New to Planted Aquariums

[Joe21]

Hey guys. I've decided to get into planted aquariums! I've done a good amount of research, but still have a lot more to learn. I currently have a 40g & a 10g I want to setup. So far, I only know the substrate I am going to use (eco-complete). I'm also going to incorporate DIY co2 diffusers to both setups.

A couple questions:

1. What's the general view of Eco-complete? Anyone use it?

2. How much should I buy for a 40g? How deep of a bed is suggested?

3. How much lighting is suggested for my 2 tanks?

4. Are Tiger Barbs a bad idea for planted tanks? I heard they uproot a lot.

Thanks ahead to anyone that can help!

 

[fish042099]

Tiger barbs are good for planted aquaria, I've never heard a case where they harm plants. Lighting depends on what plants you want to keep and their requirements. What are the plants you are thinking of purchasing? Most require 2-2.5 watts per gallon, or moderate light. Others are more demanding, requiring 3+ watts per gallon. Also, if your tank is deep(24"+), you will need a brighter light than if you had a 12" tall tank. Light becomes dimmer as the depth of your tank increases. Hope this helps!

 

[octavusprime]

You want about 2-3 inches of substrate depending on the plant root systems. I use eco-complete mixed with sand. It works fine unless you are planting very small plants like HC. The large sized gravel makes keeping tiny plants rooted difficult. At least that has been my experience.

A dual T5 on your 40 gallon would be Plenty of light to grow anything. Your 10 gallon could use a CLF and make a nice low tech tank. Don't overdue the lights. IMO you'll just be asking for algae problems, especially if you don't run C02.

 

[Joe21]

Thank you both for the replies.

Do you think I'd need about 3 20lb bags to adequately fill up both tanks?

How easy is it to clean the substrate? Is eco-complete really fine & sand like or is it more like gravel?

 

[fish042099]

1. 3 20 lb bags should be fine to fill up both your tanks, i have a 15 g planted with 10 lbs of sand and the plants do fine in there. 2. It is easy to clean sand, as long as you siphon about an inch or two off the substrate so you won't suck in any sand. If your tank is really densely planted, than it will be harder. Getting bottom feeders like snails to eat the detritus helps.

 

[white15]

Use ecomplete as a bottom layer and then top it off with sand. I would also use root-tabs and co2 (either real or DIY) with the t5 lighting. good luck!