Pics of my first planted tank + questions

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Wulfonce

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2009
881
9
18
Ontario
My dad and I scored a free 65g tank (with equipment) found on the side of the road, amazing what people will throw out.:grinno:

Long story short...

Its now our first planted tank. I gathered some horn wart from a local creek as well as some other plant that I cant ID (back left corner, if anyone knows what it is?) I also got a driftwood sapling stump, from a close by lake shore. We bought a few plants as well, which I will try to list, but may be wrong due to my plant "noobishness" :screwy:


Plant Stock:

Dwarf Hair Grass (front and center)
Amazon Sword (center right, tight against the driftwood) <--- A link? WTF? :ROFL:
Java Fern (left 1/3rd, of tank, beside the driftwood)
corkscrew grass (left side, and right 1/3rd of tank)
Wild Hornwart *Found in Creek* (background, full length of tank)

*can anyone ID the following?*

Light green leafy plant *forget the name* (2 on left side near the skull, 1 on right)
Plant with round red and green leaves *forget the name* (back middle left, beside the driftwood)
Dark green plant with very small leaves *found in creek, unknown ID* (back left corner)
Plant with long grass like leaves *Forget the name* (front right side of tank)


Fish stock:

Pineapple Swords, x2 male, x4 Female
Pineapple Sword Fry x25ish? hard to count lol (they hide in the horn wart all the time) :)
Panda Corys x6
Neon Tetras x24

I'm also looking to get a few Rubber Lip Plecos but my LFS never seems to stock them.


Equipment:

Light is a 48" duel T-5 HO 54w x2
100w submersible heater
50w non-submersible heater
No Filter, powerhead, or c02 system

Tank Info:

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
PH 9.0 <--- not good, I'm guessing? :(
Temp 78F
hard water
*I use a liquid plant fertilizer once a week*
Substrate is fine pea gravel, no soil.

My dad asked me a question this evening, to which I didn't have an answer to. Why aren't the plants giving off oxygen bubbles?

We've had this tank running for about 2 months now. The plants are thriving. There growing like mad. I even have to trim them every 2-3 weeks. My dad told me story's of planted tanks he had in his youth, where the plants were giving off bubbles all the time. Even my LFS's planted tank gives off bubbles. Is there something wrong with the plants, or the way were going about this? I'm starting to wonder if the fish are getting enough oxygen. Keep in mind were not running a filter or any kind of water agitator of any sort. Your thoughts?


PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! :ROFL:

The water is not as cloudy as it looks. The camera was having problems adjusting to the light.

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Id get a filter to start because that water is pretty stagnant, then dose a liquid CO2. Which will start photosynthesis then you will start getting your bubbles. As for your ph problem, get some fresh driftwood such as mopani wood from your lfs and put that in, it will lower your ph.

Very nice setup btw

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The 2 clumps of grass in the center is dwarf hairgrass. The reddish plant that you barely see in the back I think is Ludwigia. Also PH is not that big of an issue as long as it is stable. I have had water in a tank at 9.0 and fish even bred in it. If you do add filtration avoid a HOB filter or a sponge filter. The plants still photosynthesize without co2 supplement cause they are amounts of co2 already present in the water. This is why avoiding surface agitation is important cause it will gas out the CO2 in your tank. C02 supplement wouldn't hurt though, and adding it depends on your goals for this planted tank. You might wanna add root tabs as well to make those rooted plants more happy.
 
Once I add the liquid c02 would I stop filtration, or stop filtration once photosynthesis starts?
 
Never stop your filter.. This will kill the beneficial bacteria you need in the filter to keep stable water parameters..

What you do stop is aeration.. I have mine set on timers..

The air comes on when lights go off.. Also on timers.. Air goes off about an hour before the light comes back on.. Get timers for your air and lights..

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Wulfonce said:
Once I add the liquid c02 would I stop filtration, or stop filtration once photosynthesis starts?
Click to expand...

Honestly I would add a small HOB filter like an aquaclear 70 or even a 50 if you plan on dosing c02 you will need some oxygen exchange you cant just add c02 and add c02 and not see c02 build up if that makes sence

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fletch616 said:
Never stop your filter.. This will kill the beneficial bacteria you need in the filter to keep stable water parameters..

What you do stop is aeration.. I have mine set on timers..

The air comes on when lights go off.. Also on timers.. Air goes off about an hour before the light comes back on.. Get timers for your air and lights..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Click to expand...

Yea I've heard this too but recently on my cycled 125 I unplugged my fx5 and forgot to plug it in for 36 hours, all I did was plug it back in and I tested 24 hours later and no ammonia of nitrite! And 2 weeks later params are still spot on, guess I had some hearty bacteria, or got lucky, only filter on the tank and Pfs as substrate.



_________________________________________________________________________http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?504763-Cheap-plants-less-nitrate!-POTHOS

*Go S. Vettel #1 rb8--5 MORE RACES LEFT! LET'S MAKE IT 3 BACK TO BACK WINS/WDC!* :beer:
 
F1 VET said:
Yea I've heard this too but recently on my cycled 125 I unplugged my fx5 and forgot to plug it in for 36 hours, all I did was plug it back in and I tested 24 hours later and no ammonia of nitrite! And 2 weeks later params are still spot on, guess I had some hearty bacteria, or got lucky, only filter on the tank and Pfs as substrate.



_________________________________________________________________________http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?504763-Cheap-plants-less-nitrate!-POTHOS

*Go S. Vettel #1 rb8--5 MORE RACES LEFT! LET'S MAKE IT 3 BACK TO BACK WINS/WDC!* :beer:
Click to expand...

Yeah it's the bb in the canister that die off without oxygenated water. Bb on substrate, plants, etc. will be fine.


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Countryboy said:
Yeah it's the bb in the canister that die off without oxygenated water. Bb on substrate, plants, etc. will be fine.


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Click to expand...


But the tank was just set up a week before, new sub, rinsed my dw. Everything in the tank was new or cleaned. That's what I'm saying, I thought for sure my bb was dead, but it isn't... Pretty awesome, not all bacteria is the same.



_________________________________________________________________________http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?504763-Cheap-plants-less-nitrate!-POTHOS

*Go S. Vettel #1 rb8--5 MORE RACES LEFT! LET'S MAKE IT 3 BACK TO BACK WINS/WDC!* :beer:
 
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