setting up a planted 50g

15 posts • Page 1 of 2

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


comingback2fish
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:32 am

setting up a planted 50g

by comingback2fish

hi everyone and ty in advance for any comments posted
i am returning to the hobby after 15 years with a 50 gallon under a bar.
i only have an eheim and a fluval filter that are both running cyclying the tank at the present time only water.
What do i need to start a planted aquarim without breaking my wallet-lol


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

What else are you doing but running the filters? Are you feeding the tank or have any stock in it?


comingback2fish
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:32 am

by comingback2fish

nothing in it right now--just added the water 3 days ago and only running the 2 canister filters.
reading alot and investigating the possibilities for a planted aquarium.
if it does not work for me will just go with a community tank of platys-mollies etc.
dont want to get to involved with the planted tank either -just basic with maybe 10 plants that are hardy and easy to take care of.


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

Hiya :)

If you have nothing in there but water, you tank will not be cycling, nor will it until you 'feed' it.

Easy to care for plants

Java fern (my favorite)
Crypt wendtii
Java moss
Anubias
Swords
Val

The above will do well in a low light tank (or higher if you have it). They are all good doers without the fuss and will multiply, a bonus to fill in a bigger tank.


comingback2fish
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:32 am

by comingback2fish

ty so much for the comments--love your tanks
remember i said i have been out of the hobby for 15 years.
last i remember is siphoning the gravel to get all the waste and debris.
How does one do this with a planted tank???


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

I dont touch the gravel in my heavily planted tanks. Medium/Light planted i just do the areas lightly where there are no plants.


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

Here's a tip: cycle the tank with lights off before you add the plants to avoid an algae outbreak.

Alasse's easy plant recommendations are all good, low maintenance plants. Crypt wendti is my favorite of the bunch. Java moss, java fern and anubias all grow best when attached to drift wood rather than planted in the gravel.


Okiimiru
 
Posts: 275
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm

by Okiimiru

I agree with the posts above in a few things; yes, you have to have a nitrogen source to start the cycle. Add fish flakes to the tank daily as if you were feeding fish. More information: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_5 ... rticle.htm
The ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations should follow this graph: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/images/fis ... iagram.gif
After ammonia and nitrite rise and then fall and then stay at zero, when nitrate is continually rising, at that point the tank is cycled.

What I disagree with what was said above is that some plants are easier than other plants. The difficulty of a plant is something you really have to try for yourself in your own tank. Get nice bright bulbs with either spectrums designed for growing plants, peaks in the blue and red, or full spectrum. Also get a nutritious substrate, like soil capped with something to make it sink (gravel, sand), or kitty litter thats only ingredient is baked clay. Or fluorite, which is expensive. Read this article if you want more information about substrates: http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilize ... jamie.html

Anyway, once you have good lights and substrates, aquatic plants are fairly easy to grow. And they're inexpensive. If you go to aquabid.com and find a plant seller you like, buy plants from all the same person to combine shipping. I just stocked my 55 gallon tank with nearly two dozen plant species for less than $35. I bought them all from Sweet Aquatics, so shipping was only $7, and all of the plants were under $2 for a starter sample snipping of about five to ten strands of plant. Link: http://sweetaquatics.com/ I like buying lots of plants because it's like the shotgun method of compatibility for what will grow well in the water of your tank. It's inexpensive and you wind up with a lot of plants that will grow in your tank. And some of them may be rated "difficult" by other people.


Alasse
 
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
Location: QLD Australia

by Alasse

Some plants ARE harder to grow than others...that is a true statement, wether you disagree with it or not.

Let beginners get started with hardy plants that give them confidence to progress to other harder to keep types.

This is how my planted tanks progressed, you can have an awesomely planted tank with just the plants listed above. and your chances of failure are next to none

The ones i listed are the easiest and require the least in specialised equipment. They are the 'old faithfuls' of the planted world and are recommended to many beginning planted tank people.

Nice bright bulbs are not the be all end all of planted tanks, yes they allow you to grow other high light plants, but they also come with much higher probability of algae outbreaks, CO2 use needed, also needing to fertilise the plants.

Special substrates are also NOT required for the plants listed.


The tank below is filled with mostly java fern and crypts, with the odd large sword in there. Gravel substrate and ran at about 1WPG and no fertilizer added. Only maintenance was every 4 weeks i did a water change.
b092b-Large comp 1.jpg


natalie265
Site Admin
 
Posts: 746
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm

by natalie265

Alasse, i love your tank.

setting up a planted 50g

15 posts • Page 1 of 2

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