First dirted tank journal (slow)

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If you use the Just Natural you really should do the 7 days of 100% WC as it will really knock down the tons of tannins that stuff releases. Then on day 8 plant very heavily with plants such as water sprite, wisteria, and any fast growing stem plants. These are the plants in the first few months that will use the most excess nutrients making it harder for algae to take hold. You will still get diatoms, that's a given, but also only run your lights for 6 hours a day for the first 3 or so months. This will also go a long way in keeping algae down. You will also need to get something like a long BBQ fork so you can poke around the tank substrate about 3x daily to release excess gas pockets that form from the breakdown of organics in the soil. It last 4-5 weeks. And be sure to get Purgen to help with any tannins that will leach for awhile. I never noticed any tannins after I put Purgen in. If you can plant at least 80% of your substrate your tank will cycle very quickly also. Doing the process above, 7 days of 100% WC, planting on day 8 very very heavily, my tank was cycled by day 10. You won't need any root tabs for about 2-3 months if you use any swords or crypts but you will probably need to start using ferts between 2-4 weeks after setting up.

Okay I appreciate the heads up lol il try the 7 day water change and let you know how it goes. Do I start checking parameters after the 7th day or on day 1? I'm looking into homemade root tabs. I hear they last alot longer but not sure i may just get seachem product.
 
I wouldn't check the water parameters until a couple days after planting. No need to before that.
 
SURPRISE!!! I'm back sorry for leaving you guys in the dark but iv been toying with some plants to see what ones I can take care of under my lights and I finally got it set up today. I let the dirt soak for we'll over 2 months and finally broke down and did it. I wanted to wait until I got some more plants in but my patience with an empty 55 is very slim lol. As of right now my plants are
Native jungle Val
Amazon sword compacta
Water wisteria
Java fern
Native fanwort I think?
And that's it so far. Going to get a argentine sword the next time I go to the store to have in between my 2 drift wood logs. Gonna wait on messing around with a carpet plant until the tank is balanced. But anyway here is what it looks like as of 10 minutes ago. P.S. don't pay attention to the bag of rocks on the wood to the left. It's there to hold it down until it decides to sink completely lol

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Update day 8: excuse the dirty water I just moved a few things around and about to clean it up a little. Got some shots of my driftwood and some of my baby zebra danios in the tank for now (trying to keep the cycle going)


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First picture is my favorite piece of driftwood. I love how it has deep texture and has a vain type structure in the middle. Going to cover it in some java fern.


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Love this piece. It has lots of cracks and uniqueness from its age. Thinking of covering this one in the anubias nana (maybe) both these pieces were attached before and split them so they could fit. Had some trouble with it leaching tannins again after I split it. Now the water looks like our tea pot lol


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Now for the fish! I got 4 zebra danios in here as of now and going to wait to see how they do for the first month before I add anymore. Not sure if my cycle is still rolling or not. Tested a bunch and nothing showed up but nitrates so I went ahead and added these little guys for now just to be on the safe side. I have 6 more in the hospital tank waiting to go in. Bred them my self. They are getting big :)
 
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