Reese299
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi All,
I'm starting up a 55 gallon tank. I've been advised to ditch the undergravel filter, which I think would be a great idea since I know they are a Pain in the :censor:. That in mind, i'd like to have a planted tnakand I have a few questions and any answers and suggestions would be greatly appreciated...
1) How long should I wait before placing live plants ?
2) For a 55 gallon tank, can I get away with using 2 standard 15W florescent bar lights in the hood? If more is recommended, is there a higher wattage bulb I can use in the same hood?
3) Is there any special material I should use to promote plant growth? I read that Vermiculite and Laterite work good, but does that go well with a sand bottom? If so, do I add some on the very bottom, then put the sand over top?
4) This is a biggie... Do I need to add CO2 to the tank? I looked at a DIY kit for producing CO2 using Yeast and it looks pretty do-able to me (I think I'd put all mixture bottled in a box though in case it explodes )
5) What plant types would you recommend?
6) Lastly, Are the plants you buy in a package that sit on the bottom of the tank and grow after a week acceptable? I've had them before and they and 2 out of 4 actually grew into decent plants, but died shortly there after - I'm guessing CO2 was the problem?
Thanks in advance for any insight you might have!
I'm starting up a 55 gallon tank. I've been advised to ditch the undergravel filter, which I think would be a great idea since I know they are a Pain in the :censor:. That in mind, i'd like to have a planted tnakand I have a few questions and any answers and suggestions would be greatly appreciated...
1) How long should I wait before placing live plants ?
2) For a 55 gallon tank, can I get away with using 2 standard 15W florescent bar lights in the hood? If more is recommended, is there a higher wattage bulb I can use in the same hood?
3) Is there any special material I should use to promote plant growth? I read that Vermiculite and Laterite work good, but does that go well with a sand bottom? If so, do I add some on the very bottom, then put the sand over top?
4) This is a biggie... Do I need to add CO2 to the tank? I looked at a DIY kit for producing CO2 using Yeast and it looks pretty do-able to me (I think I'd put all mixture bottled in a box though in case it explodes )
5) What plant types would you recommend?
6) Lastly, Are the plants you buy in a package that sit on the bottom of the tank and grow after a week acceptable? I've had them before and they and 2 out of 4 actually grew into decent plants, but died shortly there after - I'm guessing CO2 was the problem?
Thanks in advance for any insight you might have!
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