Nightingale
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Well, not exactly the first, but the only plants in my betta tank are java moss and anubias, which I haven't had any problems keeping at all. I've done some research but am still a little conflicted, especially about what substrate to use.
I want to set up a low tech planted aquarium, 36 gallon bowfront. All plants will be low light plants, but I want it to be pretty heavily planted. This is my first real step into aquascaping, and I have pretty specific ideas about what I'd like it to look like when it's finished.
Plants that I've considered keeping so far are creeping jenny, anubias, java moss, water sprite, java fern, water wisteria. Fish that will for sure be going into the tank are 7 long-fin black skirt tetras, 4 kuhli loaches, and a bristlenose pleco, IF the pleco won't bother the khuli loaches and the plants (the fish are from tanks that I am downsizing from). The filter on the tank currently is an aquaclear 20-40, which I'm willing to change or add another filter to if needed, I've never used that kind of filer before.
My specific questions right now are:
1.) Lighting. The light that I have is a 15 watt T-8 full spectrum fluorescent. Will I need to replace that bulb? Is 15 watts enough?)
2.) Substrate. I like the look of black sand. My original plan was to use standard black aquarium sand and use root tabs for any plants that are root feeders, and dose the water with appropriate amounts of liquid fertilizer for other plants. Would this be ok? Or is aquarium sand too dense for roots to grow well in?
At least one person has suggested I "dirt" the tank. I would like to avoid this if at all possible, because in about 8 months I probably will be moving again and from what I understand, dirt has the potential to be a mess and not something highly recommended to people just starting with planted aquariums. I wouldn't be opposed to using some other kind of substrate like floramax or something else under the sand if this would help.
3.) Drift wood. I would like a medium to large sized, interesting piece of driftwood. I am aware that a lot of driftwood needs to be soaked before it will sink. Malaysian driftwood, on the other hand, does not, but tends to leach a lot of tannins into the water which changes the water color and will alter the ph which might not be good for all fish... Do you think that Malaysian driftwood would harm my fish in this case?
4.) Nitrogen cycle. Can I put my plants and driftwood in first, and then complete the nitrogen cycle before adding fish? Or should the nitrogen cycle be completed before plants are added as well?
ANY advice from people who have done low tech planted aquariums before would be appreciated. I know there are various different ways to go about it, I just want to hear the different ways in which people have been successful, and I would like to avoid doing anything that is going to kill a lot of plants and fish.
Thanks in advance, and I apologize for so much text in one post!
I want to set up a low tech planted aquarium, 36 gallon bowfront. All plants will be low light plants, but I want it to be pretty heavily planted. This is my first real step into aquascaping, and I have pretty specific ideas about what I'd like it to look like when it's finished.
Plants that I've considered keeping so far are creeping jenny, anubias, java moss, water sprite, java fern, water wisteria. Fish that will for sure be going into the tank are 7 long-fin black skirt tetras, 4 kuhli loaches, and a bristlenose pleco, IF the pleco won't bother the khuli loaches and the plants (the fish are from tanks that I am downsizing from). The filter on the tank currently is an aquaclear 20-40, which I'm willing to change or add another filter to if needed, I've never used that kind of filer before.
My specific questions right now are:
1.) Lighting. The light that I have is a 15 watt T-8 full spectrum fluorescent. Will I need to replace that bulb? Is 15 watts enough?)
2.) Substrate. I like the look of black sand. My original plan was to use standard black aquarium sand and use root tabs for any plants that are root feeders, and dose the water with appropriate amounts of liquid fertilizer for other plants. Would this be ok? Or is aquarium sand too dense for roots to grow well in?
At least one person has suggested I "dirt" the tank. I would like to avoid this if at all possible, because in about 8 months I probably will be moving again and from what I understand, dirt has the potential to be a mess and not something highly recommended to people just starting with planted aquariums. I wouldn't be opposed to using some other kind of substrate like floramax or something else under the sand if this would help.
3.) Drift wood. I would like a medium to large sized, interesting piece of driftwood. I am aware that a lot of driftwood needs to be soaked before it will sink. Malaysian driftwood, on the other hand, does not, but tends to leach a lot of tannins into the water which changes the water color and will alter the ph which might not be good for all fish... Do you think that Malaysian driftwood would harm my fish in this case?
4.) Nitrogen cycle. Can I put my plants and driftwood in first, and then complete the nitrogen cycle before adding fish? Or should the nitrogen cycle be completed before plants are added as well?
ANY advice from people who have done low tech planted aquariums before would be appreciated. I know there are various different ways to go about it, I just want to hear the different ways in which people have been successful, and I would like to avoid doing anything that is going to kill a lot of plants and fish.
Thanks in advance, and I apologize for so much text in one post!
They all prefer softer water and lower pH.
