New to planted tanks, planting my 30g Tank

[brendon7358]

Hello, I have kept fish tanks for awhile but never really kept plants. I prefer live plants but I have only ever had a few Anubias in my tanks. I am going to setup my 30g cube tank (19x21x20) heavily planted. I would also like to (if possible) use this tank to grow plants for my other tanks which have the same (but different sized) lighting, and sand as substrate. Here is what I have currently
30 Gallon Tank
Rena Filstar Xp3 Filter
100W Heater set at 77 degrees
20" Finnex Planted+ Light
Fluorite substrate (bottom)
Eco complete (top)
Plants:
Ordered live aquaria plant pack ultimate for 55g http://m.liveaquaria.com/product/2149/aquarium-plant-pack-ultimate?pcatid=2149&c=768+2145+2149
Fish:
Glowlight Tetra x10
Rummy nose Tetra x10
Angelfish x1 (to encourage schooling)
And I will probably add a small school of cories (5) and a bristle nose pleco when algae starts to grow
The tank has been setup bare bottomed with just a few fish for 3 weeks (1 week just fish flakes, 2 weeks with a few clown loaches that will go in another tank) and has 0 Ammonia 0 Nitrites 20-30 Nitrates pH 7.6 gH/kH 4. I am going to remove all of the water when I put in the substrate in a few days but the filter should be able to hold the cycle while I do that.

Will I need to add fertilizers?

How do I do co2? I would like to just use the bottle and regulator method but I don't really know what to do. There is a guy on Craigslist selling 5lb filled bottles for $55 and I will need some sort of regulator? I have airline tubing already. Would 1 or 2 of these be a good idea? Fluval Mini Pressurized 20g-CO2 Kit - 0.7 ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049RL3H4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7UjMzb7W7W54M

Thanks!

 

[Grinch]

Looks like you have put a lot of thought into this already! A few things that came to me:

-The plants you have ordered are a mix of low/high light plants... you might want to read up on the specific plants and their needs as you decide how to scape your tank.
-I would strongly suggest you skip the angelfish, it will become a problem.
-If you are going to inject CO2, one tank will be fine. Yes, you'll need a regulator and some sort of diffuser.

 

[brendon7358]

Looks like you have put a lot of thought into this already! A few things that came to me:

-The plants you have ordered are a mix of low/high light plants... you might want to read up on the specific plants and their needs as you decide how to scape your tank.
-I would strongly suggest you skip the angelfish, it will become a problem.
-If you are going to inject CO2, one tank will be fine. Yes, you'll need a regulator and some sort of diffuser.

Why would the angelfish become a problem? I have a couple now in other tanks and they are pretty tame but they are also not very large.

 

[Grinch]

1) It will eventually eat your fish. They are ambush predators of small fish such as the ones you've indicated in the wild.
2) It will just stress out the little guys to have the angelfish around. If you want to mix angelfish and tetras, choose wide-body tetras.

 

[brendon7358]

1) It will eventually eat your fish. They are ambush predators of small fish such as the ones you've indicated in the wild.
2) It will just stress out the little guys to have the angelfish around. If you want to mix angelfish and tetras, choose wide-body tetras.

I just wanted the angelfish so they would school nicely, and the plants should provide cover. I will keep an eye on it and if any fish go missing or the tetras seem stressed I will put the angel in my 120g with the other angel I have.

 

[Grinch]

I just wanted the angelfish so they would school nicely, and the plants should provide cover. I will keep an eye on it and if any fish go missing or the tetras seem stressed I will put the angel in my 120g with the other angel I have.

Schooling is an anti-predator behavior that many species of fish engage in at some point in their development, as is shoaling. Shoaling is the default behavior in tetras; schooling is a stress response that minimizes the chance of being preyed upon at the cost of finding food or a mate. You would like your fish to constantly decrease their ability to find food or a mate by introducing a predator into a confined space. This begs the question, how would you feel if someone put you in a confined space with a polar bear in order to observe your anti-predator behavior? Doesn't sound like something I'd want to experience and would certainly stress me out. But I digress.

In a 30g tank it will be tough to observe schooling in slim-bodied tetras without the noxious stimulus you already know you need. What are your options to see schooling then, sans the predator? 1) lots of open space or 2) a different species.

Open space is something of a misnomer in a planted tank, especially a 30g and may be difficult to accomplish. This is a noxious stimulant again; the reason it works is because it makes the fish feel vulnerable. The key difference in this case being that your fish aren't in grave danger as a result of your choice of stimulant.

Going the other direction, some species are more apt to school than others. For instance, lemon tetras would school without a noxious stimulus in a 30g. 6-10 fish would be the stocking level I'd target in a 30g planted tank. I would suggest this route, but of course, the call is yours.

In any case, I look forward to seeing pictures of your new setup!

 

[brendon7358]

Schooling is an anti-predator behavior that many species of fish engage in at some point in their development, as is shoaling. Shoaling is the default behavior in tetras; schooling is a stress response that minimizes the chance of being preyed upon at the cost of finding food or a mate. You would like your fish to constantly decrease their ability to find food or a mate by introducing a predator into a confined space. This begs the question, how would you feel if someone put you in a confined space with a polar bear in order to observe your anti-predator behavior? Doesn't sound like something I'd want to experience and would certainly stress me out. But I digress.

In a 30g tank it will be tough to observe schooling in slim-bodied tetras without the noxious stimulus you already know you need. What are your options to see schooling then, sans the predator? 1) lots of open space or 2) a different species.

Open space is something of a misnomer in a planted tank, especially a 30g and may be difficult to accomplish. This is a noxious stimulant again; the reason it works is because it makes the fish feel vulnerable. The key difference in this case being that your fish aren't in grave danger as a result of your choice of stimulant.

Going the other direction, some species are more apt to school than others. For instance, lemon tetras would school without a noxious stimulus in a 30g. 6-10 fish would be the stocking level I'd target in a 30g planted tank. I would suggest this route, but of course, the call is yours.

In any case, I look forward to seeing pictures of your new setup!

I have never heard of lemon tetras and have certainly not seen them at any of the fish stores here. Based on your advice I will probably remove the angelfish when I setup the tank. I currently have 4 rummy nose tetras (had 5 but one died during acclimating) and 7 glow light tetras along with the angelfish in my 55g that is just acting as a quarantine tank right now. So when I transfer the fish I will just put the angelfish in the 120g. If the fish don't school or shoal like I would like them to I will put them in a different tank and look into lemon tetras. Any other schooling/shoaling fish you recommend? Thanks!

 

[Grinch]

 

[tarheel96]

I don't know how often you'll have to replace those mini CO2 cartridges but they can't last very long. If it turns out that you really enjoy keeping planted tanks (with CO2) then you'll want to get large CO2 tank, regulator and a different diffuser. A large tank will last months before needing to be refilled.

I'd definitely add root tabs since you have so many sword plants. I use Seachem Flourish Comprehensive for micro/trace elements but at 1/4 the recommended dose or less.

The need for dosing macro elements N-P-K depends on lighting and CO2 levels. Your plants will get Nitrogen from fish (ammonia, nitrate), and Phosphate from tap water and fish food. API root tabs contain a high amount of potassium. Dosing macros is something I'd advise against for now.