My first planted tank - don't laugh!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Eggheadfish

Eggheadfish

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
1,503
Location
CT
Hi guys!
In addition to my 55 and 35 hex, I'm now setting up a 15 gallon tall and I'm making my first attempted at a planted tank. This is all low-tech, incandescent bulbs no CO2 etc.
I got some beautiful looking plants from David (Fresh) to get going, as well as picked up some java fern from my LFS. I also collected and prepped some wood from around my yard. Substrate is coal slag (black beauty), and I painted the background black. I have a sponge filter seeding in my other tank right now.
My stocking plan is a little confused right now. For sure I will be getting some CPDs because I know my LFS carries them. I want to get habrosas and ghost shrimp for sure. Other than that, I may do some rasboras or blue eyes if I can find them. If not, oh well. I considered maybe a dwarf gourami or single ram or apisto but I really don't know that I will be able to find any. I'm okay with leaving it understocked with the smaller guys. We shall see.
Anyway, here are some pics of startup. I'm dosing with Leaf Zone and waiting for some Seachem Comp. right now. I tied these things down with thread and rocks, which I hate, but it will have to do until they root unless someone has better ideas.
Wish me luck! And no laughing all you successful plant keepers :)





 
Looking good so far. Will you be able to swap out the incandescent bulbs for CFLs? They run cooler, produce decent light, and are available in 6500K or 6700K.
The CPDs sound like a nice choice for that tank size. I've only seen blue eyes in my LFS once.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Haha. I plan to do something about the lighting I just don't know what yet so tell me my best bet and I will start searching!
 
I have a 150w clamp light, can I use that with a mesh or glass top instead of the hood?
 
Do you have two pieces of wood in there or just one that branches? And everyone has to start somewhere with their tanks. I started with 2 java ferns and now have a much better looking tank.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Everybody needs to start somewhere indeed! Who am I to criticise such a nice tank, when I only started with a poorly planted anubias-tank myself :)

Keep on the good work! Keep learning.. And trust me, there is much to learn ;)


Sent per three-eyed raven..
 
Hey David,
I don't know if I want to use the hood, something is wrong the plastic is melting and it gets super hot even with small bulbs. If I do the clamp I have to have a cover cause, ya know, I have a cat haha.
It's a 15g tall so same footprint as a ten but taller, I don't know the dims offhand I can check.
 
Fish wrangler I have four pieces of wood in there, two are going in another tank but I needed somewhere to keep them soaking for now
 
You can tie a rock to them to hold them down. Not sure if it helps waterlog them, but it might

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
I can look up the dimensions (15g).
The incandescent bulbs tend to produce a lot of heat. Not good. You can try it with the CFLs since they do not produce much heat. If you do so, please make sure that the new bulbs do not exceed the wattage limit of the fixture.
The clamp on light with a CFL should work fine. You may have to get a glass hinged top to go over it. If evaporation is not a big deal then you could use a sheet of an egg crate (found in the lighting section if your he store) cut to fit. Keeps fish in and curious paws out.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
CFL it shall be, the hood is rated for two 15w I believe so I can grab some smaller ones until I figure out my end game. The clamp light is rated 150w max but I don't have anywhere to clamp it so I'll have to hang it from the ceiling or rig something up. I like the glass tops but if the bulbs are cool enough to set on mesh I'm not opposed to that either, I assume it would be cheaper. I'll just have to butcher it to run the airline and heater in, no biggie. The only thing I would be concerned about there is cat hair or whatever else falling through the mesh, the tank is in my kitchen so it's a high traffic area.
Can you post a pic or link to the egg crate thing you mentioned? I'm not sure I know what you mean.
Thanks again for all of the help! My seachem showed up today so I dosed that. I also relocated the water lettuce into the 55 since it was blocking the other plants from the lights. My SDs haven't touched it yet and it seems to like the new digs! No more melting yet. I also threw some in the breeder traps in that tank.
 
Here are a few examples of egg crate, aka light diffuser panel. Should be available in the lighting section of HD/Lowes:
http://www.eplastics.com/m/mobile.html?item=116
http://www.eplastics.com/m/mobile.html?item=119
It can be cut to fit using a jigsaw or hacksaw (I once used a pair of needle nose pliers to break the plastic and a hammer to knock off the 'tabs'...w/ some brute force).
Usually available in white. Just don't get silver because I've read where the finish can peel off over time.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
We all can't be Tashi Amano when it comes to planted tanks. I'm so impatient I use whatever color rubber bands I can find to secure my plants to rocks. Looks awful but works. Looks good so far. Good luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
David I checked out the egg crate. The two places near me have 4' by 2' ones and you have to buy in packs of five, so unless I can find somewhere else or buy online at those links I won't be picking any up locally haha. I actually would prefer a glass top I think and I found some on sale so I'll let you know what I end up doing
 
Ok I have the clamp light on just to check it out, it has a 26W CFL in there now. It's only rated 2700K and you mentioned 65-6700 so I guess I'm not there yet. I think I may want to get a higher wattage but the light seems to be reaching the bottom better. It looks weird because I can't quite tilt it to face down. Not sure what I'm going to do here because this is what it looks like lidless. Also new heater in there. Thoughts?
 
Oh yeah it's not in any way scaped I just wanted to get all the stuff in some water. I'm going to rearrange everything I just haven't gotten that far yet haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
First plants - how to tell if they're doing well?
Replies
1
Views
476
Aiken Drum
Aiken Drum
M
Models of Planted Tanks?
Replies
14
Views
1K
mikeb
M
B
Should Angel fish go first in new planted tank.
Replies
3
Views
384
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
A
My Planted Tank
Replies
1
Views
314
Andy Sager
Andy Sager
L
Any floating plant recommendations?
Replies
6
Views
631
Fishfur
F

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom