Help! Pico or a planted tank?

[carey]

Not sure this is in the right place but I figured it was a "fluff" thread so here it is. lol

I now have my 10g fry tank available. I wanted to make it a planted tank with some glo fish maybe. BUT i totally fell in love with a Fluval 2g Pico tank.
I'd like to concentrate my efforts for now and just pick one.

I have been planning the planted for a couple months but I'm really unsure if I can keep a planted tank alive, I can't keep cactus' alive for petes sake. But I would really love to have some cool colored glo fish swimming around in a sea of green.

The pico would be a great place to house my candycane goby from my biocube and would allow me to get some sexy shrimp since I can't keep them in the cube cause it's way too big.

Both will cost about the same after all is said and done.

For reference I have 5 sw tanks and 3 fw tanks. I only keep cichlids so the idea of "happy" fish is appealing. But so is the pico tank.

Heres the link on the pico
https://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3730+18534+22661&pcatid=22661

What do you guys think? I'm totally torn.....

 

[The Jam-is-on]

I'm thinking you'll end up doing both in the end

I'm having a similar issue with my empty 10g. Planted? QT? Breeding? Betta?

 

[Trail_Mix]

10g? Throw some plants and shrimp up in that *****.

 

[The Jam-is-on]

Haha! That's what I'm leaning toward. Really want to do plants. Would shrimp and a betta get along?

 

[carey]

I'm still so unsure. lol I have the 10g here and I'm so bored. I feel like painting the back and maybe going with the 10g

 

[Trail_Mix]

Make up your mind quickly so you can start your cycling process, that whole process makes me so impatient!

 

[carey]

I have a perfectly cycled filter currently in another 10g. So no cycle for me. I just took the fish out yesterday.

 

[The Jam-is-on]

This hobby will teach patience for sure! Something I do not have much of!

Carey, do you have live plants in other tanks? If not, I'd love to see you add them to your repertoire!

 

[Purevil21]

I vote pico! I just started my first nano reef, I got a 6gallon fluval edge.

 

[carey]

Live plants are the only thing I don't have. I'm petrified to start it thoguh LOL. I'm more scared of doing this 10g than I am the 125g reef. I feel so much more secure with sw but I would love to have a happy fw fish tank.

If I got the special plant soil/substrate today when could I plant? I'm that bored. BUT I also wanted to paint the tank black and use black substrate. That's my plan anyways

If I go with the pico I have to wait for it to arrive and catch the goby out of my 29g which will be some serious work, he's soooo tiny

 

[Purevil21]

Go pico, they are awesome.

 

[carey]

I vote pico! I just started my first nano reef, I got a 6gallon fluval edge.

Is that your build thread? lol I was thinking it wouldnt help me since its like 3 times the size of the one I wanted to go with. Maybe I'll pop over and check it out!

 

[Purevil21]

It tis ma build thread. Lol

 

[The Jam-is-on]

I'm clueless on when you could plant as I haven't started looking in to it in depth just yet. I think that is the route I'm going to go though. Maybe ill let you get started and then just follow in your footsteps!

 

[Trail_Mix]

I'm pretty positive you can put the plants in as soon as you've put the substrate in, although the substrate will probably cloud your water for a day or two.

 

[carey]

Hmmm forgot about the clouding. I was gonna go with a flourite(?) type substrate. I think it's pretty gravel like so maybe I won't have too much cloudiness.

If you haven't guessd I am now leaning towards the planted. Just emptied the 10g and dumped the gravel. So it's a complete blank slate.

 

[Purevil21]

Nooooo, return to the salty side of the force!

 

[carey]

lol I think my sw needs are currently being met. I may get the pico when I do the 125g/55g switch since I am gonna break down the cube to get some of thelr in there into the 125g. Then I can catch the candycane. It would be impossible to do now.

 

[Purevil21]

Suit yourself, in the back of your head, just remember the pico that could have been.

 

[Bettababe1011]

I can't keep cacti alive either, and my java fern has turned into three seperate plants. It's thriving. I guess land plants just aren't for me. I say go with a planted tank.

And you can put plants in as soon as you have it ready with gravel, lights, etc. And yes, they can be in during the cycle. I believe that's called a silent cycle. I think. lol

Whatever you choose, it's one of Carey's tanks, so it will be amazing.