Planted Tank
- Thread starter MFM
- Start date
MONSTER FISH MASTER;3263111; said:I am thinking of putting some plants in my new 80 gallon tank and I was wondering if you NEED co2 and certain lighting????? I have florecent lights.
depends on the plants and how many... read and research my friend!
how many watts and what is the kelvin rating of ur lights? if u don't know any of this then ur not ready for plants and i suggest u read and research
heres a helping hand for u: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/
i learned about half of what i know from that link
Hey man right there with you. I'm starting a 40 planted. I just joined plantedtank.net and on my first post, someone gave me awesome info, I'll forward the message to you tomorrow, I'm in pismo beach on vacation.
plenty of plants - - java ferns, anubias, swords, etc. - - will do well w/o CO2, and also don't need lots of light
personally, I use 6700K lighting on my tanks, generally in the 2-3 watt range . . . my biggest problem is the plants do too well and I have to prune 'em back; I have a couple tanks that hold just plants
besides light, do some research on substrate, as there are several brands that are made specificall for planted tanks . . . supplements are also something you'll want to educate yourself on
I'm sure there is good info in the stickies . ...
personally, I use 6700K lighting on my tanks, generally in the 2-3 watt range . . . my biggest problem is the plants do too well and I have to prune 'em back; I have a couple tanks that hold just plants
besides light, do some research on substrate, as there are several brands that are made specificall for planted tanks . . . supplements are also something you'll want to educate yourself on
I'm sure there is good info in the stickies . ...
Okay, here's what he sent me. I just copied and pasted:
"hey! welcome. here is a another forum, its smaller, less people, like 50 at the most and you can get more one-on-one help there. im apart of it. go to michigan aquatic plant group. all is welcome. http://www.miapg.com/forums/index.php? thats the site. i personaly know the admin. anways, this is what you need...
lights: T5HO or metal halides. thoughs are the best. stay away from PC. power compact.
substrate: go with eco-complete, flourite , ADA AQUASOIL<--expensive and therew some drawbacks. thoughs are your best choices.
fertliseing: i personly use dry ferts because it is the most cheap way, and they are very effective. you could also use the fourish line. here is a link to seachem website... http://www.seachem.com/Home/index.html
here are some other cool links... http://www.miapg.com/forums/index.php?
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/
http://naturalaquariums.com/plants/anubias.html
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/
http://en.iaplc.com/
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.or...=view-showcase
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.or...tegory=0&vol=3
http://freshwateraquariumplants.com/ *** explore this site and the one above. very important and helpful.
http://www.adgshop.com/Driftwood_s/14.htm
http://www.aquacave.com/Default.aspx
http://www.aquabotanicstore.com/aqua..._sale_s/20.htm
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ils.php?id=147
http://www.rexgrigg.com/dosing.htm
now, i know that is a lot of websites. i basicly "copied" my faveorites menu to you. theres info on there that is very helpful. i garintee you half the people on this forum as come across thoughs, especly ADA and AGA. on the AGA, is the aquascapeing contest. you can look at hundreds of tanks to get an idea for your hardscape and aquascape. you got to do some looking around though and some clicking to find all the differnt years. it goes back, to the early 2000 and late 90's . its very very cool though
also, youll need good filtration. i recomend a cansiter filter look into ehime. or or marineland or fluval.
a heater is necisary. , a substrate heating calble..ehhh.. i almost convincee my self that i needed one, but...i convinced my self that i do not. theres two kinds of planted tank people...one that use the heating cables, and ones that do not. its like half and half.
that freshwateraquariumplants.com is very very helpful. thats where i went to learn as much as i could. iit was amazeing. some of the stuff is out of date, but either way, it works. before you set up this tank, ask your self......how dedicated you are to keeping up this tank?how much money are you willing to spend? how much time do you have to take are of these plants. do i want to be triming every week, every few days, or once or twice a month? what are the differnt growth rates of these plants. how am i going to get a good fertiliseing routine. what kind of fish do i want to keep? what is the BIGGEST tank i am wiling to acomadate...the bigger, the better, the easier. what tanks do i like? what are some of my goals in aquascapeing. do i want driftwood and rocks. or just rocks, or just driftwood. ask y0ur self thoughs qustions. ask your self this too... how paitent and i willing to be? am i going to rush things or not. how much reserch should i be doing on each individual plant species?
i can name a few more. now, i dont want to scare you cause its overwhelming. ive been doing this for almost a year now. and i had a 29 gallon planted, and now im moveing on up to a 150 planted discus. im not goign to lie, your tank, will cost you about at a miminum of 400$ my 150 has already cost me 4,000 just on equitment...but thtas because im goign all the way and its because of the plants im keeping and some of all the bells and whistles i have, which you dont need if your not going to be a very very serious hobbiest. but really ask your self how much time and how much effort your goign to put in to the tank. to me, its worth to spend thousands of dollars, because i enjoy i. i also am very in to it... AND its something im goign to go in to one day. im goign to open up my own store one day and grow plants and raise and breed fish. thats why ive gone the whole 9 yards....anways.....
im sure other people on here will tell you things that are differnt then mine. but im sure all of them will agree to go do plenty of reserch on all of thoughs websites....fyi... im 19 years old. ive been keeping fish for 10 years already. and keeping planted tanks for almost 1 year. ive learnd a lot. ive learnd more then i ever thought that there was to know. when you realy really get in to it, one day you will say to your self.....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW LOOK HOW MUCH IVE LEARND SO MUCH!!!!!. youll be impressed. AND, im STILL learning things. EVERYONE ON THIS FORUM. is still learning things. its fun to try new things and explore your creativity.
okay enough of my bableing , im probably boreing you. but i hope i helped and i hope you join some of thoughs other forums. i sugest doing about a month of reserch and a TON of planning BEFORE you even buy your tank. but, if you have it, just go from there. feel free to ask plenty of qustions. there is no stupid or dumb qustion when it comes to this stuff. thats what this forum and other forums are here for. enjoy!!!!" --corallife205 (plantedtank.net)
"hey! welcome. here is a another forum, its smaller, less people, like 50 at the most and you can get more one-on-one help there. im apart of it. go to michigan aquatic plant group. all is welcome. http://www.miapg.com/forums/index.php? thats the site. i personaly know the admin. anways, this is what you need...
lights: T5HO or metal halides. thoughs are the best. stay away from PC. power compact.
substrate: go with eco-complete, flourite , ADA AQUASOIL<--expensive and therew some drawbacks. thoughs are your best choices.
fertliseing: i personly use dry ferts because it is the most cheap way, and they are very effective. you could also use the fourish line. here is a link to seachem website... http://www.seachem.com/Home/index.html
here are some other cool links... http://www.miapg.com/forums/index.php?
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/
http://naturalaquariums.com/plants/anubias.html
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/
http://en.iaplc.com/
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.or...=view-showcase
http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.or...tegory=0&vol=3
http://freshwateraquariumplants.com/ *** explore this site and the one above. very important and helpful.
http://www.adgshop.com/Driftwood_s/14.htm
http://www.aquacave.com/Default.aspx
http://www.aquabotanicstore.com/aqua..._sale_s/20.htm
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...ils.php?id=147
http://www.rexgrigg.com/dosing.htm
now, i know that is a lot of websites. i basicly "copied" my faveorites menu to you. theres info on there that is very helpful. i garintee you half the people on this forum as come across thoughs, especly ADA and AGA. on the AGA, is the aquascapeing contest. you can look at hundreds of tanks to get an idea for your hardscape and aquascape. you got to do some looking around though and some clicking to find all the differnt years. it goes back, to the early 2000 and late 90's . its very very cool though
also, youll need good filtration. i recomend a cansiter filter look into ehime. or or marineland or fluval.
a heater is necisary. , a substrate heating calble..ehhh.. i almost convincee my self that i needed one, but...i convinced my self that i do not. theres two kinds of planted tank people...one that use the heating cables, and ones that do not. its like half and half.
that freshwateraquariumplants.com is very very helpful. thats where i went to learn as much as i could. iit was amazeing. some of the stuff is out of date, but either way, it works. before you set up this tank, ask your self......how dedicated you are to keeping up this tank?how much money are you willing to spend? how much time do you have to take are of these plants. do i want to be triming every week, every few days, or once or twice a month? what are the differnt growth rates of these plants. how am i going to get a good fertiliseing routine. what kind of fish do i want to keep? what is the BIGGEST tank i am wiling to acomadate...the bigger, the better, the easier. what tanks do i like? what are some of my goals in aquascapeing. do i want driftwood and rocks. or just rocks, or just driftwood. ask y0ur self thoughs qustions. ask your self this too... how paitent and i willing to be? am i going to rush things or not. how much reserch should i be doing on each individual plant species?
i can name a few more. now, i dont want to scare you cause its overwhelming. ive been doing this for almost a year now. and i had a 29 gallon planted, and now im moveing on up to a 150 planted discus. im not goign to lie, your tank, will cost you about at a miminum of 400$ my 150 has already cost me 4,000 just on equitment...but thtas because im goign all the way and its because of the plants im keeping and some of all the bells and whistles i have, which you dont need if your not going to be a very very serious hobbiest. but really ask your self how much time and how much effort your goign to put in to the tank. to me, its worth to spend thousands of dollars, because i enjoy i. i also am very in to it... AND its something im goign to go in to one day. im goign to open up my own store one day and grow plants and raise and breed fish. thats why ive gone the whole 9 yards....anways.....
im sure other people on here will tell you things that are differnt then mine. but im sure all of them will agree to go do plenty of reserch on all of thoughs websites....fyi... im 19 years old. ive been keeping fish for 10 years already. and keeping planted tanks for almost 1 year. ive learnd a lot. ive learnd more then i ever thought that there was to know. when you realy really get in to it, one day you will say to your self.....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW LOOK HOW MUCH IVE LEARND SO MUCH!!!!!. youll be impressed. AND, im STILL learning things. EVERYONE ON THIS FORUM. is still learning things. its fun to try new things and explore your creativity.
okay enough of my bableing , im probably boreing you. but i hope i helped and i hope you join some of thoughs other forums. i sugest doing about a month of reserch and a TON of planning BEFORE you even buy your tank. but, if you have it, just go from there. feel free to ask plenty of qustions. there is no stupid or dumb qustion when it comes to this stuff. thats what this forum and other forums are here for. enjoy!!!!" --corallife205 (plantedtank.net)