Help with planted tank

[Stingray68]

Hey everyone,

I have wanted to setup a planted tank but I don't know any thing about aquatic plants. I will hopefully be getting the The Fluval Flora Aquatic Plant Kit.

I will stock it with 2 sparkling gourami, 3 threadfin rainbow fish, a few red cherry shrimp, and if I can I would like to add some ember tetras.

I am fascinated with moss I want to set up a moss wall and move my moss ball in to the new tank. I was wondering if I could do an all moss tank or do a tank with moss and plants.

I need some suggestions for plants to add.
Thanks and all information will be greatly appreciated.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome! I've looked up the Fluval Plant kit and it seems the lighting isn't very good; you may be OK with some mosses and low-light plants though. However if you use the CO2 it comes with you're going to need higher light I believe.

Also just keep in mind it's also only a 7.9 gal tank so your fish choices aren't the best for that size. The Threadfins should be in groups of 5 but they'll outgrow that tank space once they are mature; the Gouramis may also become aggressive toward the Rainbows if they breed. I'd seriously reconsider your stock list or get a larger tank instead. The Fluvals are nice-looking tanks but they have some flaws as well. For about the same amount of money you could get a larger tank and custom choose your lights, etc and would probably end up with a better setup.

The best fish for a tank of that size would be either a single Betta or some nano fish like your Ember Tetra (depending on the Betta's personality you may be able to have both a Betta and the Embers). Just something to consider.

Also is this your first tank or do you have another? If it's your first one I'd read up on cycling the tank first. There are two links in my signature: new empty tank (fishless cycling) and new tank with fish (fish-in cycling); read both and see which on you'd rather do.

Good luck with your tank!

 

[blert]

Something else to consider... The substrate that it comes with, Stratum, you don't want it. It is very dirty stuff, breaks down very quickly (turns to dust) and soon you will be dusting the crud off your plants daily. I had it in my 37 gallon planted tropical and it was just a mess. It's not a rinsing issue, it's just funky stuff.

Also, IME, it lowers your PH. And the more it breaks down the more it will lower your PH. Before I removed it from my tank my PH would drop about 0.2 a day. I ended up doing more PWC than should have been needed just to keep the PH from crashing to below 6.0.

 

[Stingray68]

Ok thanks, so it would probably be better to set up the empty 10 gallon I have and get every thing for that. I just thought if I got everything in a kit it would have been easy to set up.

I will have to get every thing for my 10 gallon cause the tank is all I have. Do you have any suggestions on substrate, lighting, and plants?

And yes I am running a 20 gallon right now I currently have 6 neon tetras, 2 kuhli Loach, 2 sparkling gourami, and one small rhino pleco which I will give to my friend when it gets too big.

 

[parrottbay]

not too sure about the fluval set up you are referring to, but intrigues me enough to look up, GOOD LUCK!

 

[Stingray68]

Sorry but I think the Fluval won't work because I really wanted a moss wall and there is a background in there already so I will probably setup my old 10 gallon.