First Post, new tank, lets GO!

[Thever]

Greetings!,


I stumbled on this site and this is amazing! The amount of info I have ingested in 24 hours is more than I ever knew in years. Heres the deal...I'm going to go buy a regular glass 5 gallon tank, and would like a little advice regarding some of the equipmet and supplies I should get. I've seen a few threads regarding small planted tanks and I like em!

My thoughts so far(please feel free to offer suggestions more intelligent than my own) Tank I will get...need some substrate, so Eco-complete sounds like a good deal-not cheap, but shouldnt need replacement right? As far as a filter, how about a microclean 304? Probably want a small heater and thermometer.

I'm not even getting into the plants yet as I know that varies on the ease of maint. and lighting, so I'll wait till the dust settles a bit and move on from there. Thanks


Kevin

 

[neilanh]

Welcome to AA!

Eco-complete is a good choice, that should work out well for you.

What are you thinking in terms of lighting? Are you looking for a high-light, high-tech setup, or a low-light easy maintenance setup?

 

[Thever]

Leaning toward a lower light- easier to maintain. Kind of leaning toward a shrimp tank...maybe a couple of fish. I realize I'm really limiting myself with such a small tank, but a few fish, some shrimp and some plants would look sweet.

 

[Thever]

Ok, heres where the setup is at, I have a 5 gallon aquarium, some eco-complete and a coralife 9"-18 watt light, comes with 1-9 watt Actinic Blue, and 1-10,000 k daylight lamp. Heres where the questions are going to start mounting up....Not looking for an active carbon setup, but will supplement with a liquid Co2 if necessary.
1. What light level does this give me?
2 I like the look of the Ricca(enought light?) but are there issues with liquid co2 and that?
3. I need to get a filter-probably submersible-no carbon in that correct?

Thanks
Kevin

 

[Jchillin]

The actinic blue will not add anything to your light levels so I would skip it. Although the 10k "appears" to give you 3wpg, due to the WPG rule breaking down in small tanks, I'd say you have more like 2wpg. This is a good amount of light for most plants.

No, riccia will not thrive with your light and does need injected CO2. No, activated carbon is not needed.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I have found that I need alot more light on smaller tanks. For example, I have 27 watts over my 5.5g and I consider that about medium-high light. Medium light and low light plants grow fine and high light plants are a little slow and don't thrive (although I have Aquasoil, ferts, and co2) but they grow.

I would say that if you use the actinic bulb, you have pretty low light with just the 10,000K one. I suggest replacing the actinic bulb for either a 6700K or 10,000K and you should definitely be able to grow Riccia in that light. With 2 daylight bulbs, I would then say you have medium light. This is just from my experiences with the amount of light needed for small tanks.

You don't have to inject co2 to grow Riccia. It does make it grow alot faster, but you would soon have a tank full of Riccia.

I would get a small hang on back filter. Try finding something that says "nano" on it and recommended for around 5 gallons.

 

[Thever]

Ok, small change- I got a 10 gallon for cheap, glass top, an aquaclear 20 filter, and a 50 watt heater. I do have the eco-complete also. Can I put this all together and put some water in and start filtering? Or are plants necessary too? I have no testing equipment whatsoever so I know thats next on the list, and I have not purchased a replacement bulb-probably a 6k to partner w/ the 10k. Just dont want to do something I'll regret.

 

[neilanh]

Yes, you can set it all up and let the filter run to clean up the water, but other than that you're ready to plant at any time at that point.

You should also consider going ahead with a fishless cycle first, however, and just knock that out and not have to worry about it any more.

 

[Thever]

Ok, tanks full- cant see the back! but seems to be clearing up a little after a half hour. Filter seems to make some racket at times, not sure if the impeller is working right...kind of a high pitched sound every now and then. Temp was 80 but falling, I have the heater set for 76 or so. We'll see how things progress. Thanks for the help so far!

 

[neilanh]

Filter probably just needs to break in a little bit, then it should quiet down some. you will probably hear it crunch from time to time as it chews up air bubbles that will eventually release from what got trapped under the substrate.

 

[Thever]

Heres a shot of the tank fill+6 hours-looks....death valleyish Unfortunately the lfs only had 10k lamps so I have 2 of those now-18 watts total.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Looks good so far lol You might want to look into better lighting. I have 15watts on my 5 gallon and thats enough for a low light setup 3wpg. You got 18watts which is only like 1.8wpg so you might need to look into more lighting. But besides that it looks good. If you got any more questions just ask away

 

[Thever]

Ok....a few changes since last post, took my 9 inch coralife back and got a 20 inch instead w/ 1-28watt bulb, so that helps light level a little. I have also started a fishless cycle and am waiting for somethin to happen, I added ammonia 2 days ago

Added a few rocks, and am struggling to find my perfect layout, would love to find a piece of driftwood or 2- I have in my mind 2 dead 'trees' with moss on it

 

[Thever]

The cycle is.....done? I blew it with the ammonia...way too much or so I thought. The day after I put it in I let it circulate for 24 hrs and measured it...DARK green 8.0 minimum, and decided let it ride for a bit as I have nothing in there to worry about except a rock or 3. That was oct 30. I just tested it today and ammonia is .25, my nitrites are 1.0 and nitrates are between 40-80. I just got my kh/gh kit and havent tested that yet.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

Pictures!!!! Lol

 

[Thever]

you'll be sorely disappointed...this aquascaping stuff is tough as I don't have a creative bone in my body, but if you insist...I did order my first plant today! so my moonscape will soon get some color.

 

[ingg]

you'll be sorely disappointed...this aquascaping stuff is tough as I don't have a creative bone in my body, but if you insist...I did order my first plant today! so my moonscape will soon get some color.

You'd be surprised how much of it is trained technique instead of creative juices. I'm starting to learn it, and am learning there is a lot of science and ratios, and a lot less pure wing it, than I thought.

First trick - set your hardscape focal off center. Get the big rock out of the middle, set it at a third point to the right or left. (I'd put it on left side about 4-5" off from where it is now, leave smaller rocks where they are.) It is a trick to the human eye, our eye doesn't like the scene split down the middle, we find it more pleasing to have a large and small side.

Second trick - wide foregrounds are typically an illusion. When you move it to the side, move it up towards the front. Many of the foregrounds you see are only 2-3" wide, even in bigger tanks.

 

[Thever]

Aprreciate the advice, I happened upon some driftwood and would like to incorporate that into it, I'll probably remove the big rock unless you think that it would work better, I'll post a pic of what I have, tanks a disaster right now, as I threw the wood in there to start soaking-floats like cork right now. Eventually I think the stump on the left will have the main trunk at an angle like it broke off, its a perfect fit,possibly resting on the right 'tree'


puzzler....I did a water change today, probably had 1 gallon left, refilled it and took a measurement of nitrates and no improvement, still around 40 or so, what gives? Keep doing it? Thanks!

 

[Purrbox]

Check your tap water for Nitrates. Very common in some areas to have higher Nitrate levels which limit how far a water change will bring down the levels.

 

[Thever]

I thought of that last night and tested it just for fun, and I got a nice yellow test tube, while after filling it today, it was cherry red.

Current water readings
78 deg
Ph 7.6
Nitrites 1.0
Nitrates 40
Amm 0
GH 50 ppm
KH low end of 0-50 ppm