starting first live plant tank 30gal corydoras habitat

[Fitzgeraldkevin]

Ok so I have a 36" 30 gallon up and running but currently do not have the lights. I have a co2 setup you can buy from PETCO, (not running yet since no plants or lights at the moment) I do have my cities in there and a couple stones and driftwood to try and recreate their natural habitat. SO I didn't want to screw up the balance oof the tank. I am.planning on buying a t5 fixture that has two bulbs, a sunlight and a daylight. Ones 5000k and ones 6500k. I am planting anubias Nana, anacharis, Java fern, dwarf hairgeas and I believe that's it for now. Will this balance out ok? I don't want to screw it up and have loads of algae. Any tips will be GREATLY appreciated thanks

 

[aqua_chem]

You will probably need another DIY CO2 reactor to get the CO2 levels you need in a tank that size.

You should also look at a fertilization regimen. Dry ferts will be better in the long term, but the learning curve can be steep in the short term.

 

[nereksnad]

greetings.

algae doesn't really come from not having enough plants, if anything, plants help to stop algae.
algae flourish on nutrients, light, and flow etc, however, plants use up said nutrients which means that if you don't overdo the fertilizing, you sould be fine. a personal experience of mine, is that the recommended dosage of liquid fertilizer is not final, i for a long time had problems with my plants not growing properly, and it was because i underdosed - i used the recommended amount.
i think it's a good idea to start low with the fertilizer and try to adjust the amount. also keep in mind that plants need to establish themselves in the tank for a few weeks before liquid fertilizer sould be used.

sincerely,
nereksnad.