First aquarium - planted or not ?

[resist-]

Hi everyone !

I’m glad i found this board so I could ask all my questions about fishkeeping. I have absolutely no experience, and i’m currently planning to but my first aquarium. Thanks to your site, i understood the importance of fishless cycling.

I will soon get either a 33 gallons or 20 gallons aquarium kit (hagen brand). But now i’m just wondering if planted aquarium care is much more difficult for a newbie like me. If i add plants, that’s gonna be low light ones for sure.

So do you think guys this is a good idea to start my fishless cycles with a few low light plants ? Do i need a special filter to have plants ? Is the standard lighting sold in these starter kits enough ? Any tips about the easiest plants to maintain ?


Or should I simply forget about plants until I get more experience ?

Thanks for your help

 

[ManInAHat73]

Welcome to AA! I'm currently planning my first planted tank so I might not be able to help you out much with this, but there are some plant gurus here. I would try checking the Planted Tanks. You'll be able to find anything you need there.

Any plan for stock yet?

 

[mgamer20o0]

might want to check out craigslist see if something comes up i often see bigger set ups for less then the price of the kit.

plants are not that hard once you understand them. each plant needs a minimal amount of light. where most people have problems is they dont have much light to start with or get lights that over power the tank and cause problems. once you figure out what you will be getting then figure out what kind of lighting you want.

plants speed up the cycle so the sooner you add them the better. they dont need a special filter. some times the lighting sold in the starter kits is enough it just depends. on a tank like a 20 gallon i would get one with a incandescent hood and put cfl bulbs in it.

anubias moss java ferns crypts are the lowest light plants you can get.

 

[fisch]

Welcome to AA.
I think its a good idea to go with a few low light plants to start. Java moss, Java fern, anubias are all pretty hardy and easy to keep low light plants.

I'm not familiar with the aquarium kits but generally the light levels are meant for viewing. You'll want to get around 1 watt per gallon of light. Just check the wattage on the package. Make sure they are fluorescent lights too. Sometimes they come with incandescent but those can easily be switched out with screw in fluorescent. Pretty cheap too.

As for the aquarium I'd get the larger size if you can. I'm not a big fan of the kits. Many times you can get better equipment for about the same price of cheaper if you buy the components separately. But my first few aquariums were kits. It is much easier starting out.

 

[resist-]

Thanks for all your useful responses, you guys rock !

Any plan for stock yet?

Not yet, i'm currently planning the equipment set up first. I'll choose the fish while cycling. But we can exchange ideas if you'd like.

might want to check out craigslist see if something comes up

I considered getting used equipement off the web, but it's pretty hard for a newbie to know if it is in good state. I've seen different kinds of filter as well, which is kinda confusing for me. Any quick tips about choosing the good type of filter ? i'll take a quick look at the lfs just to be sure...

As for the aquarium I'd get the larger size if you can.

I think that's true. I'll try to go as big as i can afford


For the plants, if I understand well, I just need to get either java moss, java fern, or anbias, and get 1 watt/gal of lightning. Should I worry about algae ?

 

[Mystery]

I think plants make thing a little easier rather than harder, especially the hardy plants lready mentioned.

 

[joy13]

Something to keep in mind with the kits the products in them aren't probably the quality you will want in the long run and will need to be switched out.

 

[fisch]

As far as filters go, Hang on back (HOB) style is probably the best bang for your buck. They are pretty good at filtering and easy to maintain. I like canister filters better but they cost a lot more. I'd stay away from undergravel or sponge filters. They work fine, but IMO they don't look as nice and produce more noise.

Algae is an issue that almost always comes up in any tank, planted or unplanted. Most of the time its not a big issue. Plants will actually help outcompete the algae for nutrients so they will help. Best bet to combat algae is regular water changes, avoid direct and indirect sunlight, and buy a timer for your lights.

 

[Barnature]

Plant all your plants BEFORE you put fish in the tank becuase it scares them and a lot of little plant pieces go every were in the tank until it settles down. It might be a lot of money but then it's over and you have a natural looking tank.
Hope this helps!

 

[resist-]

Everything seems clear now, there's no reason not to have plants ! I'll definitely get some for my first tank

 

[mgamer20o0]

I considered getting used equipement off the web, but it's pretty hard for a newbie to know if it is in good state. I've seen different kinds of filter as well, which is kinda confusing for me. Any quick tips about choosing the good type of filter ?

criagslist is like a local newspaper type things. i have got full 55 gallon set ups for $25-40.

for equipment i am very selective in what i use. heaters i only use stealth heaters. hob filters only aquaclears and canisters rena xp or marineland c series.

 

[Leeny]

The hang on back filters are very easy to install and very easy to maintain. I personally use an AquaClear and love it. I've had no problems with it, and adjusting the amount of intake water is very easy.

 

[resist-]

Thanks for the info about filters...


I think I have found something interesting in the craiglist equivalent in my area.. It's a 30 gallons, used for 1 year, including: furniture, heater, gravel, wood, decorations and background. But the filter included is a biolife wet dry. But the owner told me he could include me a HOB, i'm just waiting to know the brand et model.

He also told me HOB filters do not do a good job, and that's why he bought a wet dry filter.

For those who want to see a pic, you can see it there (ad is in french):

aquarium et meuble tout équipé 30 gallons 150$

That would be for 150$ (CAD), and it's the best deal i found on the web classifieds.


Any opinions on the tank ?

 

[fisch]

I've never used a wet dry filter. I think they are mostly used in salt water set ups. As long as you do regular water changes and your HOB filter is the right size it will do the job.
Seems like a decent deal. Better ones can be found but depending on where you live they may not come around all that often.
If you plan on keeping all the equipment and decor then you'll probably do fine. If you are going to replace most of it then its not so great of a deal.

 

[Mattei]

I've used an AquaClear HOB filter for about 4 years and it hasn't failed me yet. It keeps the water very clean, and is very easy to maintain. I have had absolutely no problems with it what so ever.

 

[somecallmedaniel16]

My, everybody got to you first! I just thought I'd add my 2 cents. So having plants will cost you a bit more money and a bit more time for a low-light setup that you plan to have. But with some hardy plants, from what I have been told, will grow just fine if you have the minimal light for those plants. You may want to eventually consider using fertilizers (liquid or dry) or even a CO2 system (DIY CO2 generators are very easy to make and cost next to nothing).

 

[FishEggs]

just be sure to use a daylight spectrum bulb if you go planted.

 

[cwt]

I've started 4 planted tanks in the past year, different sizes, filters, fish, etc. The HOB filters work fine, I like my AquaClear but my others work just as well I think.

Only rec I would make is don't start with java moss unless you're prepared to trim it back occasionally; it gets out of control fast. The other plants that Gamer recommended all work great.

 

[fishmonkey]

i say you get plastic or none for the first few weeks. during that time, research what kinds of plants you should get, and then just trade out the plastic plants for live ones!

 

[woofer00]

Go nuts with the hardy low-light plants like anacharis, java ferns, and java ferns if you're new to plants. They're hard to kill and easy to provide for. You might try branching out into more demanding plants with fancy light setups and injected Co2 later on, but for the simpler starter plants, you really just need to swap out your existing bulbs for some daylight/6500k cfls with enough wattage, and make sure to do some PWCs early on to get trace elements from your water supply into the water column.

Planted tanks are also more stable and easier to maintain. PWCs can be delayed if necessary b/c the plants will soak up some nitrates for their own growth, and the fish certainly like having plants to hide in. A small 4" $5 tube plant can easily outgrow a $30 piece of plastic decor within two months, and fish seem to appreciate having real plants to hang out in.

Be warned though: live plants can and will take over your tank given enough nutrients and light. A pruning every other PWC or at least once a month will keep them in check.