noobie needs help

[those1]

I'm new to planted tanks. I have had lots of tanks with many types of fish. I decided after taking down and selling alot of my tanks and stock off that I want to try something new and different.

The tank is a 55 gallon bow front with a normal hob filter. It has plastic container in right before the filter pad for carbon or other filter additives ( currently holding carbon). I have pool filter sand as the sub-strait a normal perfecto light and bulb and a DIY bottle c02 system. There is also a bubble stone and some pieces of drift wood.

I have a plant bulb on order and I'm adding nitrate to the water. I wish i could say what plants I have in the tank but most are things people have given me when I go to buy fish from them. As time goes by ill get better at identifying what I have.

Looking for advice on how to make this project a success. If you want I can post pics of the plants I have.

 

[those1]

two of the plants i have going are an onion bulb and a red melon sword

 

[makoshoemaker]

sounds good

 

[TRD_Power]

I didn't notice any improvement in my 75g with the DIY Co2 systems till I put 3 bottles on, haha. Only running 2 at the moment, however it's just not the same as having a good pressurized system. Give the paintball Co2 a shot (pretty easy) and up the lighting (depending on the plants you want, of course). I'm no pro, but I had a perfecto and 2 DIY Co2's on my 75g and the Java ferns, Anubias, and Willow moss did just fine.

 

[JasonG75]

I would say IF YOU really REALLY want to use Co2 2 things must happen since this is a 55 gallon.

Either
2 1gallon mixtures (done 4 days apart so that when 1 goes out the other is still going strong)
or just go pressurized. I wouldn't recommend DYI on anything bigger than 40gal.

Can you tell us what is your lighting, I see you ordered a plant bulb but is the lighting T8, T5 ... what is it, and the wattage-K value.

Another tip Do not get into T5 HO unless you're planning on going to pressurized first.

 

[those1]

I talked with my lfs and she is going to be putting in an order for me on Tuesday that should be here Thursday. I'm not sure what bulb will be coming in but any one based towards plant life should be alot better then what I'm running.

Was wondering is pool filter sand a good enough sub-strait for plants?

 

[JasonG75]

Was wondering is pool filter sand a good enough sub-strait for plants?

It is good enough....you might, depending on your plants, have to include root tabs from time to time.

 

[those1]

when you say root tabs what do you mean

 

[JasonG75]

when you say root tabs what do you mean

 

[those1]

as far as lighting goes which is better a single T5 or a T8?