Aquaman's Planted 14gal Bio-Cube

[aquaman3680]

I have been keeping saltwater reef tanks for about 6 years now and decided I wanted to try my hand at a planted freshwater tank. So I will be setting up a 14 gal Bio-Cube. The tank will get here on Tuesday!

I went to the fish store today, something I probably shouldn't have done, and purchased things for a tank that I don't even have yet. Anyways I got one piece of drift wood and another piece of Mopani wood for the decorations in the tank. I also purchased Live Freshwater Substrate and a couple 5lbs. bags of natural gravel. I also got a thermometer...

So while looking at fish and trying to come up with what I want to keep in the tank I got this-

5-6 Cardinal Tetras
2 Blue Rams
2 Korthausae Killifish
1 Cory Cat
1 Clown Loach- to control snails
2 Red Wag Platys
2 Zebra Danios

Possibilities include-
Male Betta
Hatchet Fish
Guppies

So thats a place to start! I am not sure on what plants I want to keep yet, but am still looking!

Is it best to use DI water or should I go ahead and use tap water?

Matt

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

The stocking list seems fine, it's just that your clown loach will get up to around 12in and loaches should be kept in schools of 3-4 atleast. Also, cories like to be a groups too, to be there very happiest. I see mine school back and fourth all day. Get atleast 3-4 in a group aswell. I would skip out on the loach and add 2-3 more cories to your list. If you need to control snails, just add a cucumber in the tank and leave it in there all day and all night, that next morning it should be filled with snails. I suggest just skipping on the platies unless you got a place for the fry they have. If you want you can skip out on the danios too and just have a school of 5 hatch fish, they are awesome and very interesting fish. Skip on the betta too, people rarely get male bettas that are community safe. And bettas with rams is a HUGE no no. Skip the betta. Also skip the guppies for the same reason as the mollies.

Since it's your first planted tank, I would stay low-tech with this. Low light, low light plants, no dosing of ferts, DIY Co2 if you feel like doing it. Good low-light plants are almost all Crypt sp. JavaFern, JavaMoss, hornwort, and many more if you want a longer list.

You should just use Tap water, but dechlorinate it. In the tap water, there are things in it(i can't think of it at the moment) that benefit for the plants.

Anymore questions?

 

[aquaman3680]

Thanks for the information. I will skip out on the loach then.

Why would you skip out on the Danios too?

So if I did-

2 Blue Rams
5-6 Cardinal Tetras
2 Korthausae Killifish
3 Cory Cat

What else would you recommend?

Also wouldn't the other fish eat the babies the live bearers produce?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Yeah, if you wanted the livebearers and weren't planning on keeping the fry, they would make a nice meal for the other fish. If you wanted to do that.

The only reason why I said skip the danios is because you were only planning on getting 2 of em. They are a larger schooling fish. So you would want more of them. If you really want them get them, just make sure you get quite a bit. Plus, the list you have now, it's kind of overstocked so you should try to get the right levels of fish.

Your tetras handle the mid and low as do the rams.

Your killis will handle the top, and the mid-top.

Your cories are on the bottom.

I suggest either a school of hatche fish for the top top, or just get the livebearers you were planning on getting.

 

[aquaman3680]

How many of the danios would I have to get to make it worth it?

Also, would sword tails and or a gourami work? Or are they too big?

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

If you keep up on your water changes you should be able to do 5-6, but no more fish after that, well besides the ones you already picked out.

Gourmis will get about 6in so thats to big. Swordtails are basically like mollies.

 

[aquaman3680]

Ok cool, thanks for the information! I am currently soaking the driftwood in RO water. What would be the ideal temperature and pH to keep the tank at? Also what are acceptable Nitrate levels for the tank?

Matt

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Make sure everything is at zero, pH at around 6-8, temp around 72-75 degress F

 

[bluerose]

Nitrates are safe up to about 40ppm, actually, and in a planted tank the plants will consume some nitrate as fertilizer-- it's necessary stuff.

pH is fine generally wherever it sits (unless extreme)-- don't fuss with it, fluctuating pH just stresses the fish.

Sounds like you're planning well so far-- don't forget to cycle

 

[aquaman3680]

Thank you for the info!

after doing some research I have a few questions.

Obviously I have a smaller tank and the reading says that it would be over done to add a CO2 system. But since my tank is a higher light tank would you recommend a CO2 dosing system? Or would the Flourish Excel by seachem work?

I also have questions on the Yeast and sugar thing...? I did not really understand this. You put them in a bottle and use airline tubing and it doses automatically? Or do you have to valve it down to get the correct dosage?

Any input is more than welcome!

Matt

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

When it put Co2 in the tank, it's just air bubbles, well co2 bubbles.

You mix the sugar/yeast/water in a two-litter and shake it up so it dissoloves, there are better ways to dissolving but since this is your first time we won't worry about it.

You drill a hole a little smaller then the airline tubing in the cap so it fits snug. Then screw the cap on tight. After anywhere from 12-20 hours, you'll see bubbles coming from the end of the tube in the water, that's your co2. There are also better ways to get as much co2 in the water as you can, the easist way is just getting an airstone for the end of the tubing. The bubbles will continue to go for around 2-4weeks, then you dump the mixture and make a new batch.

Dosing and the co2 are different, they give the plants different things.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Also, I have a medium to low light on my 5 gallon tank and I use co2 and my plants still benefit from it so it doesn't matter the size. Your high lighting though, you will want the co2 and dosing.

 

[aquaman3680]

What is the mixture ratio? Where would a good place to start with the DIY be?

Well tank comes today! I will have pics up of it tonight!