I need help... and lots of it. Information overload...

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Liz Sagara

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 13, 2011
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Texas
Okay.... I have been doing research for two days now and I'm researching myself in circles... some say you need CO2 some say you don't.... some say you can't use shop lights some say you can :nilly: .... so here are a few of my questions.... but first some background info.

I am a Planted tank (insert word that implies a noobie is a master). I usually kill plants terrestrial or otherwise within a few weeks. I've finally gotten terrestrial plants down now I want to try aquatic. I have some Hornwort three unidentified thriving plants in a RCS shrimp tank. I use Flourish on this tank a little bit 1-2 a week and I have a "plant bulb" "full spectrum" light in a shop thing over the tank. I bought a 2.5 gallon tank and put a regular aquarium light over it and they started to turn brown so I put another aquarium light over it.... so I put a shop light with a plant bulb in it and they've gotten green again. I upgraded the system to a 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter (for shrimpy baby protection TOO BAD ALL OF MINE ARE FEMALE DARNIT!!!) and it seems to have gotten better. The hornwort is taking over (Came with the shrimp). The largest unidentified plant (bought in a tube at Petsmart before I knew better in July) and it's doubled in size in the two to three weeks its been in there. The paragraph is chaotic which explains my RCS tank very well. I don't know the first thing about plants.... other than water... nutrients.... light... possibly CO2?

Questions:

1. What's the minimum size I should attempt as a newbie... I'm aiming for 2.5 gallons up to 20 as I'm working with a tight budget.

2. What substrate should I use... I've found planting with sand is easier than gravel. Maybe a special plant substrate?

3. What plants should I use as a newbie that's looking to not use CO2 injection systems? I would like a variety but I would like it to look balanced tall plants foreground plants and carpeting plants?

4. What sort of lighting should I use... to simplify links to specific kits work well for me... I don't get the whole process of finding WPG and what not.

5. I get that Hardscape is like rocks and driftwood... but I really have no idea how to do any of this.... can someone give me some pointers?

6. Trimming? WHen should you trim how much and where? (as in stem... just leaves or whole plants...)

7. How do I make sense of what fertilizers and what not I need and how much of them...?

8. I want to do some fish and/ or shrimps. I want to do some Japonica shrimps some Otto's (if I get algae) and Killifish... COLORFUL killifish... any suggestions words of warning for this? I'd like to start with a 20 gallon tank...?

9. FIltration? What type of filtration is good for planted tanks with fish in it (won't be heavily stocked)? HOB? Sponge? Definitely not UG.

10. Anything else that's absolutely necessary to know for a beginner?
 
Just going to briefly skim over this and give some answers in red...

Liz Sagara;4844539; said:
Okay.... I have been doing research for two days now and I'm researching myself in circles... That's normal, I've been researching for years and still do this :)

some say you need CO2 some say you don't.... I don't think anyone says you NEED co2, it's just leads to faster and (and usually "healthier") plant growth. A lot of plants can be grown perfectly well without it, but I'd recommend a product like flourish excel in any planted tank that doesn't have other co2.

some say you can't use shop lights some say you can :nilly:
You can, doesn't really matter where the light comes from, it matters what kind of light it's putting out
.... so here are a few of my questions.... but first some background info.

I am a Planted tank (insert word that implies a noobie is a master). I usually kill plants terrestrial or otherwise within a few weeks. I've finally gotten terrestrial plants down now I want to try aquatic. I have some Hornwort three unidentified thriving plants in a RCS shrimp tank. I use Flourish on this tank a little bit 1-2 a week and I have a "plant bulb" "full spectrum" light in a shop thing over the tank. I bought a 2.5 gallon tank and put a regular aquarium light over it and they started to turn brown so I put another aquarium light over it.... so I put a shop light with a plant bulb in it and they've gotten green again. I upgraded the system to a 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter (for shrimpy baby protection TOO BAD ALL OF MINE ARE FEMALE DARNIT!!!) and it seems to have gotten better. The hornwort is taking over (Came with the shrimp). The largest unidentified plant (bought in a tube at Petsmart before I knew better in July) and it's doubled in size in the two to three weeks its been in there. The paragraph is chaotic which explains my RCS tank very well. I don't know the first thing about plants.... other than water... nutrients.... light... possibly CO2?
That's pretty much aquatic plant growing in a nutshell, water, nutrients, light... co2 is naturally present in the tank as a by product of fish breathing, but plants can benefit from additional co2.

Questions:

1. What's the minimum size I should attempt as a newbie... I'm aiming for 2.5 gallons up to 20 as I'm working with a tight budget.
For planted tanks? Doesn't really matter. The problem with smaller tanks is sometimes it's a bit harder to to landscaping and maintenance due to how small they are.

2. What substrate should I use... I've found planting with sand is easier than gravel. Maybe a special plant substrate?
I recommend a plant specific substrate like flourish, eco complete, or ADA brand.
3. What plants should I use as a newbie that's looking to not use CO2 injection systems? I would like a variety but I would like it to look balanced tall plants foreground plants and carpeting plants?
Easy to grow plants are any anubias, java fern, java moss, vals, onion plants, and generally crypts aren't too bad. Most carpets are much harder to grow well, but some good beginner carpet plants to try would be dwarf sag, dwarf hair grass, and crypt parva. These all are different and should be researched for the best setup techniques to achieve your goa.
4. What sort of lighting should I use... to simplify links to specific kits work well for me... I don't get the whole process of finding WPG and what not.
Most planted tank people prefer T5 flourescent lighting. Watts per gallon is a general measurement that isn't very accurate (say I have a 33 gallon tank that's only 12" tall, or a 29 gallon tank that much taller, watts per gallon doesn't apply the same because of the length the light has to travel down to the substrate... also doesn't factor in the effectiveness of certain lights over others, like LED, etc...) but can give you a broad idea of what to use.
So for example you have a 10 gallon tank, and a 20 watt light, you have 2 watts per gallon, or WPG.
 5. I get that Hardscape is like rocks and driftwood... but I really have no idea how to do any of this.... can someone give me some pointers?
Look at a LOT of pictures of nice tanks and study them closely. Start thinking about why layouts look good, what makes certain placements work and others not work. There are general rules of space in nature style aquariums that are followed... dutch aquariums are a bit simpler and follow the general rule of large plants in back, mid sized plants in the middle, small plants in the front.

6. Trimming? WHen should you trim how much and where? (as in stem... just leaves or whole plants...)
Every plant is different and has different needs, the obvious thing is you want to trim back leaves that aren't doing well or any undesirable growth.

7. How do I make sense of what fertilizers and what not I need and how much of them...?
There are lots of different ways to fertilize, like the EI index (google it). The easiest way in the beginning is just buying a broad fertilizer like flourish and dose according to the directions, then do more research and go from there.
8. I want to do some fish and/ or shrimps. I want to do some Japonica shrimps some Otto's (if I get algae) and Killifish... COLORFUL killifish... any suggestions words of warning for this? I'd like to start with a 20 gallon tank...?
Takashi Amano (you should know who he is by now if you've been researching, but google him if you don't) puts "amano" shrimp and otocinclus in almost every one of his tanks for their algae and tank cleaning abilities. It's best to introduce them after the tank has been established for a bit. Most killifish can be sensitive, so if you're a beginner I might go for a hardier small tetra.
20 gallon longs are one of my favorite tank sizes for planted tanks, they would be the ideal first tank IMO.
9. FIltration? What type of filtration is good for planted tanks with fish in it (won't be heavily stocked)? HOB? Sponge? Definitely not UG.
Canister filters IMO are the best for planted tanks. Any filter that breaks the surface of the water like a HOB or air drawn sponge is going to gas out any additional co2 you add in to the tank.

10. Anything else that's absolutely necessary to know for a beginner?
Read, read read, study, study, study. ;)
Click to expand...
 
I AGREE!
 
nice write up clockwork :)
 
Yes Takashi Amano is why I want to do a planted tank. I love ottos. I've had them before but I gave them away to a friend. I've never had Japonica shrimps but I figure they're similar to RCS in that they need good quality water. I don't want to do tetra's because they're easy... I have 10 other tanks up and running right now so I'm good with water quality and researching fish needs. I do it on a hourly basis.
 
Liz Sagara;4844539; said:
Questions:

1. What's the minimum size I should attempt as a newbie... I'm aiming for 2.5 gallons up to 20 as I'm working with a tight budget.

2. What substrate should I use... I've found planting with sand is easier than gravel. Maybe a special plant substrate?

3. What plants should I use as a newbie that's looking to not use CO2 injection systems? I would like a variety but I would like it to look balanced tall plants foreground plants and carpeting plants?

4. What sort of lighting should I use... to simplify links to specific kits work well for me... I don't get the whole process of finding WPG and what not.

5. I get that Hardscape is like rocks and driftwood... but I really have no idea how to do any of this.... can someone give me some pointers?

6. Trimming? WHen should you trim how much and where? (as in stem... just leaves or whole plants...)

7. How do I make sense of what fertilizers and what not I need and how much of them...?

8. I want to do some fish and/ or shrimps. I want to do some Japonica shrimps some Otto's (if I get algae) and Killifish... COLORFUL killifish... any suggestions words of warning for this? I'd like to start with a 20 gallon tank...?

9. FIltration? What type of filtration is good for planted tanks with fish in it (won't be heavily stocked)? HOB? Sponge? Definitely not UG.

10. Anything else that's absolutely necessary to know for a beginner?
Click to expand...


1. I would go for a 20gal long
2. Sterilized playsand (homedepot or Lowes) rinse, rinse and re-rinse.
3. Anubias nana (tied to wood or rock) Water-sprite, Java Ferns (tied to wood or rock). Crypts, vals.
4. This is what you want...Normal output Strip light
http://cgi.ebay.com/SolarMax-30-T5-...456?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f14d3970
5. Wood and rocks...do a dry test run and place them out you like it. Boil your driftwood for several hours to get the brownish color out. Clean the rocks with hot water. Look at pics on the web to find ideas.
6. I would stray away from stems right now, but if you must. Trim when needed, like when they get to long and there arent leave towards the bottom of the plant. You trim to get that bushy look.
7. Stick with Flourish and Excel for now.
8. I have always said the 2 best fish for a planted tank is Cardinals and Rummynose.
9. HOB for sure..Not a sponge person. Get something 2x or 3tx filtration.
10. With this size tank IF algae does become a problem you can always do DIY Co2. Make sure you reduce Photoperiod so that algae doesn't become an issue.
 
Liz Sagara;4845078; said:
Yes Takashi Amano is why I want to do a planted tank. I love ottos. I've had them before but I gave them away to a friend. I've never had Japonica shrimps but I figure they're similar to RCS in that they need good quality water. I don't want to do tetra's because they're easy... I have 10 other tanks up and running right now so I'm good with water quality and researching fish needs. I do it on a hourly basis.
Click to expand...

I understand about the "easy" fish part, but honestly in a planted tank I've gone from keeping sensitive fish to just keeping dumb, pretty, tank bred tetras (also kept barbs and stuff, but I'm on a south American fish kick as the moment) as the main focus because I want a fish I don't have to worry about, looks good, and swims a lot. I have enough to worry about with proper fertilization, co2 levels, algae, layout, etc.
 
Liz Sagara;4846236; said:
Ah okay but I think I'll give killies a try though. I've never done Killies before so I would like to.
Click to expand...

Let me know if you're looking for anything in particular, I know a local vendor here that ships via aquabid that has a ton of killies and guarantees live arrival.
 
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