Newbie

[Floggz]

G'day guys

I just sold my 6ft Cichlid tank & I'm just about to buy a aqua one 980t to start a planted tank.
I wanna know if I've chosen the right tank for this & if I can get away with just having a coral sand substrate.
I'm leaving the tank as is...only adding a internal filter.
Would this work?

 

[FishCr8zy]

It really depends on what type of plants you are getting. If some of the plants you are getting are heavy root feeders, then they will like a nutrient rich substrate. Also SW substrate will make the water a little salty. Are you keeping the same SW light?

 

[Floggz]

Thanx for reply
Yeah I think I'm keeping the standard light.
I really wanna carpet the tank with dwarf hg,I was thinking of putting java moss on a peice of driftwood to make it look like a tree & some other hardy plants.
Do u think that'll work & what's ur opinion on the tank?

 

[FishCr8zy]

Why does it seem everyone person who wants to start a planted tank want to start with dwarf hg . What light do you have? Dh needs high light. If you want a carpet of plants that are low-med light, dwarf sag, four leaf clover, marsilea minueta, pennywort, and types of hydrocotle are good ground cover plants. A moss tree would look good. How many gallons is the tank?

 

[Floggz]

The tank is roughly 230 liters which is about 55g.
To be honest I'll put anything as long as it carpets & looks good.
It also has to work well with med lighting...not asking for much am I ??

 

[FishCr8zy]

Ok 55g is a good size. You can fit a nice large centerpiece driftwood and have the top covered in moss. I think dwarf sag is a great carpeting plants though nothing matches up to beauty of a dh carpet. Dwarf sag grows quickly and spreads quickly as well.

 

[FishCr8zy]

The main problem you have is the coral sand. It will raise the ph and hardness of the water. The ph will usually spike to around 8 which is not suitable for most fish and plants. I suggest you switch to normal aquarium sand or a plant specific substrate.