pitt420dude
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm really considering jumping into a planted tank system with both feet. I'm pretty indecisive and not rich, so I may not jump but either way it's fun for me to talk, learn, and basically gather information about; this way when I do, I'll have a better idea of what I'm doing. Sometimes I think I enjoy reading/discussing/shopping as much as the hobby itself, so I love searching for deals and bargains when it comes to anything (aka...I'm a cheap a$$). This frugality engourages me to take advantage of the more simple DIY projects.
I have been exchanging PMs with a few of you and just thought I'd start this thread as a repository for all the info I've been wondering about. Throughout this post you'll find numbered questions for clarity, if you feel like taking a stab at one, tell me which question you're answering unless it's already obvious.
Perhaps knowing a little about my tastes will help guide your advice: I have and plan on continuing to have a community tank usually filled with less aggressive cichs (2 krib and 2 brichardi) 4 loaches ( 3 clown and 1 yo yo) 3 corys, 6 rasboras, 3 gouramis, a clown pleco, and a red tail shark. I don't have snails and none of these fish are renowned plant killers.
As far as plants go, I am looking to grow glosso. I really like the carpet look and hope to get the tank to a point where significant chunks of it are covered. I'd also like to keep a thin border of gravel around each plant, sort of like a japanese rock garden would appear...each plant its own "exhibit." I'm also a sucker for driftwood and rock formations.
My setup: I have my Dad's old 55 gal long (four foot long and what? 1'6" thick from front to back and maybe 2.5-3 feet deep from top to bottom) that used to be a SW tank, but is now a FW tank. My tap water is 7.6 out of the tap and usually tests between moderate and very hard. I use an HOB powerfilter and a cannister filter in a 10 gall sump tank underneath.
If I get a CO2 system, it will be pressurized. Almost everyone has told me that if you're going to do it, this is the way to go especially with a tank as big as a 55 gal. I don't have anything for this but would probably enjoy making my own diffuser (Edit: Actually it was a reactor wasn't it) like Sparky did. That looked really great and well done and effective. Q1: What is the difference between a reactor and a diffuser.
As far as lights go, I already have my dad's old saltwater light housing and bulbs, only one bulb works. The bulbs are 18 inches long, half actinic, and 65 watts. They have a wierd prong that only has two brass colored prongs coming out. Q0: What kind of lights are these and is it possible to buy replacement bulbs that fit within this housing or do you suggest scrappin it and getting a whole new setup? I'm really leaning towards getting two 2x55watt setup offered by AH supply. This four-foot stip (two 2-foot strips) of lighting will fit my tank nicer than the three foot 2x96 watt setup. I don't know what kind of bulbs to get though. Q2: What do you suggest, CF, HO (Q3: what does HO stand for, an abbreviation of VHO?)
Currently I have a somewhat thin (maybe 1.5 inches) substrate cover of typical brown gravel. Q4: Would I need to get rid of this substrate altogther and replace it with a 100% plant-grade substrate, or would mixing in another substrate suffice? I'm not totally against having a red substrate but would probably prefer to avoid it.
Q5: What is up with the timing? This question seeks to find out if I need to fire up my new lights/co2system/add plants/ and start dosing ferts all in the same day? Or should I add one thing at a time, one thing before another, one plant at a time etc.? I'd really like to avoid stressing my fish too much during the changeover.
I've read a lot so you can tailor your comments to someone with some academic knowledge of growing plants (scoured badmans, rex griggs' and other websites), but with absolutely zero experience (other than my no-work-required anubias and java fern).
The think I'm most scared of is the CO2 and chemicle dosing aspects of a planted tanks. I hate test strips and I dunno If I just can't tell color or what but I can never get a comfortably precise measurement of my levels of stuff by guaging shades of color. I think to stay on the simpler/safer side of things, I might follow the EI method I've learned about. Seems like a safe bet for a newb. Any and all help is appreciated.
Oh and if you're using a plant name, please just include the full name (just once) before you start abbreviating it. The only plants I know by name are anubias, java fern and moss, vals, swords, hygro and glosso.
I have been exchanging PMs with a few of you and just thought I'd start this thread as a repository for all the info I've been wondering about. Throughout this post you'll find numbered questions for clarity, if you feel like taking a stab at one, tell me which question you're answering unless it's already obvious.
Perhaps knowing a little about my tastes will help guide your advice: I have and plan on continuing to have a community tank usually filled with less aggressive cichs (2 krib and 2 brichardi) 4 loaches ( 3 clown and 1 yo yo) 3 corys, 6 rasboras, 3 gouramis, a clown pleco, and a red tail shark. I don't have snails and none of these fish are renowned plant killers.
As far as plants go, I am looking to grow glosso. I really like the carpet look and hope to get the tank to a point where significant chunks of it are covered. I'd also like to keep a thin border of gravel around each plant, sort of like a japanese rock garden would appear...each plant its own "exhibit." I'm also a sucker for driftwood and rock formations.
My setup: I have my Dad's old 55 gal long (four foot long and what? 1'6" thick from front to back and maybe 2.5-3 feet deep from top to bottom) that used to be a SW tank, but is now a FW tank. My tap water is 7.6 out of the tap and usually tests between moderate and very hard. I use an HOB powerfilter and a cannister filter in a 10 gall sump tank underneath.
If I get a CO2 system, it will be pressurized. Almost everyone has told me that if you're going to do it, this is the way to go especially with a tank as big as a 55 gal. I don't have anything for this but would probably enjoy making my own diffuser (Edit: Actually it was a reactor wasn't it) like Sparky did. That looked really great and well done and effective. Q1: What is the difference between a reactor and a diffuser.
As far as lights go, I already have my dad's old saltwater light housing and bulbs, only one bulb works. The bulbs are 18 inches long, half actinic, and 65 watts. They have a wierd prong that only has two brass colored prongs coming out. Q0: What kind of lights are these and is it possible to buy replacement bulbs that fit within this housing or do you suggest scrappin it and getting a whole new setup? I'm really leaning towards getting two 2x55watt setup offered by AH supply. This four-foot stip (two 2-foot strips) of lighting will fit my tank nicer than the three foot 2x96 watt setup. I don't know what kind of bulbs to get though. Q2: What do you suggest, CF, HO (Q3: what does HO stand for, an abbreviation of VHO?)
Currently I have a somewhat thin (maybe 1.5 inches) substrate cover of typical brown gravel. Q4: Would I need to get rid of this substrate altogther and replace it with a 100% plant-grade substrate, or would mixing in another substrate suffice? I'm not totally against having a red substrate but would probably prefer to avoid it.
Q5: What is up with the timing? This question seeks to find out if I need to fire up my new lights/co2system/add plants/ and start dosing ferts all in the same day? Or should I add one thing at a time, one thing before another, one plant at a time etc.? I'd really like to avoid stressing my fish too much during the changeover.
I've read a lot so you can tailor your comments to someone with some academic knowledge of growing plants (scoured badmans, rex griggs' and other websites), but with absolutely zero experience (other than my no-work-required anubias and java fern).
The think I'm most scared of is the CO2 and chemicle dosing aspects of a planted tanks. I hate test strips and I dunno If I just can't tell color or what but I can never get a comfortably precise measurement of my levels of stuff by guaging shades of color. I think to stay on the simpler/safer side of things, I might follow the EI method I've learned about. Seems like a safe bet for a newb. Any and all help is appreciated.
Oh and if you're using a plant name, please just include the full name (just once) before you start abbreviating it. The only plants I know by name are anubias, java fern and moss, vals, swords, hygro and glosso.
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