starting?

[sephir420]

been thinking about trying a planted tank. i just wanted to get some info first.
what am i going to need for the tank? substrate, water conditions, ect. and what kinda fish are compatible with it?

 

[Corydoras]

As for the substrate, try using medium-sized pellet gravel. Personally, I don't encourage using fine sand as it might clot the filter and hinder the roots of the plants from obtaining nutrients.

As for water conditions, it depends on what type of fish you are keeping. Some fish prefer slightly acidic water while some don't. But of course, the water must be clear so as for the light to penetrate the tank to facilitate plant photosynthesis.

Try to omit fish that feed vigorously on plants. You know what will be the consequences.
You may want to include a balance of surface, terminal and bottom dwellers.

You have any fish in mind at the moment?

 

[Neo Baron]

if you are serios u can us co2 diffusers and high out put lighting and as for the substrate natures ocean makes a argonite gravel that is very good for plants (nutrient rich) what kind of plants/ fish are u getting)

 

[sephir420]

i was thinking african cichlids, probably some of the ones i have now like diplidecromus compresicep, gold head compresicep, and acouple of calvisus. any sugestions on other fish would be apreciated. are there any kind of special lighting i would need or othe special stuff i would need? how would a mix of gravel and sand work?

 

[Corydoras]

A mixture of sand and gravel sounds a good idea. Personally, I feel that the portion of sand should be lesser than that of the gravel. Currently, I'm using four 2-foot electronic ballast lamps for my lighting. Put it simply, they are just strong white light. Some specific professional lamps do provide the extra red or/and blue of the light spectrum. Plants will thrive in the red and blue. You might want to check this out pertaining to lighting: http://www.vengers.com/faq/faq14sec41.htm

However, I'm not sure an excess of blue or red will encourage the growth (or bloom?) of algae. Nevertheless, we planted tank hobbyists are always in a risk of getting an algae infested tank.

 

[rayman45]

if you do it you should post a step by step picture thread

 

[ahlex]

ok well when u wanna start a planted tank... these r some of e basic things u need to know:

1) wat plants u planning to keep? (nowdays most pple go for very slow growing plants so tat there won't be so much maintenance...)

2) e type of lights for ur plants, PL or FL? (basic rule is 3 watt/gallon...)

3) e type of substrate used (sand or other substrate with added nutrients such as ADA soil, powersand, etc...)

4) choosing between DIY CO2 or using those CO2 stored in e pressurized cyclinder...

5) u may wanna put a layer of base fert before adding e substrate or none but a weekly dozage of fert n other trace elements for ur plants r strongly recommended...

e above r some of e things u need to figure out n plan before going into aquascaping...

have fun...

 

[sleepyflight]

I would have to agree with most of the other guys minus the fact that from my experience, the plants have seemed to cut down on the algea for me....taking up nutrients?? I'd also agree with some sand, a heavier sand, it will help the plants root stronger but a heavy sand won't choke the roots. I also say stick with fairly broad leaved plants....things like wysteria tend to get very messy unless the tank is very calm.

 

[sleepyflight]

I've started one new thread w/a few more questions. I agree with everything but as I stated in my thread, bout a month and things are trashed

 

[Daddyo72]

Understand the basics first.
1)Lighting/light spectrums/requirements
2)Ferts and how your plants absorb them
3)Substrates
4)Water quality requirements
5)Is co2 an option?
I recommend eco complete for a substrate and metal Halide lights if you can afford it. You may be able to get away with fluorescents for a while. 3 WPG is a generality depending on your plants needs. Make sure you buy true aquatic plants and not bog plants. An aquatic plant is one that when you take it out of the water, will not stand up on its own. Some places sell bog plants that eventually die after a while because they weren't meant to be submersed that long. Don't over fert your tank. You can cause more damage than good. Understand your plants method of absorbing ferts, for example swords absorb thru their roots and love iron, making liquid fert almost useless to them. Try to keep detritus to a minimum in your tank. It is only food for algae( dead leaves, dead plants, crap etc.) There are a lot of thing you can learn about plants so start basic and go from there. As you progress get more advanced plants and equipment. Feel fre to PM me or post here with more questions.