, even feeders, then this makes your RBPs sick too, and they may die. But you probably already know this

Swords and Anacharis are great beginner plants and are very hardy, you only need like 2-3wpg with them and they require little to no ferts or C02.

Good luck!
 

dudey

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2008
976
2
48
us
Just dont feed live to the rbs at all. Pellets and shrimp are a lot more healthy.

Never kept anachris so I can't say much about it, but I had great sucess with amazon swords with little work. They have grown huge in a few months and all I have done was add ferts every week or so at a minimum.

I planted my 125 rb tank this way with low tech and little ferts. Most some large swords, java ferns, anubias, and a few other easy to grow plants. If you keep it simple it can still look great.
 
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