20 gal planted tank update - Aquarium Advice

somecallmedaniel16 · 07-07-2009, 02:04 PM

Hello all!

Well when I got back from a week-long trip my plant order had already arrived and my dad had placed the plants in my tank in any random way. So when I got back I rearranged them and replanted what I could of the mess. I've attached a java fern and some moss to a small log of grapewood (which, by the way, is doing fine; the fungus has cleared up). I now have my DIY Co2 generator up and running. I'm not sure if all my plants will live but I just wanted to see before I rearrange them again into a more aesthetically pleasing way. Oh! And I should mention I have a new light fixture. It's a Coralife 28w T5 fixture. Some pics of the tank are below. Feel free to give any criticism, comments, or advice.

-Daniel

mom2reds · 07-07-2009, 09:19 PM

looks pretty good just wait for it to grow in now.

timwag2001 · 07-07-2009, 10:18 PM

looks good. you must have been wicked excited to get your light! i was. i almost called out of work the day that my order came in. i was the same way when my co2 system came in. what sucked about it all was that i got my co2 setup on thursday and my paintball shop was closed till wednesday. i couldnt find anyone else to fill my tank and i had to look at my equipment for a full week before i could set it up.

any how. any other plans for the tank? substrate? plants? pressurized co2?

somecallmedaniel16 · 07-08-2009, 02:00 AM

Yes! I am so excited about my new setup and I am always tempted to mess around with it, change it up, go run to the store and buy a bunch of new plants and fish and all. I need to learn to be patient with this haha. Anyways I will dose liquid ferts once or twice a week. I may do root tabs every once in a while but I haven't really looked around for some good prices. I just have normal gravel, about 8 mm wide on average I would guess. not sure about getting more plants; I need to see how well it grows in and all. I want the tank to have some depth look in it and I'm not sure how tall these plants will get.. If I do get more plants though I think I'll look for some swords, anubias, or other broad-leafed plants, or some thicker, bunched plants, since most of mine now are just single stem plants (the term for which I don't know). Doubt I'll be getting pressurized CO2.

thominil · 07-08-2009, 02:22 AM

If you could get some java moss on some of the rocks that would look neat IMO.

Also you could try getting something that would stay small and grow in like a carpet for the front that could be neat too. JMO.

somecallmedaniel16 · 07-08-2009, 02:28 AM

Almost bought some dwarf hairgrass the other day.. I have seen some great-looking tanks with a nice carpet of it. Not sure about those requirements though.. Do you have any suggestions for a carpet-like plant that you mentioned? Once my java moss starts growing I'll break off some and attach it to the stones. Thanks for the suggestion!

thominil · 07-08-2009, 02:35 AM

I think micro swords would form to be a "carpet" they look like dwarf hairgrass though, so not much difference.

somecallmedaniel16 · 07-08-2009, 02:49 AM

I just did a little bit of research on micro swords. I know where I can find some hair grass but not the micro swords.

thominil · 07-08-2009, 03:05 AM

hmmmm..... Then I'd get the hair grass. I think
Live Aquaria said it needs 2 wpg. You're almost at 1.5 wpg If, and if I'm still thinking correctly this late, It should be fine but it might not grow very fast. I'd wait for someone else to chime in as I really haven't done anything with aquatic plants in the last couple of months. Well.....I'm off to bed now.

JustOneMore20 · 07-08-2009, 01:57 PM

Look for Dwarf Sagittaria or Echinodorus tenellus for foreground. They are both grassy, but don't need as much light as hairgrass and other carpets. If you can't find them, you could give the dwarf hairgrass a try, but don't expect it to grow very fast. It will grow though.