Fist planted tank..help?

[pookie]

I'm looking to purchase a new tank, been a while.. quite a while..
But after moving I sold off all my tanks, fish, lizards, snakes ETC

It's been over 6years since I had a tank last.

My boyfriend and I got a small tank with a beta and the addiction is back..with a vengance..

I have a great growing echinodrus bleheri and some duckweed at the moment.
But that's not enough.

I had 8 tanks previously with mostly Africans and a bichir tank setup.

I'm wanting to start nothing larger than a 55gal right now but fully planted.
I'm mostly confused on substrate.. as well as c02 infusion?

What kind of substrate is best or advisable? A 55 isnt that big but I do not want to purchase a bunch of filler and then it be the incorrect stuff for the plants. I understand lighting etc and will continue to read on the c02 infusion but with a heavily stocked tank how much would be needed? Because my plan as always is to heavily stock because I like it lol

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[pookie]

Pics

 

[tlindsey]

Pics

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Welcome aboard
Tbh I personally have little experience with plants but experienced members will chime in.

 

[Hendre]

Hi! Welcome back to the fold.

Planted tanks are an interesting one, I think the best example to look towards for a planted but well stocked tank would be mrrobxc

In my personal experience a proper aquasoil substrate is only really useful for making insanely planted tanks with carpet plants. For a more stocked tank (especially with bigger fish) and plants like swords, crypts and epiphytes (anubias, java fern etc) you could get away without co2 and fancy substrate, settling with root tablets and liquid fertilizers. Let us know what questions you may have

 

[pookie]

Welcome aboard
Tbh I personally have little experience with plants but experienced members will chime in.

Appreciate the welcome back ? such do I lol planted tanks are my newest conquest ?

Hi! Welcome back to the fold.

Planted tanks are an interesting one, I think the best example to look towards for a planted but well stocked tank would be mrrobxc

In my personal experience a proper aquasoil substrate is only really useful for making insanely planted tanks with carpet plants. For a more stocked tank (especially with bigger fish) and plants like swords, crypts and epiphytes (anubias, java fern etc) you could get away without co2 and fancy substrate, settling with root tablets and liquid fertilizers. Let us know what questions you may have

Oh I'm gonna lurk hard! Lol thank you very much! ?
My goal is for an insanely planted tank, minimal extra. As for highly populated that is another question. Of course said beta would ideally be involved, but.. if not ?‍ that's cool too LOL cuz this is my way back in to having my tanks!! I have a friend that breeds plakat so its be neat to integrate that with my idea if possible..
I am looking for smaller fish, because it's only a 55, ideally, that I will purchase lol unless MUAHAAHHAAA I go bigger ??? which is 100% possible because this **** is bigger than what he expected with a beta lol

I know I can do the fish side of it, it's the plants that worry me. I can grow a full on regular garden but I am slightly hesitant on tank plants because I just honestly do not know a ton about keeping and upkeep?

 

[Hendre]

Oh I'm gonna lurk hard! Lol thank you very much! ?
My goal is for an insanely planted tank, minimal extra. As for highly populated that is another question. Of course said beta would ideally be involved, but.. if not ?‍ that's cool too LOL cuz this is my way back in to having my tanks!! I have a friend that breeds plakat so its be neat to integrate that with my idea if possible..
I am looking for smaller fish, because it's only a 55, ideally, that I will purchase lol unless MUAHAAHHAAA I go bigger ??? which is 100% possible because this **** is bigger than what he expected with a beta lol

I know I can do the fish side of it, it's the plants that worry me. I can grow a full on regular garden but I am slightly hesitant on tank plants because I just honestly do not know a ton about keeping and upkeep?

A planted 55 with small fish would be incredible! I'd recommend trawling youtube and the planted part of the forum we're in for some of the information then ask specific questions, easier to help that way

 

[twentyleagues]

So there are easier plants like anubias and crypts and ferns and bulb plants like aponogeton that in all reality don't need much. Low light, if the population is high enough fish poop is enough. Any kind of substrate will work including clown puke gravel. The problem is too high of lighting will cause algae and they can't deal with that at all.

On the other hand you also have things like stem plants. These I kill all the time it's an almost absolute necessity to dose ferts and run co2 with high light and watch your pH and kh and gh with these also don't go much over neutral, like 7.5 and below. Special substrate is needed and expensive. These are the nice reds and cool shapes.

Stuff in the middle like swords can work well with alot of variation, don't need a special substrate but it will help. Don't need co2 but will help. Will benefit greatly from root tabs, this is pretty much a necessity if you want them to thrive. Light levels from medium to high will work. Most are forgiving of water parameters. Another thing on substrate is it can't compact easily so things like gravel and really coarse sand is good, very fine sand seems not so good. I like to put swords, val, mosses, alot of others really can be here also.

This is all my opinion from first hand experience. I've had tanks all my life and most I've had some sort of plants in. I've done high tech co2 injection. Tbh I think my 125g sps reef was easier to maintain and more rewarding for the amount of work I put into it compared to the high tech plant tank.

As for fish in the 55g...you said you have a friend the breeds plakat betta? Have you thought of a sorority? It doesn't always work out but my lfs had a 300dd that they did that in. They had some other stuff in there too. They breed their own betta and they were female heavy so why not. You may ask your friend about his females. A lot are culled as they are not in demand and you only need a couple really nice ones to create a couple hundred more.

This is my lfs I talk about from time to time. I didn't do the video. At the beginning you hear the guy who did say he transferred to Michigan state. Alot of the people who work there are fish and wildlife and vet or vet tech students. They also have a veterinarian on staff and the help of multiple professors at the college.

 

[mrrobxc]

Hi! Welcome back to the fold.

Planted tanks are an interesting one, I think the best example to look towards for a planted but well stocked tank would be mrrobxc

In my personal experience a proper aquasoil substrate is only really useful for making insanely planted tanks with carpet plants. For a more stocked tank (especially with bigger fish) and plants like swords, crypts and epiphytes (anubias, java fern etc) you could get away without co2 and fancy substrate, settling with root tablets and liquid fertilizers. Let us know what questions you may have

I agree that a soil substrate is best. The other planted baked clay substrates like Eco complete, Flourite, etc are not worth it. Practically inert. If you insist on a clay substrate, save your money and use SafTSorb. It’s cheap and does the job. If you’re serious about plants, do a true soil based. You’ll be happy you did.

If you want a lot of plants, you almost have to get co2. Even easy plants do better with co2.

 

[pookie]

Well I've been looking and reading and I am highly tempted to do a dirted tank.. still got some more reading to do on that because I was initially planning to so gravel or sand.

I've been reading on plants for days now and it's hard to decide what to get. I'm going to call my small LFS today and see if they are even open because first off I need to procure a tank lmfao

I talked with my friend on his plakat and we are discussing getting a few females to me. This planted tank has been a dream of mine since the first time I saw one.
I do have another question about the sword I have. It has been growing like a weed since I first got it. It has a little "pot" it came in and the roots are popping out and so my question is do I leave it in the pot after I setup the new tank or do I take it out plant the thing into the substrate?
Because on a site I was reading some plants shouldn't be put into the substrate but tied down etc?

Thanks everyone for the help and advice so far.. I know I'll be back and continue to read up on the dirt and plants I think I want lol

(Tried to get some close ups of the fish yesterday, came out decent but would have been better if fish would sit still lol)

 

[kno4te]

The sword can be planted especially f the roots are growing out of the pot. Make sure use root tabs.

Can still use gravel or sand on a dirted tank. Can just go right on top of the dirt. Angle the dirt from front to back and can avoid seeing the dirt at the front of the glass.