Help for a Planted Tank Novice

[nf0772]

After browsing through some of the galleries in this forum and doing my own research online, I've come to the conclusion that FW planted tanks are both stunningly beautiful and fascinating. That being said, I would like to make my first attempt at creating one of these masterpieces.

I haven't really decided on the specific plants at this point, but I have already purchased several of the supplies needed to get started. I'm going to begin with a 14-gallon tank. I purchased the CaribSea Instant Aquarium substrate, and I am currently planning to buy an Eheim 2213 canister filter. As far as lighting goes, I have a Glo fixture; I'm still waiting to purchase bulbs.

So I suppose my question is...what next? I've looked into CO2 systems and, needless to say, I'm a bit overwhelmed. The Aqua Design Amano System 74-YA/ver. 2 kit claims to have everything I need to get started...but the price makes me cringe. In addition, I'm still a bit clueless when it comes to fertilizer. I've read several articles and threads on this forum that mention nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium supplements to help promote healthy plant growth. Is this something that I should be considering at this time?

Any advice/criticism would be greatly appreciated.

 

[fort384]

Welcome!

I would suggest reading through the various articles linked in this post:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/read-this-first-resources-and-references-83826.html

It contains a lot of valuable info that will help you get started.

For that small of a tank, you could look into setting up a DIY CO2 System. It would be cheap, and easy to maintain on a 14 Gal tank. I am expecting my ADA CO2 system to arrive today... anxious to see how it works, but you don't have to drop that kind of cash to successfully inject CO2.

As far as the light -- it is the most important part to a successful planted tank. What kind of bulb does the fixture take and how many watts? That will be valuable in determining what you can grow, and whether or not your tank really needs CO2 or fertilizer supplementation.

What kind of substrate are you planning to use? If you do eventually plan to go high tech and want a tank full of plants, and intend to get any kind of ground cover going (glosso, dwarf baby tears, dwarf hairgrass, etc), the substrate can be instrumental in your success.

Best of luck, and feel free to ask away as you come up with questions.

 

[BigJim]

Start slow and work your way up. You've got a good start with a canister filter and good lighting.

CO2 doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive. You can get a good pressurized system for $100-$150 and it'll last forever on a 14g. Pressurized CO2 pays of in the long run cost-wise and up front with a stable CO2 supply. You don't need the pH controller or the fancy diffusers and reactors. Get a regulator with an electric solenoid and run it off the same timer you use for your lights. There are lots of DIY options for diffusers, but many people just run the CO2 into the intake of their canister filters.

Go with dry fertilizers. They're cheaper than the liquids. Buy them online and $25 of ferts will last a long time.

 

[mudraker]

+1 for Fort and Big Jim's advice.

You can also start out with lowlight plants using your existing substrate, lighting and water w/o fertz and work your way up as finances and motivation allows.

 

[nf0772]

More Help

Thanks to everyone for the great advice.

fort - I took your advice and looked into some of the articles. All provided a ton of information that really helped me to understand the biological processes at play in a planted tank. To answer your question about my lighting situation - I have a Glo T5 HO 24" 1x24W fixture...for my 14-gal. tank, I'm guessing this would put me at a little under 2W/gal. I have looked at the various bulbs in my LFS and some of the larger pet stores. I'm assuming that for a successful planted tank, I need to be purchasing a bulb that produces a greater amount of light in the red/yellow spectrum as opposed to the blue/green spectrum. The substrate that I'm planning to use is CaribSea's Eco-Complete...I also have some CaribSea Instant Aquarium sand. I was wanting to get some kind of carpet started. I looked around on some various websites and came across Fissidens splachnobryoides, an apparently hardy, slow-growing plant. The reviews for this species, however, were mixed. Have you ever heard of this plant? I also looked into the dwarf baby tears, but I'm afraid that I may not be experienced enough to start a successful carpet with this species. Any suggestions?

BigJim - I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant when I looked into the DIY CO2 system. While I don't doubt that this sort of setup would work for my 14-gal. tank, I'd rather have something that's reliable and easy to use. I've looked into a few systems recently, and I came across Fluval's CO2 88 Kit - this comes with:

- CO2 cartridge
- regulator valve
- airline tubing hose
- internal CO2 diffusor
- bubble counter

It's about $50 dollars, and it is intended to be used in aquariums up to 40-gal. Does this seem like a good deal? The only issue I had with this system is that you must purchase Fluval's replacement CO2 cartridges (similar to the ADA setup).

As for the ferts, I'll look into dry fertilizers. This seems like it may be a bit easier and cheaper in the long run. Will these products harm fish?

mudraker - I also took your advice and purchased a java fern to place in my existing 29-gal. tank. The plant seems to be doing extremely well, although I know it's a pretty hardy species. The fish seem to love it! I've also started cycling my 14-gal. tank with water from the 29-gal. I added a bit of gravel to the bottom in hopes that this will speed up the cycling process.

Again, thanks for all of your advice. Look forward to hearing from you all again soon.

 

[fort384]

Fissidens splachnobryoides has always received mixed reviews. I have tried it before without success. I know some have gotten it to grow, but mine didn't grow at all and eventually died. It is possible I had too much light, as it is supposed to be low light, though I find that hard to swallow... most low light plants do fine with high light. Others have reportedly got it to grow fine in an aquatic environment, and some maintain that it isn't a true aquatic. I would look into glosso or HC. I think you might be able to grow either one, especially with eco complete, a CO2 system, and your light.

For the bulb, you are on the right track. Find something that is 6500K to 10000K color temp.