I'm going to try a planted tank

[Dare]

Hey guys, I have an old 120 gallon 60x18x24, wife says the only way I can put it in the living room is if it is something she likes.. she loves planted tanks and we considered discus for a bit but upon reading more into them I don't think it's a good idea, tank will be placed pretty much adjacent to a TV, which I have read can stress out discus,.. I'd rather not, it's been 5 years since I kept fish so I need some room for error before getting into those expensive fish, enough for backstory.

I don't want to get into CO2, I've read different arguments on it and just prefer not to.

I will be using aquarium soil as a main substrate with a layer of (will black blasting sand work here?) Or gravel On top

As far as plants go for the foreground I have looked at

cryptocoryne parva
echinodorus parviflorus
pygmy chain sword

For the background I have looked at

Amazon swords
Rotala rotundifolia
And ludwigia super red

I would try to keep the plants somewhat mixed together and just trim them to give the tank a good natural look and feel

I will be using only driftwood and rocks along with the plants for aquascaping, so I guess I need some type of moss? To grow in the wood and rocks

The above is what I mainly need info on for my wife's visual satisfying tank

This is going to be a blank slate so does cycling need to happen before I add plants?, most of what I've seen on YouTube is putting a little water in and placing the plants, then continue filling and I'm guessing the cycling process can take place afterwards?

I plan on buying a large bulk of plants probably from somewhere online (any suggestions?).. I don't have many good lfs that sell plants near me

Now for my exciting part, what larger fish can I look into as far as being the centerpiece that won't disturb the plants, discus are out, angelfish are an option but I'm wondering if there is anything else that gets a little size to it that I could add either one or a few of? I love cichlids but I know first hand how much a tank destroyer most of them are.

I do plan on adding some blue rams, apistos, couple different groups of tetras, barbs?? Bottom dwellers? Cory cats?? gold nugget pleco?

Alot to unpack here, a long post but I have alot of questions and pretty excited just to be getting a tank set up again! ? Thanks in advance for comments answers and suggestions.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey guys, I have an old 120 gallon 60x18x24, wife says the only way I can put it in the living room is if it is something she likes.. she loves planted tanks and we considered discus for a bit but upon reading more into them I don't think it's a good idea, tank will be placed pretty much adjacent to a TV, which I have read can stress out discus,.. I'd rather not, it's been 5 years since I kept fish so I need some room for error before getting into those expensive fish, enough for backstory.

I don't want to get into CO2, I've read different arguments on it and just prefer not to.

I will be using aquarium soil as a main substrate with a layer of (will black blasting sand work here?) Or gravel On top

As far as plants go for the foreground I have looked at

cryptocoryne parva
echinodorus parviflorus
pygmy chain sword

For the background I have looked at

Amazon swords
Rotala rotundifolia
And ludwigia super red

I would try to keep the plants somewhat mixed together and just trim them to give the tank a good natural look and feel

I will be using only driftwood and rocks along with the plants for aquascaping, so I guess I need some type of moss? To grow in the wood and rocks

The above is what I mainly need info on for my wife's visual satisfying tank

This is going to be a blank slate so does cycling need to happen before I add plants?, most of what I've seen on YouTube is putting a little water in and placing the plants, then continue filling and I'm guessing the cycling process can take place afterwards?

I plan on buying a large bulk of plants probably from somewhere online (any suggestions?).. I don't have many good lfs that sell plants near me

Now for my exciting part, what larger fish can I look into as far as being the centerpiece that won't disturb the plants, discus are out, angelfish are an option but I'm wondering if there is anything else that gets a little size to it that I could add either one or a few of? I love cichlids but I know first hand how much a tank destroyer most of them are.

I do plan on adding some blue rams, apistos, couple different groups of tetras, barbs?? Bottom dwellers? Cory cats?? gold nugget pleco?

Alot to unpack here, a long post but I have alot of questions and pretty excited just to be getting a tank set up again! ? Thanks in advance for comments answers and suggestions.

Sounds like a awesome project. I'm not sure if you need to add a source of food to get the cycle started. The Angelfish , Tetra, Blue Rams, Apistogramma, and Corydora would be nice but depends on PH, water hardness GH and KH.

 

[Dare]

Sounds like a awesome project. I'm not sure if you need to add a source of food to get the cycle started. The Angelfish , Tetra, Blue Rams, Apistogramma, and Corydora would be nice but depends on PH, water hardness GH and KH.

I know pH is around 7.6 I'll have to get a test kit for GH/KH

 

[Fishman Dave]

A bit of wood in there and getting the ph down to neutral or below shouldn’t be a problem. Angels with the other fish you have mentioned sound a good option so maybe also consider giant vallis.

 

[eon aquatics]

elodea is nice also cheap

 

[djsaltynuts]

Hey guys, I have an old 120 gallon 60x18x24, wife says the only way I can put it in the living room is if it is something she likes.. she loves planted tanks and we considered discus for a bit but upon reading more into them I don't think it's a good idea, tank will be placed pretty much adjacent to a TV, which I have read can stress out discus,.. I'd rather not, it's been 5 years since I kept fish so I need some room for error before getting into those expensive fish, enough for backstory.

I don't want to get into CO2, I've read different arguments on it and just prefer not to.

I will be using aquarium soil as a main substrate with a layer of (will black blasting sand work here?) Or gravel On top

As far as plants go for the foreground I have looked at

cryptocoryne parva
echinodorus parviflorus
pygmy chain sword

For the background I have looked at

Amazon swords
Rotala rotundifolia
And ludwigia super red

I would try to keep the plants somewhat mixed together and just trim them to give the tank a good natural look and feel

I will be using only driftwood and rocks along with the plants for aquascaping, so I guess I need some type of moss? To grow in the wood and rocks

The above is what I mainly need info on for my wife's visual satisfying tank

This is going to be a blank slate so does cycling need to happen before I add plants?, most of what I've seen on YouTube is putting a little water in and placing the plants, then continue filling and I'm guessing the cycling process can take place afterwards?

I plan on buying a large bulk of plants probably from somewhere online (any suggestions?).. I don't have many good lfs that sell plants near me

Now for my exciting part, what larger fish can I look into as far as being the centerpiece that won't disturb the plants, discus are out, angelfish are an option but I'm wondering if there is anything else that gets a little size to it that I could add either one or a few of? I love cichlids but I know first hand how much a tank destroyer most of them are.

I do plan on adding some blue rams, apistos, couple different groups of tetras, barbs?? Bottom dwellers? Cory cats?? gold nugget pleco?

Alot to unpack here, a long post but I have alot of questions and pretty excited just to be getting a tank set up again! ? Thanks in advance for comments answers and suggestions.

people over complicate it just dont skimp on the light. and as far as stocking i have no idea what fish you like but everytime i get a tank large enough i forget how bad i want an electric fish(morymids and knife fish) tank and then i stock it with fish that are incompatible. so if there isnt a fish you want really badly just wait because im sure at some point youll see one you have to have for your tank. im my planted tanks i leave the lights on 24 hours a day with an occasional “siesta”(to build up co2) because ik what kind of imbalance tge lights being on 24/7 creates and it makes it easier to control everything from there instead of finding the perfect amount of light. my tank now depends on algae created by the constant light for the entire ecosystem but the algae is kept under control by the tanks inhabitants and i never see it.