Yet another new guy seeking advice

[hybridtheoryd16]

Planting the tank before you cycle is fine.

Shrimp are simple to keep as long as none of your fish are big enough to eat them.
Shrimp are on the menu of pretty much all fish at one size or another.

And shipping plants is fine. They may die back a little but will recover in a well balanced tank.

 

[lightninjim]

Again a huge thanks, I'll try and get some pictures up once everything is finished and settled.

 

[Freezekougra]

For the plants, you might want to try buying from http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15 (site created by the guy who created MFK). Lots of cheap plants

 

[kzimmerman]

Put plants in. Add a few fish. Feed sparingly for a few weeks, frequent partial water changes. Add more fish gradually. If you want a planted tank, then the sump is a bad idea. Just go with a large canister filter, eheim fluval, or the like. Make sure you bump up the lighting. Try to go with at least 3 watts per gallon, and look into liquid fertilizers and fertilizer tabs. We could give you better advice if we knew what plants you were considering.

 

[lightninjim]

I'm still researching plants at the minute. My wife and I agree on a couple of plants so far but i'm worried that we're going to choose plants that will be incompatable as regards lightning levels. Our criteria for the plants essentially are:
Low to medium light requirements
Differing full grown heights
Definately want some moss.

Why is the sump a bad idea in a planted aquarium?
Edit:- We are open to any suggestions

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

In a planted tank you want as little gassing off as possible. And in a sump as the water falls and goes thru drips trays and all that it will gas off and lose alot of the carbon dioxide (co2) that the plants use as food.

A sump would be like having a bunch or air stones going which is also bad for a planted tank.

A sump can be done it just needs alot more special care to make it work on a planted tank.

 

[lightninjim]

Does this apply to any degree of planting or just the more heavily planted tanks?

 

[STILEZZZZ]

how do you post stuff ?

 

[lightninjim]

??? Post what stuff ???

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

All live plants use the same stuff as foods.

different species just need more or less than others.

Liike a low light plant for instance---- if you subject them to high light levels and lots of co2 injection and all that, they will just grow faster.

Low light, med light, high light is just what they need to stay alive.