Beginner to planted tanks

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Pcollins0901 said:
I do not have a nitrate test kit, but I plan to get one ASAP. This tank has been set up for awhile but it has very little vegetation in it. I jumped into it and had an epic fail. Water is crystal clear still. Been a week since water change.

Give me a few and I will check pH of tap water. And I'd say nitrates is what caused my fish kill. I went awhile without a water change. Got busy with work and was hunting a lot. Learned my lesson.

Iv got ordered and arriving in the next week,
A diy co2 generator. The baking soda/citric acid type u get off eBay
A finnex 24/7 light
Another big bag of floramax substrate
A aquatic arts beginner plant bundle (java moss, java fern, Anabius, moss balls, and moneywart)
And a lot with forceps and clippers

I'm waiting for everything to get here before starting to redo my setup.

When I change water I do about a 70% change but those were biweekly. I plan to start doing one every Sunday when I get the. Ew setup going. Prob about 50%
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Are you sure your tank has finished the nitrogen cycle? I'd say you need to get a nitrate and nitrite test to make sure.
 
Gotcha. How is that effected after a water change? And when do I have to wait for the nitrogen to cycle? After applying new substrate and plants to an aquarium?
 
I have studied up on nitrogen cycle. Iv had limnology, ecology, etc in college, so it rang a few bells and making sense now. Anyways, my tank should be established with all needed bacteria by now. Been 8 months. I am adding some flora max substrate to the tank. Already had 1-2 inch of substrate and gravel in the tank. I am going to get the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kit before adding to the tank. I have one algae eater, swordtail, Cory cat, and a clown loach in the tank now. I don't have another tank so I'm trying to determine how I can keep them alive and out of the tank long enough for me to test and make sure the ammonia and nitrite is gone before adding them back I am hoping levels will be good within a week so I can add the fish back. Shouldn't take long bc the tank is established now. No doubt in my mind that's what caused the fish kill the first time. My ignorance to not study up properly prior.
 
Pcollins0901 said:
I have studied up on nitrogen cycle. Iv had limnology, ecology, etc in college, so it rang a few bells and making sense now. Anyways, my tank should be established with all needed bacteria by now. Been 8 months. I am adding some flora max substrate to the tank. Already had 1-2 inch of substrate and gravel in the tank. I am going to get the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kit before adding to the tank. I have one algae eater, swordtail, Cory cat, and a clown loach in the tank now. I don't have another tank so I'm trying to determine how I can keep them alive and out of the tank long enough for me to test and make sure the ammonia and nitrite is gone before adding them back I am hoping levels will be good within a week so I can add the fish back. Shouldn't take long bc the tank is established now. No doubt in my mind that's what caused the fish kill the first time. My ignorance to not study up properly prior.
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After 8 months there should be no ammonia or nitrite only nitrate. If keeping plants u want to keep nitrate at about 20+ as this is primary what your plants will be feeding on :)
 
Yes, kinda what I was thinking as well. Im going to be sure to keep an eye on it this time around. Like I said I'm not taking anything put of the tank only adding to it. Hopefully levels will get right quick for the fish's sake. Not adding any additional fish for awhile.
 
I received the finnex 24/7 and got it installed on the tank. That light is awesome. Really no comparison on brightness compared to my old setup. Kinda mind blown at how much brighter it is. Certainly one of my biggest problems on the first plants. Just not enough light. Hope that's fixed now.

My substrate order was damaged in transit so untelling when I get it.

Still have not received the plants from aquatic arts, but kinda for the better since I haven't got the stuff to prepare the tank for planting.

So, still in progress. I will keep yall updated with how it turns out for me.
 
Pcollins0901 said:
I received the finnex 24/7 and got it installed on the tank. That light is awesome. Really no comparison on brightness compared to my old setup. Kinda mind blown at how much brighter it is. Certainly one of my biggest problems on the first plants. Just not enough light. Hope that's fixed now.

My substrate order was damaged in transit so untelling when I get it.

Still have not received the plants from aquatic arts, but kinda for the better since I haven't got the stuff to prepare the tank for planting.

So, still in progress. I will keep yall updated with how it turns out for me.
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I'd suggest not running it on full power as they are extremely bright. Take the time to find a setting your happy with before everything gets there :) if going low tech you'd almost be able to run it at 50% I recon
 
If I run it on high and supplement co2 it should just cause the low tech plants to grow faster than if I dimmed the light. Correct? It's going to take some growing on the Java moss before I will get the look I'm going for. I will have to clip it a lot if I get good growth, but I will need those clippings to cover more area hahaha beats buying it if I can grow it.

I'm hoping it all turns out well! We will see I guess. Certainly more prepared this time around.

I will keep yall updated
 
Pcollins0901 said:
If I run it on high and supplement co2 it should just cause the low tech plants to grow faster than if I dimmed the light. Correct? It's going to take some growing on the Java moss before I will get the look I'm going for. I will have to clip it a lot if I get good growth, but I will need those clippings to cover more area hahaha beats buying it if I can grow it.

I'm hoping it all turns out well! We will see I guess. Certainly more prepared this time around.

I will keep yall updated
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If your going to run it on high then I'd be double dosing the recommended of excel daily. Your really gonna want a lot of carbon in there or your going to have some algae issues. Plant heavy aswell.

Did u get any vals? Cause vals don't like excel
 
As luck would have it my plants arrived dead in the middle of laying laminate flooring. I can't stop and set up the tank the way I want bc I have to move it temporarily untl I get the floor laid. Anyways, I plan to just tie the anibius down temporarily, plant the money watt just to keep them healthy, place the moss balls in the tank (they should be fine, but I have two contains of java moss I am worried about. I can't spread it throughout the tank bc it will take some time. That's what I plan to do though. How u think I could put the moss in the tank to keep it alive for a week tops? I will then drainthe tank relocate it to its permanent area and do my final scaping. Free floating it will just all clog around the filter. U think I could just leave in container, drill a bunch of holes in it and float it in the tank for a week?
 
Pcollins0901 said:
As luck would have it my plants arrived dead in the middle of laying laminate flooring. I can't stop and set up the tank the way I want bc I have to move it temporarily untl I get the floor laid. Anyways, I plan to just tie the anibius down temporarily, plant the money watt just to keep them healthy, place the moss balls in the tank (they should be fine, but I have two contains of java moss I am worried about. I can't spread it throughout the tank bc it will take some time. That's what I plan to do though. How u think I could put the moss in the tank to keep it alive for a week tops? I will then drainthe tank relocate it to its permanent area and do my final scaping. Free floating it will just all clog around the filter. U think I could just leave in container, drill a bunch of holes in it and float it in the tank for a week?
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Moss is pretty tuff, I'd just put it in a plastic container and leave it on a window sil in the sun. Make sure u spread it out tho or the underside will die. Replace the water every few days.
 
10-4. Thanks so much. I sent aquatic arts an email to ask as well. Appreciate the quick response. Can't believe it was times like that lol ordered dec 28 and was scheduled to arrived Jan 21
 
Image1484605107.184148.jpg

Got it setup and in its permanent resting place. I'm
Happy with it. Waiting for my anabius, java fern, and money wart to get some growth on it. Still got a few things I plan to add. What y'all think?
 
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