TammyLiz
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
OK I think I've really made a mess of things. I've been lurking in forums and joined one other one before I found this one. I just read the stickies here in the planted section and I thought I would tell everyone what a mess I've made to see if you can help me fix it.
I kept a lot of fish years ago and am now getting back into the hobby but didn't want to stick my plastic plants in the tank. So...
Saturday I set up a new (used) 55 gallon tank and transfered a seeded filter from a smaller tank along with three gouramis about 2 1/2 inches long, and added two more gouramis when I made the move. I transfered my plants from the smaller tank and also added some new ones. I am making a diy hood but am still in the process so I have just 2 18 watt bulbs on there. I don't have any substrate because I changed my mind about what I wanted to use at the last minute and its being shipped now. They said it should be in today. I'm going to use soilmaster. So the plants are just kind of sitting in there. Unfortunately there was a little bit of an ammonia spike and that is still sorting itself out. As for what I did wrong, well, I am using a penguin biowheel filter and I liked it so much I ordered two more to go on my other tanks (only have one filter and three tanks). They should be in the mail now. But I read that they remove too much CO2 from the water for a planted tank! Also, one of my gouramis has developed ich, probably from the ammonia spike and maybe it was introduced with some java moss I put in there recently. Who knows. So now i have no substrate, ich, and a filter that is not ideal. Any suggestions would be helpful. :?
Tammy
edit: I might add that I wasn't planning on adding CO2 and was going to have 2 48" T8 lights in there.
I kept a lot of fish years ago and am now getting back into the hobby but didn't want to stick my plastic plants in the tank. So...
Saturday I set up a new (used) 55 gallon tank and transfered a seeded filter from a smaller tank along with three gouramis about 2 1/2 inches long, and added two more gouramis when I made the move. I transfered my plants from the smaller tank and also added some new ones. I am making a diy hood but am still in the process so I have just 2 18 watt bulbs on there. I don't have any substrate because I changed my mind about what I wanted to use at the last minute and its being shipped now. They said it should be in today. I'm going to use soilmaster. So the plants are just kind of sitting in there. Unfortunately there was a little bit of an ammonia spike and that is still sorting itself out. As for what I did wrong, well, I am using a penguin biowheel filter and I liked it so much I ordered two more to go on my other tanks (only have one filter and three tanks). They should be in the mail now. But I read that they remove too much CO2 from the water for a planted tank! Also, one of my gouramis has developed ich, probably from the ammonia spike and maybe it was introduced with some java moss I put in there recently. Who knows. So now i have no substrate, ich, and a filter that is not ideal. Any suggestions would be helpful. :?
Tammy
edit: I might add that I wasn't planning on adding CO2 and was going to have 2 48" T8 lights in there.