# Teach me your ways!



## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Ok... so I want to start a new tank and I would like to heavily plant it. Thing is ... all I know is.. stick it in an trim it if it gets to big. What else do I need to know. like... I want to put in powerheads with all the little bubbles. Is this good or bad for my plant? Things like these. So what do you all think? Can you fill me in?


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## knownothingfishowner (Feb 22, 2010)

10 or 20 gallon tanks...pick up some Flourish tabs at the pet store and bury it in the gravel near a series of plants. Have had great success doing that alone without any high power lights or CO2. Don't have to go through the whole pack either...four or five tabs in the gravel will do just fine and they last roughly three or four months. 


But, if you're going 40 gallons or higher, pick up three or four bags of Eco Complete and get some Marineland high output T5 lighting. I have a 55 running two 54 watt high outputs and the plant growth is amazing! Don't have any CO2 running yet either, but because I have a good amount of fish in the tank, they probably supply the necessary CO2. 

Plants I really like, which are also great for beginners....anubias, anacharis and wisteria. Anubias for toughness and reliability; anacharis and wisteria for fast and plentiful growth. 

Fish, post-cycle of course...tetras and platys. They're cheap, they look good and they do a respectable job turding-up the tank to break down into plant nutrients. 

Algae janitors...you can't go wrong with a bushy nose pleco. They don't get big (6 inches max) and they're more determined to find algae rather than their common pleco counterparts. Common plecos, in my tanks, only seem to care about the color green and going to work on that. Plus, common plecos have some badass tails that can wreck your plants.

Filtration matters:
Aquaclear, Aquaclear, Aquaclear! Marineland's Penguins/Emperors are good, but the media is impossible to manipulate. Plus, all their filters contain carbon and that'll strip your water of plant nutrients. So go with Aquaclear where you can shove anything you want in there. 

Links:
10 & 20 gallon tanks: AquaClear 30 Aquarium Power Filter - 20 to 30 Gallon | Power Aquarium Filters | Filters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
30 to 55 tanks: AquaClear 70 Aquarium Power Filter - 50 to 70 Gallon | Power Aquarium Filters | Filters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
75 to 90: AquaClear 110 Aquarium Power Filter - for 70 to 110 Gallon | Power Aquarium Filters | Filters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

Biological: Aquaclear Biomax
Chemical: Seachem Purigen (100 ML Bag) or nothing at all. 
Mechanical: Cut to fit sponge foam.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Besides good light, good nutrient substrate, and water circulation. There really is nothing else. All the rest is personally up to you and what may work in ones tank may not work in another.

I dont necessarily have to use a filter because I havent found a need for it. The fish waste, excess food, dead leaves fall to the floor and become mulm which in turn feeds the shrimps and plants. I could switch out my filter with a powerhead if I wanted to.

I run pressurized CO2 6-7hr/day, photoperiod 6-7hr/day, and dose macro/micro nutrients weekly to feed plants. 

I only add reverse osmosis water to fill up the evaporated water. Although my ammonia, nitrite, nitrate consistantly stays at 0ppm, I still do water changes i think bi-weekly or tri-weekly just because I feel the need to add fresh water. 

I use small fish only because I notice bigger fish disrupt plants and uproot them. I only use fish to add movement to a tank. Plus their bio-load is low which prevents algae growth.

If you see algae growth, find out why its happening and fix it. Something is wrong with the water parameters. Algae-eating fish DOES NOT work. 

Dont know what else I do. If I missed something let me know.

*


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

As of right now I have a 75 gallon tank. I plan on using sand, not sure what kind. I do have light.Two regular and two high poere but Iforget what they are???


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Thats alot of great info. Thanks a bunch!


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## knownothingfishowner (Feb 22, 2010)

Nurse Platy doesn't use filters? 

I gotta get in on that!

Probably something as easy as water changes. But, unfortunately, I have a tendency for the more complicated than necessary.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

jons4real said:


> As of right now I have a 75 gallon tank. I plan on using sand, not sure what kind. I do have light.Two regular and two high poere but Iforget what they are???


*What kind of sand. Sand doesnt really provide the nutrients plants need and will need to be stirred once in a while to prevent dead spots. The Substrate needs to be like a pillow. It has to be fluffy and have spaces between to allow water circulation and root penetration. Dead spots cause hydrogen sulfite because of anerobic bacteria (no oxygen required bacteria). Hydrogen sulfite will cause that nasty smell. But it is good as a top layer OVER a nutrient rich substrate to keep the nutrients from leaking into the water column.

Have you tried looking at Eco-Complete? Petco is having a very great sale right now on them. Original price $19.99 down to $15.99 for each 20lb bag ONLINE ONLY. But shipping is free if it is $50 or more I believe, or it might be $55. Either way I bought 4 bags for my new 55g . Total was $63. Dont know how prices are there but over here thats cheap 

When you said you have light. What is "normal"? What is the degree of it? You need to use the spectrums 5000k-10,000K to grow plants. 6700K for best results. I use 6500K aka "daylight bulbs". 
*


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Eco-Complete, What does it look like? I've never seen it before. I'm not so sure on the bulbs I have to check. The lights I just bought came off of a salt water set up so I'm hoping they will work.


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

I got another question for ya. Ok so I bought a fluval 305. I was used and was used in a turtle tank. I'm considering keeping some of the media that was in it but I'm a bit worried. I would'nt keep the carbon but the fluval pre filter rings and the fluval biomax rings look like I could keep them. I just dont want to cross contaminate my tanbk with the turtle junk. So should I keep the two things I mentioned or just buy new stuff?
__________________


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Eco Complete Planted Black Aquarium Substrate looks like it would be great. How do you clean it? Does it even need to be cleaned? It looks more like dirt than sand. Does it ever have to be changed out, like do the minerals ans stuff ever lose theres punch?


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## knownothingfishowner (Feb 22, 2010)

jons4real said:


> Eco Complete Planted Black Aquarium Substrate looks like it would be great. How do you clean it? Does it even need to be cleaned? It looks more like dirt than sand. Does it ever have to be changed out, like do the minerals ans stuff ever lose theres punch?


The instructions on Eco Complete discourages any rinsing or cleaning. Straight out of the bag and into the tank. 

As far as it lasts...that's a good question that I'd like to know the answer to as well.

But yeah...Eco Complete is some great stuff. I wouldn't use any other for a planted tank.


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

jons4real said:


> Eco Complete Planted Black Aquarium Substrate looks like it would be great. How do you clean it? Does it even need to be cleaned? It looks more like dirt than sand. Does it ever have to be changed out, like do the minerals ans stuff ever lose theres punch?


*It doesnt look like dirt, it looks like gravel. Some peices are small and some are big. I dont do a gravel vacuum because I value the mulm that collects on the floor since it feeds my plants. I believe it can last up to 3 years before it needs replacing. You will notice it "aging" because their "dullness" goes away over time. *


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## jons4real (Sep 6, 2010)

Hey, could you guys take a look at my #9 post and tell me what you think? Oh and how much do you think I would need for a 75 tank?


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

jons4real said:


> Hey, could you guys take a look at my #9 post and tell me what you think? Oh and how much do you think I would need for a 75 tank?


*
Think about the grass-like plants? I thought that thread has been discussed with already. Dwarf hair grass, glosso, dwarf baby tears, or dwarf sag?

And how much of what do need? The plants or substrate? Plants, just get a small amount and it will propogate on its own. The substrate, you need at least 2 inches. I would say 4-5 bags. 

Whatever plants you buy, you must get a nutrient rich substrate, or your plants will never grow. Substrate and lighting is first priority. These are probably moderate to difficult care type plants so you need the right peices before growing the plants.

I have dwarf hair grass that I shoved in a plain shrimp tank with no special substrate but good lighting, and the grass is not doing good. *


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