Starting a new planted prodject

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

Starting a new planted prodject

by nicholas542

Hello people in the freshwater forum. I'm usually in the reef forums descussing saltwater topics, but i decided to make my fish only tank into a planted tank. I've seen some of you're tanks in this forum, and they look as kewl as a reef. Here's my picture so far. Want to get some kewl looking driftwood for the tanks or something. Any ideas on stuff would be appreciated.
8eb4f-planted.jpg


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

a slaty coming over to fresh.........that seems backwards to me.... lol
drift wood is always a good idea, it is a nice buffer for your water, and gives your tank a more natural look.
what is your lighting
and what type of plants are you looking at
what type of substrate are you using?


cedricandcandy
 
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 am

by cedricandcandy

What sort of fish have you got in your tank?

That'll make a difference as to whether wood is suitable or not, and as to which plants you should tend towards.

BTW your reef tank looks great!


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

I resently put some two crospus apengeta plants in there from my local pet store, theres another plant in there but i can't remember what it's called


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

As for fish I have 1 Red-swordtail, 1 head and taillight tetra, 3 tru-glo tetras, 2 glass fish, 2 whisker shrimp. Substrate is just white rock. I'm using a old phos-reactor from my saltwater tank with carbon, and nitrate sponge for filtration. Tried to keep the filtration simple. It's a little 10 gallon mini-planted that i'm shooting for. The lighting is just two grow lights that I put in the stock hood on my tank.


cedricandcandy
 
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 am

by cedricandcandy

The fish that you have are all easy to please, so if you want driftwood that'll be no problem at all. And also plants, really anything that you can buy as standard from your pet store will be fine. Tetras tend to look great when they swim in and out of stringy / reedy looking plants.

How do you find keeping algae out of a ten gallon tank? I've tried small planted tanks before and always struggle to keep green algae at bay. Or I guess your phos-reactor deals with it for you...?


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

My algae problem is minimal at best. The tank has been up and running for two years now with just fish. The maintenance level is way easier than my saltwater tank. I clean the glass like once a month in my freshwater. It just got boring stairing at just fish so planted seemed like a kewl idea. I think i'm going to get some moss balls, frill, and a bannana plant next. My local pet store has tons of freshwater plants to chose from.


nicholas542
 
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:50 pm

by nicholas542

I guess you could call my reef a planted too because I have Chaetomorpha macro algae in the tank, and in the fuge. I also have red-mangroves growing in my refugium aswell.


cedricandcandy
 
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 am

by cedricandcandy

Plants will certainly make your tank look better then just fish; and you'll most likely find that the fish will be happier and look brighter too...

I think my small planted tank was too close to a window and this made the algae bloom. Good on you for the algae under such good control.


Tmercier834747
 
Posts: 887
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm

by Tmercier834747

Marimo balls are cool, but pretty static. i.e. they just kind've sit there growing about 1mm per year, and they aren't easy to incorporate into aquascapes..but to be a hypocrite..I have one. =D In tanks with very high light they can create enough oxygen to ''float'' themselves and you might even swear your ball of algae was doing a dance..have yet to see it myself. =P

Chances are frill will die without 2wpg+. I had it in a 1.5wpg tank with good substrate and frequent fertilizer dosages, it was wilting (a very slow process in aquaria lol I think the actual term is melting..) and showing no signs of recovery within 2 weeks. The banana plant should do fine..

You'll find most ''fine leaved'' plants (like frill) like/require 2-4wpg and possibly CO2 supplementation. I just got into CO2 myself with my 16gal and am very pleased with the results.

Starting a new planted prodject

18 posts • Page 1 of 2

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