Help me set up a 30 gallon planted tank

[Vladka]

So I have a 20 gallon and 30 gallon that I'm planning to merge.
Bigger is always better, right? So I was going to just move all of my 20 gal contents into the 29 gal, but I thought there could be more I can do.

30:
currently has large HOB, I just attached a canister filter and am letting that make a good bacteria colony.
Just purchased a 150 watt heater (the 100 watt wasn't doing anything) it is a little warm so I keep dialing it down but it heats over what I set it to.
5 harlequin Rasboras and many red cherry shrimp
Full spectrum bulb
Gravel, planning to replace with the titanium moon sand in the 20 ****was wondering if I should add a more plant specific substrate to this? I have some fluorite gravel stuff.**** I have hard water, thinking about making a s. Repens carpet (no experience with carpet except failed Java Moss lol)



20:
mostly hardy plants right now, like a couple types of Anubias, java moss, java fern, a sword plant, and all my duckweed was eaten haha. (My lucky bamboo of 5 years just died )
Some plattys and red Cherry shrimp
Driftwood
Titanium moon sand, sponge filter, and philips t8 18" plant and aquarium bulb.



Okay, so I really would like to know if s.repens will work as a carpet, what substrate additions I should do and lighting.
I'm not really planning to add co2 unless it's needed, I have some fish as well, lots of shrimp.
Lighting.... I love the philips but it does not come in 24" t8 no matter where I've looked, so I went to Petsmart and bought another full spectrum (I've bought the plant one before and it's too dim for me) and then I realized I already have a full spectrum in the 30... but it's been running 3-4 years so I'm guessing for plants it's good to have a new one anyways? Or would it be better to take that back and invest in a new light set up altogether?

Any plant recommendations? Hard water, ph of 7.6-8.2 (usually at 7.8) weekly water changes, could go to biweekly of heavily planted. Canister filter, seachem flourish fertilizer, also have root tabs I use for the sword.

Sorry this is so long, to wrap up:
Lighting?
Substrate?
Ferts?
Plant recommendations?

Thank you so much, this is my first post on this forum, my other fish forums kind of died.

 

[Bert2oo1]

I'd go with a nutrient rich substrate if your planning a carpet. My repens grow really well in both fluval stratum or Eco complete.

I prefer LED's over fluro's as they last a lot longer however it's personal preference.

Flourish or dry salts will work, make sure u dose seachem excel if your not planning on using presurised co2.

 

[Vladka]

I'd go with a nutrient rich substrate if your planning a carpet. My repens grow really well in both fluval stratum or Eco complete.

I prefer LED's over fluro's as they last a lot longer however it's personal preference.

Flourish or dry salts will work, make sure u dose seachem excel if your not planning on using presurised co2.

With Fluval Stratum and Eco Complete would I be able to still use sand? Like can they be mixed in? I've heard of people using dirt as well?

Do LED's provide sufficient light for plants? Is there a specific kind to get? I could but a new light fixture as long as it isn't too expensive.

I've read that Excel isn't good for what I had at some point, and flourish adds everything I need, or was it that I need to use both?

 

[Bert2oo1]

With Fluval Stratum and Eco Complete would I be able to still use sand? Like can they be mixed in? I've heard of people using dirt as well?

Do LED's provide sufficient light for plants? Is there a specific kind to get? I could but a new light fixture as long as it isn't too expensive.

I've read that Excel isn't good for what I had at some point, and flourish adds everything I need, or was it that I need to use both?

I guess u could cap it with sand? Dirt works aswell but as a beginner I'd recommend not using it as it can be very messy.

Yes LED's are fine for plants fixtures like finnex planted plus and fudge Ray, Aqua one plant grow etc

Excel is a must as plants need a carbon sauce. However it can melt certain plants like vals for example.

 

[Vladka]

I guess u could cap it with sand? Dirt works aswell but as a beginner I'd recommend not using it as it can be very messy.

Yes LED's are fine for plants fixtures like finnex planted plus and fudge Ray, Aqua one plant grow etc

Excel is a must as plants need a carbon sauce. However it can melt certain plants like vals for example.

Yeah I guess I could cap it with sand, it would make cleaning easier, should I then add Corry cats? I used to have them but they've all died now :/

Would the carbon produced by the fish not be enough for the plants? Also would I need to add more plants before adding the excel?

Okay, I like the idea of LED. Finnex Planted Plus seems good, I have one similar. Would the 20" or 24" be better? Current light is 24" and does not cover the entire tank length.

 

[Bert2oo1]

Yeah I guess I could cap it with sand, it would make cleaning easier, should I then add Corry cats? I used to have them but they've all died now :/

Would the carbon produced by the fish not be enough for the plants? Also would I need to add more plants before adding the excel?

Okay, I like the idea of LED. Finnex Planted Plus seems good, I have one similar. Would the 20" or 24" be better? Current light is 24" and does not cover the entire tank length.

Depends how many plants u want but to carpet u will definitely need to add carbon. There are many low light plants that u can grow without it but I would dose it no matter what to be honest.

You want your light to stretch the full length if u can. I run a 60cm light on a 75cm tank at the moment and to be honest I hate it. Because u have limited light either side of the lighting fixture the plants tend to bend towards the light rather than growing straight. However the plants toward the middle of the tank grow nice and straight so if u don't plan on having plants either side of the light then it will be fine.

The finnex led's should be fine for atleast 4 years without any issues.

As for being easier to clean, I don't really need to clean the substrate in a planted tank as all the fish waste tends to break down into fertiliser for your plants. I've had my 30g running for about 8-9 months and have never syphoned the substrate. I just wave it just above the plants to pick up any large debris.

Remember the stronger the light the more co2/ferts u will need so it's best to buy a dimmable fixture so u can dim it to the strength that works best for u. Too much light with little ferts and co2 = a lot of algae.

 

[Vladka]

Okay so I'll get the new light at 24" which is as big as my current light, tank is a little smaller but I think it's okay.
Some excel
I was reading on other sites that the two substrates aren't as good aquasoil, would you recommend that? Or is fluval Stratum okay?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Okay so I'll get the new light at 24" which is as big as my current light, tank is a little smaller but I think it's okay.
Some excel
I was reading on other sites that the two substrates aren't as good aquasoil, would you recommend that? Or is fluval Stratum okay?

Eco complete is the best all round I'd say. Stratum tends to be harder to get plants to grip to.

 

[Vladka]

Eco complete is the best all round I'd say. Stratum tends to be harder to get plants to grip to.

I read it's bad for tanks with shrimp in them though.

 

[Bert2oo1]

I read it's bad for tanks with shrimp in them though.

Oh really? I didn't know that lol I guess any sort of planted substrate will work. But yea stratum is a pain to plant in. My otto's up root my plants out the the stratum all the time. Very frustrating

 

[Vladka]

Oh really? I didn't know that lol I guess any sort of planted substrate will work. But yea stratum is a pain to plant in. My otto's up root my plants out the the stratum all the time. Very frustrating

So if I cap it with sand it would probably hold? Now I'm concerned about the ph lol... it said aquascape will keep ph around 6.8 and mine is at 7.8 haha... ugh plants hate it. Does fluval Stratum lower it too?

So far shopping list:
-Seachem excel
-Finnxel fudgeray planted plus
-Some sort of substrate sos (I'll mix it with fluorite too) and cover with sand.

 

[Bert2oo1]

So if I cap it with sand it would probably hold? Now I'm concerned about the ph lol... it said aquascape will keep ph around 6.8 and mine is at 7.8 haha... ugh plants hate it. Does fluval Stratum lower it too?

So far shopping list:
-Seachem excel
-Finnxel fudgeray planted plus
-Some sort of substrate sos (I'll mix it with fluorite too) and cover with sand.

Yea it will hold if u cap it. Don't worry too much about ph your co2 will bring that down a mile. Mine drops from 7.4-6.2 at the height of co2

 

[Vladka]

Alright, that's surprising about the ph. I guess I'll buy the 30" light actually... checking out now, I'm thinking the 17.6 lb bag of Stratum will be enough to cover the tank and the sand will add enough extra length.

Also when I plant, do I plant everything before putting the sand on? Or does it all just get mixed in anyways?

 

[Bert2oo1]

Alright, that's surprising about the ph. I guess I'll buy the 30" light actually... checking out now, I'm thinking the 17.6 lb bag of Stratum will be enough to cover the tank and the sand will add enough extra length.

Also when I plant, do I plant everything before putting the sand on? Or does it all just get mixed in anyways?

U want about an inch of substrate depth(including the sand) I'd plant after just be careful not to disturb the bottom layer too much

 

[fishenthusiast]

Alright, that's surprising about the ph. I guess I'll buy the 30" light actually... checking out now, I'm thinking the 17.6 lb bag of Stratum will be enough to cover the tank and the sand will add enough extra length.

Also when I plant, do I plant everything before putting the sand on? Or does it all just get mixed in anyways?

With added CO2, the pH decreases since carbonic acid is a product of the reaction between CO2 and water. The pH only decreases slightly since carbonic acid is a weak acid. Put the sand in the tank before planting.

 

[Vladka]

With added CO2, the pH decreases since carbonic acid is a product of the reaction between CO2 and water. The pH only decreases slightly since carbonic acid is a weak acid. Put the sand in the tank before planting.

Oh okay, it all makes sense now lol. Thanks! I'm excited!

Last part..... and recommended plants and place to purchase? Should I try to have duckweed again? They ate all of it last time, it was growing really well until I added fish though lol.

 

[Fresh2o]

Which fish are the duckweed? I despise that plant (although I am using it as shade in my shrimp tank).
Places I've ordered plants from:
AA classified section ads
Peabodysparadise.com (AA member run)
AquariumPlants.com
PlantedAquariumsCentral.com (in Hereford, AZ)

 

[Bert2oo1]

Oh okay, it all makes sense now lol. Thanks! I'm excited!

Last part..... and recommended plants and place to purchase? Should I try to have duckweed again? They ate all of it last time, it was growing really well until I added fish though lol.

No need for duckweed, it's just messy if u ask me u can start with beginner plants like anubias, Java ferns (of all types) crypt's (of all types) mosses, maybe some vals? if I was u id start with low-medium plants as medium-high light plants need some serious nutrients, co2 and light for them to thrive.

And if your plan is to go full scale planted tank then I would plant heavy from the start.

Make sure u know what ferts your going to use before purchasing the plants (I recommend PPS pro or EI dosing) PPS pro is probs better for low-medium and EI is better for high light

 

[fishenthusiast]

I've ordered plants as well from other AA members. I don't really look at these forums, but when I need a rare plant, or just any plant in general, that someone here can't provide, I look at the for sale sections of The Planted Tank and Aquatic Plant Central. I've gotten good plants from members there too. I've also ordered some plants from plantdrafts and Peabody's Paradise, but I prefer buying plants submersed. For rare plants, look at https://liquidcreations.net.

 

[Vladka]

No need for duckweed, it's just messy if u ask me u can start with beginner plants like anubias, Java ferns (of all types) crypt's (of all types) mosses, maybe some vals? if I was u id start with low-medium plants as medium-high light plants need some serious nutrients, co2 and light for them to thrive.

And if your plan is to go full scale planted tank then I would plant heavy from the start.

Make sure u know what ferts your going to use before purchasing the plants (I recommend PPS pro or EI dosing) PPS pro is probs better for low-medium and EI is better for high light

So you'd suggest a heavy set up with beginner plants? I already have anubias and java fern and moss. I'll look into the other ones mentioned, also want baby tears and obviously the s. Reopens carpet.
Okay okay I don't actually know anything about farts, you're losing me. I just got the Seachem root tabs, flourish, and now excel. That's it, idk how to go about anything else.


My rainbowfish and believe it or not plattys ate all the duckweed!

Okay cool! I'll deff check out AA members for plants, and I live in AZ so that one place mentioned might be good, it'll ship quickly at least haha.