When to plant?

[DragonFish]

Hi.

I've been reading several sites, and I have a question.

Im just starting out fresh with my tank. later on I'll be adding, water, substrate and a few rocks and maybe a driftwood.

My question is, when is the best time to plant? Some sites says right away for the plants to get used to the light before algea does. Some sites say wait a week or so.

can someone please tell me whats the best way to go about it? I want to do my shopping at the petstore soon.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Some sites says right away for the plants

 

[travis simonson]

You can safely add plants right away, as long as you've got lights, substrate, and some water

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Plant at anytime after the substrate settles, and you have the correct lighting for what you want to plant. If that goes above 2w/g, then might think about setting up CO2 as well before, or use Flourish Excel as the carbon source. Just remember, if planting anacharis, they do horrible with Excel. One of the few plants that doesn't like Excel.

 

[DragonFish]

thank you.

and are air bubbles ok for the tank? I got an air pump since someone told me I need it for good oxygen and rotation of the tank water.

My tank is now set up, got the EcoSystem substrate, and I mixed it with small gravel for color since it was too black.

I need to get a new filter since my last one seemed to explode, now its too noisy. I cant quiet it down

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Bubblers are ok if you are not injecting CO2. If you do inject CO2 in a tank, you will lose the CO2 if you use a bubbler. So only use one if you are not injecting CO2.

 

[DragonFish]

Bubblers are ok if you are not injecting CO2. If you do inject CO2 in a tank, you will lose the CO2 if you use a bubbler. So only use one if you are not injecting CO2.

what if I turn off the bubbles for some time and inject CO2, will that help or no?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I wouldn't recommend it, as when you inject CO2, it pushes the ph down. Then when you turn the bubbler on, it swings back up. My ph swing goes between night and day. Night time, CO2 is off, and during the day, CO2 is on. If you are wanting the bubbler on at night, and off during the day, that would work too. You just don't want to turn the CO2 on and off several times during the day. Won't help much.

If you have a smaller tank, like 20G or less, you can use Flourish Excel instead of CO2 injection, and then you can run the bubbler if you want.