Hi total beginner here - Questions regarding new low tech/low maint. tank setup

[Lulu]

Hi to all the pros here! I have always been fascinated by aquariums and fish keeping and finally took the plunge, bought a new Gex Glassterior 600 slim tank (60x20x25). I plan to start a low-tech, low maintenance planted tank. I have been reading a lot from this forum, various other forums online and also spent a lot of time getting poisoned by loads of youtube ADA/iwagumi/planted tank scapes videos. I would consider myself to have some basic theoretical knowledge on planted tanks but 0 practical knowledge, but still have many many questions for all the pros here so please bear with my noobness

1st question: I read up about the Walstad method and Tom Barr's non CO2 planted tank. If I'm only planning to have mainly low light/plants that don't need soil (anubias/mosses & ferns), & some dwarf hair grass/HC & some kind of stone/DW iwagumi hardscape, do I need to dirt my tank (Thinking of putting JBL base fert then cap with gravel/sand) or will it just cause algae growth? Is it possible to have the Walstad method & Iwagumi in a tank? Or will hardscapes take up too much space and thus end up not enough plants to support the bio load?

2nd question: For a light to moderately planted tank of my size (60x20x25) & probably looking to stock a small school of danios/tetra + clean up crew of some hardier shrimps & otos, will the Eden 501 canister filter work well for me? Do I even need a canister filter? Or will one of those bigger HOB (Gex slim/fluval c3 kind) work fine?
My aim is to get a good filter thats easy to use & clean preferably under $70. I have no idea how to set up a canister filter (eg: priming/double taps etc) & "better models" like the eheim 2213 looks quite complicated to use to me!

Those are the 2 biggest questions on my mind right now haha, still have a lot more to ask but I think my post is getting quite long so I'll stop here. Hope all the "seniors" here can help me out! Thanks loads

[diazman]

hi there!

1) Since you are going with the hairgrass, you cap the jbl base fert with gravel/sand. The rest of the plants you just tie up to your DW/lava rock etc. Just need to make you have a good amount of plants at start to deal with the excess nutrient. You can op to add floating plants to aid with the cycling. How much lighting are you using btw?

2) If you planning to go cheap, why not just get the biggest sized HOF? easy to maintain and i believe it costs less than $40 at most for most brands. Just need to take note that when you are out purchasing a HOF, get the biggest sized/capacity you can get hold of, as these will be good to house as many media as possible. My tanks all runs on HOF only as its cheap and easy for me to maintain (easy to clean out during WC regime )

[wongce]

Hi to all the pros here! I have always been fascinated by aquariums and fish keeping and finally took the plunge, bought a new Gex Glassterior 600 slim tank (60x20x25). I plan to start a low-tech, low maintenance planted tank. I have been reading a lot from this forum, various other forums online and also spent a lot of time getting poisoned by loads of youtube ADA/iwagumi/planted tank scapes videos. I would consider myself to have some basic theoretical knowledge on planted tanks but 0 practical knowledge, but still have many many questions for all the pros here so please bear with my noobness

1st question: I read up about the Walstad method and Tom Barr's non CO2 planted tank. If I'm only planning to have mainly low light/plants that don't need soil (anubias/mosses & ferns), & some dwarf hair grass/HC & some kind of stone/DW iwagumi hardscape, do I need to dirt my tank (Thinking of putting JBL base fert then cap with gravel/sand) or will it just cause algae growth? Is it possible to have the Walstad method & Iwagumi in a tank? Or will hardscapes take up too much space and thus end up not enough plants to support the bio load?

2nd question: For a light to moderately planted tank of my size (60x20x25) & probably looking to stock a small school of danios/tetra + clean up crew of some hardier shrimps & otos, will the Eden 501 canister filter work well for me? Do I even need a canister filter? Or will one of those bigger HOB (Gex slim/fluval c3 kind) work fine?
My aim is to get a good filter thats easy to use & clean preferably under $70. I have no idea how to set up a canister filter (eg: priming/double taps etc) & "better models" like the eheim 2213 looks quite complicated to use to me!

Those are the 2 biggest questions on my mind right now haha, still have a lot more to ask but I think my post is getting quite long so I'll stop here. Hope all the "seniors" here can help me out! Thanks loads

First and foremost welcome to the hobby....

Question 1)
you need to use only low maintenance plants to achieve your "low tech' set up. for Low tech, DW scape is easiest.

See my blog for tank setup information
http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...-yeartank.html

For plants
http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...re-plants.html

You need to select your plants well.You do not even need dirt and can keep a nice sand tank with ferns, anubias on dw, moss, vallisneria, simple bacopa stem plants...

Iwagumi style is a bit hard to maintain due to foreground plants are generally harder to keep and spread to whole foreground nice and low in "low tech setup", you can try though..you may have green fingers... don't worry about algae, concentrate on growing plants...

Question 2)
get a HOF, sponge filter... canister is good but with your budget, HOF will work nicely as diazman mentioned. Eden 501 is only good enough for 1-1.5 feet set up as it is designed for small setups.

[Urban Aquaria]

Personally, i would recommend to use a canister filter because although a hang-on filter can be cheaper (some of the good brands of HOF can be more expensive though), their maximum filter media volume rarely match those of canister filters... even if they do, imagine hanging a gigantic HOF with 3-4 litre filter volume on the side of a tank!

Canister filters with larger media volumes allow tanks to support higher bio-loads, keep the water parameters more stable longer and help prolong the time required between filter cleaning.

Aesthetic-wise, although a hang-on filter can be strategically hidden behind some plants in a heavily planted "jungle theme" tank... in an iwagumi tank, it would look rather obtrusive in an open-type background, along with the all too obvious intake pipe sticking out very noticeably.

This is where a canister filter would be ideal, it can be hidden under the tank out of view and you can use nice glass lily pipes with it to create a more transparent appearance.

I used to use hang-on filters when i started out too, but i soon discovered that if i don't keep up with the regular filter cleaning (sometimes i'm busy or traveling, and skip filter cleaning) and they clog up, the water can overflow so much until it spill out the back and create a huge mess (even with the overflow safety features in good hang-on filters, it still happened to me twice), that is one of the reasons why i only use canister filters for all my tanks nowadays, no more potential overflow and spillage issues.

I agree along with wongce that the Eden 501 is more suitable for smaller tanks (ie. below < 20 litres)... a larger canister filter would be better for your tank size. Perhaps a Eheim Classic 2213 (have to buy double-taps separately though) or maybe a Eheim Ecco Pro 130 (the Ecco Pro series are much easier to use and prime, and already comes with inbuilt double-taps, so the final total costing might end up quite close anyways).

Yes, those canister filters are more expensive, but you'll be investing in the most important piece of equipment in your tank setup, so i think its worth spending abit more on it.... and you could also consider long term if you have to change from a hang-on filter to a canister filter, then you end up spending more (like what happened to me).

As for the substrate... perhaps you could just use ADA aqua soil? Main reasons are because its cost is quite reasonable and it already has the required nutrients to kick start plant growth in the initial stages, and as more people already use it in their tanks its qualities and effects are well documented, so if you have any issues there are more people who can help solve it.

Its just my view, because i also used no-brand substrate and ferts when i started out (thought i could save some money too) but when i ran into problems and asked around, everyone could only give vague advice but no concrete answers to my questions as most were not familiar with the fert and substrate combos that i used.

Hope the suggestions help.

[Lulu]

Hi Diazman, Wongce and Urban Aquaria! Wow thanks for all your feedback
I'll just reply you guys one by one!

@Diazman I'm not so sure about how much light my plants would require so I'm planning to get some generic cheap one like Boyu 2 ft 15 Watts with holder since I think its roughly following the 2 watts per gallon rule. (Google converter says my tank is 6/7 gallons only). Are there any special lights that I need? Or can I even use normal household lighting tubes?

Regarding floating plants, can I remove them after a period of time when my tank is cycled? I'm afraid it might take away from the overall look of the scape haha.

@Wongce I actually read your blog before while I was lurking in AQ hahaha. Your paragraph on the Diana Walstad style tank is what I wanted to follow
Is a dwarf hair grass carpet considered as challenging to grow as HC or very much simpler? A full carpet is what I'm aiming for in foreground but I'm prepared to wait for it to slowly spread without CO2 hehe.

@Urban Aquaria you raised a good point that slipped my mind. I'm not sure if a HOB would be sticking out like a sore thumb when I finish setting up everything Actually I can increase my budget for a Eheim canister filter, but my concern is whether or not it would be overkill. Haha like will it blow my fishes & shrimps out of the water or uproot all my plants? What's a good ratio for flow rate/filtering capacity and tank size? I think I read that the Eheim Ecco Pro 130 has self/auto priming so I would definitely prefer that. By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?

At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well?

And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task


Here's where I plan to have everything set up. Tank looks super small haha
But the cabinets the tank is on isn't meant for aquariums and thus don't have those pre cut holes for canister filter tubes. If I end up getting an Eheim canister, does it have to be below the tank level to work properly?

[Urban Aquaria]

@Urban Aquaria you raised a good point that slipped my mind. I'm not sure if a HOB would be sticking out like a sore thumb when I finish setting up everything Actually I can increase my budget for a Eheim canister filter, but my concern is whether or not it would be overkill. Haha like will it blow my fishes & shrimps out of the water or uproot all my plants? What's a good ratio for flow rate/filtering capacity and tank size? I think I read that the Eheim Ecco Pro 130 has self/auto priming so I would definitely prefer that. By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?

If you get canister filters with double taps, you can easily regulate the flow on the output side to your requirements, just adjust it so that your tank gets good circulation (ie. the plants sway slightly in the current), but not too strong until the fishes and shrimps get swirled around like in a washing machine.

From my experience so far, its best to get a filter with an advertised flow rate of around 10-15x of your tank volume (listed flow rates are usually based on empty canisters), once its filled with filter media and setup with hoses, the flow rate will naturally reduce, then you can further tune the flow even lower with the double taps to what you require.

In addition, by manually reducing the flow rate, it also allows the water to recirculate within the canister for a longer time, which helps the bacteria process it more efficiently.

At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well?

Not too sure about that, but for every one who says the nutrients are lost after some time, there are others that say it doesn't.

In my opinion, it would be hard to imagine any substrate that will keep releasing nutrients forever, but since a tank has fishes and shrimps and plants that produce wastes which is broken down by the bacteria into nutrients (and people often dose additional fertilizers into the water column too), i would assume that nutrients are always soaking into and also releasing out of the substrate... so i guess its like a 2 way street.

As for aqua soil turning to mush, i can't offer any opinions on them at the moment as my oldest tank with it is only 7 months old so far, so the soil is still nice and granular. But i've read of seasoned aquascapers who re-use their aqua soil successfully over many years of repeated re-scapes, so that's an encouraging sign which indicates its long term viability.

And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task

I guess its like changing flooring or carpet in a house... no choice have to remove everything, replace the substrate, then put everything back.

Usually its accompanied by a total tank re-scape though.

For aquascapers who re-scape their tanks every year, they are probably already used to it.

Here's where I plan to have everything set up. Tank looks super small haha

But the cabinets the tank is on isn't meant for aquariums and thus don't have those pre cut holes for canister filter tubes. If I end up getting an Eheim canister, does it have to be below the tank level to work properly?

Hmmm... i see your conundrum there, canister filters usually need to be at least below the tank water level for them to work well.

For tall tanks its not an issue as they can be taller than the canister filter if placed beside them, but for short tanks like yours most canister filters are usually taller than the tank so the water will flow back into the tank from the canister filter if it is switched off (or the power is interrupted) and the impeller will end up running dry when re-started.

If you are not able to cut holes in your cabinet, then maybe you could put the canister filter on the floor, and lay the hoses via the side or back of the cabinet to your tank?

Otherwise, you could still use an Eden 501 canister filter, it has a lower profile and is designed to be placed right beside or behind your tank (and it has the auto-priming feature, very easy to use)... after looking at your 2ft tank dimensions, i realized it has a short depth + low height design, so the total volume actually works out to around 30 litres, i think that should still be okay to use with a Eden 501 filter. Many 1 ft cube users use it for their 30x30x30cm tanks, which are around 27 litres, so its not too far off.

In that case, based on your current setup, the Eden 501 would suit your requirements and it's within your current budget too.

[Urban Aquaria]

By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?

Yeah, glass lily pipe sets are mainly used for their aesthetics (they look alot nicer than dark colored plastic intakes and spray bars).

In addition, the shape of lily pipe outlets are usually designed to help further diffuse flow too.

[diazman]

@Diazman I'm not so sure about how much light my plants would require so I'm planning to get some generic cheap one like Boyu 2 ft 15 Watts with holder since I think its roughly following the 2 watts per gallon rule. (Google converter says my tank is 6/7 gallons only). Are there any special lights that I need? Or can I even use normal household lighting tubes?

The lights you mention is good to go. You probably may want to have 2 of that i.e. total 30 watts of light if you want better light spread I've used 15 watts in my old setups and plants grow great with philips lightbulb although plant growth is very slow haha.

Regarding floating plants, can I remove them after a period of time when my tank is cycled? I'm afraid it might take away from the overall look of the scape haha.

Yup! floating plants can be removed if you like once the tank has established. The first few weeks is crucial for the plants as algae can takeover due the excess nutrients in the water column.

At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well?

Some may prefer having aquasoil as it has capability to maintain PH, easy planting etc. etc. At most, you won't have to worry about the nutrient in the soil. I've seen people using soil for more than 5 years old i in their tanks and their plants grew just as well. If you feel they are depleted, you can just add in root supplements like OF root monsters etc. etc. Depending on brands of soil, one can turn mushy anywhere from 1.5 year to 2 years

And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task

You will need to tear down your setup to change substrate

[Lulu]

@Urban Aquaria Thanks for the info! I'll consider using ADA new amazonia again.
If I can get an Eheim at a good price I might just go for it and run it from the floor maybe. My concern is if the inflow and outflow pipes are long enough to reach my tank haha. Also did some research on those mini canister filters like Eden 501 and found the Shiruba XB303 which is 360L/H and appears to be made in Taiwan. Might get that one instead of the Eden501 depending on pricing and which is in stock hehe

I think I'll keep lily pipes on my future to buy list then haha, don't want to inflate my startup costs by so much

@Diazman Thanks! Good to know about the lighting and floating plants I saw in your thread on low tech dirt tanks that you are using garden soil capped with gravel, have you been running it for long and what are your experiences with it regarding nutrients depleting/turning to mush? I don't think I've seen anyone saying that garden soil substrate can be reused haha.

[wongce]

Most canister need to operate from lower than aquarium. They will not work well if the height is insufficient. Eden 501 is not too bad but i find it too low powered for my 2 feet tank though. My eden clog up fast,i end up cleaning it every 2-3 weeks...

I like HOF as there is less mess and ease of cleaning. Hehe

Btw,if you are budget conscious,you can get alternative filter like atman df series...i got 2 of them now...thumbs up... Silent,cheaper,easy to prime and it works well with no issue at all. You can check out my blog for review and info.

You can try out a simple setup using sand first...i started from sand tank too. Slowly you will learn the ropes like fertilizer routine, trimming of plants, wc, growing plants and of course play with algae haha. I like low tech setup with sand substrate... Easy to maintain and less hassle...although plants selection might be a bit limited

Rescaping is part of the fun bro!!! Haha i rescape twice a year for fun...lol

[diazman]

@Diazman Thanks! Good to know about the lighting and floating plants I saw in your thread on low tech dirt tanks that you are using garden soil capped with gravel, have you been running it for long and what are your experiences with it regarding nutrients depleting/turning to mush? I don't think I've seen anyone saying that garden soil substrate can be reused haha.

The one you saw on the thread is only 2 months old. I've previously used horti soil brand and i ran another smaller tank for a good 1 1/2 year before i took it down. It grew plants as good as during it was first setup. Just need to keep in mind that it can become anaerobic if one doesnt "stir" the substrate abit. :P

[cherabin]

Good reads on non-excel and excel low-tech respectively -

http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/...ed-tank-guide/

http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/...-planted-tank/

I refer to both as guidelines and have had good results on all my low-tech planted tanks. For the lighting aspect though, I'm using a 55w PLL for each of my 2', way above usual recommendations and adage of low-tech bibles. It has been great so far and I haven't seen issues of algae, unbalance of nutrients etc. But as mentioned, this is not the usual amount of illumination to use for a low-tech tank. Have fun.

[VSGenesis]

Looking at your tank and where you place it, I'll use HOF instead. I'm bias so Fluval C Series will be my choice.


Cannister is the way to go. I like cannister best and used to have an Eheim Pro 3 running for my 3ft. Love it. But because of your placement; having a cannister will make it look awkward with the tubes and all running down. Unless you're willing to drill holes into your cabinet.


Just my point of view, that area looks empty. Perhaps adding a sculpture, a vase or something on either side of the tank will make it look better. A bigger tank always works. LOL.


On topic of soil, just use Amazonia Aquasoil. Too early to worry about lack of nutrient in soil at this stage. Get your hard material up. Set it up on day one with the soil. Day two having already research the plants you want, go get it. Wash them. Some people quarantine. I just wash under tap water. Up to you. If you are planting HC. DSM would be best to start off with. Side Info: There's a fellow hobbyist that is a famous farmer for HC. Plant them in his pots along the corridor. =) Can learn from. Straw hat and changkul not included.


Both Wongce and Urban Aquaria have good blogs for reference. AQ if you really really search, you can find references and help. Volumes of it.


Well good luck and get going. More pictures. Step by step. Make this thread into your personal journal for this tank. By the way, what scape are you doing anyway? Personal preference, try to go with driftwood. Iwagumi is fine too. Good luck and hope to see more pictures and updates.


Cheers.


Disclaimer: I am not in anyway related to Fluval. I am just freaking bias towards using Fluval HOF C series because it's awesome for small tanks. I keep repeating myself about HOF and one day someone will ultimately hit me on the head with a broom. I hope that wouldnt be too soon. Ahakz! Thank you and happy planting.

[bennyc]

I am not going to advice you as i still see myself as a noobie. However just want to share with you my experience. I have previously used HOF but the media compartments are small. And I have already use OF Large HOF which is the biggest in their range. The water flow is not as good and there is too much water surface agitation to allow the CO2 i have injected to be effectively remain in the water. I have choose HOF initally due to budget but after switch to canister, the pros do convince me the switch is worth it.

Plant growth and health are better, from what i see.

[Lulu]

@Wongce Thanks for the advice! I might just do a simple scape with sand first to "test" out if I still can't make up my mind what substrate to get haha.
I read that ADA will leech ammonia & thus must soak longer or something. Does sand/dirt have this problem also?

@Diazman So I have to "poke poke" the substrate every now and then? Haha does this apply to all kinds of substrate?

Thanks Cherabin for the links, both are good reads May I know what kind of filter you're using?

@VSGenesis Hahaha I guess the empty space on the cabinets can be filled in with more tanks over time if I'm successful with my first one Yeah the tubing for canister filters may make my setup look awkward. So far drilling holes is not an option but I'm thinking of other ways to hide it. I'm trying to research as much as possible before heading down to LFS this weekend & hopefully I'll be back with most of the basics to set up my tank.
I read about the dry start method but it seems like many people had problems with fungus so a bit scared to try. I'll probably go with dwarf hairgrass as it is easier (correct me if I'm wrong! ).
As for scape, I think I'll go with a mixture of driftwood and maybe some small rocks depending on what pieces I can find. Probably not doing ADA style Iwagumi yet. The more I read the more I think I should keep it simple first. Hardscape is still quite easy to change in the future right? Don't think I have to tear down everything including substrate just to change a piece of driftwood (I hope...)
As long as I buy rocks from LFS can I assume that they are all inert and won't alter water chemistry? Or should I double check with staff to make sure?

Thanks Bennyc! I also gathered the same regarding HOF and canisters. Maybe I should also consider if the fauna I plan to keep prefer strong or weak flow to make up my mind which to get. I'm not injecting CO2 so not worried about surface agitation

Also just wondering, if I get a overpowered canister with no flow rate control, can I reduce it by stuffing it very full with media & vice versa if the flow rate is too weak, remove some sponges? Thanks to all the seniors for your help so far

[diazman]

once in a while only. not a daily routine. Im not sure about other substrates but if you dirting your tank, yeah you have to that maintainance

[wongce]

I did a dsm with my new setup tank... No fungus, the trick is moist soil but not watery. Do not cover the tank... Moist soil with sprayer... You can refer urban aquaria's blog for info.

I tried DHG ,it cannot dsm... Sigh maybe its just me??lol they grow yellowish during dsm but flourished after i flooded wahaha...

Rocks: test with vinegar ...if it frizzles, then it will alter water" increase PH"

My Low tech setup has no issue with surface agitation... I got air pump running 24 hrs in my "mysterious trail" tank. I dose excel only...no problem so far, plants growing and been giving out plants like hornwarts and moss...lol, i really like low tech tanks due to the convenience and less maintenance.

I will stick to my previous advice, start small , once you the the hang of it, expand... Whether you buy canister of whatever filter also not a big issue... As long there is filtration, regular maintenance, low tech tank is generally less headache... My canister filter is 10x flowrate (maybe more) lol no problem with my hardy shrimps(they seems to enjoy the flow,keep on lurking around the outlet).

Imho, you should look into space and budget,then decide whats best for you. If there is no space for canister, you should go for HOF, OHF will block lights but works just as well(i use OHF for years). Canister has a lot of space for media... If you want more biomedia in your setup, just dump them into mesh bag and hide them beneath sand like me...i got at least 5kgs worth of them in my tank...lol. See my blog for pictures

http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...rious.html?m=0

Btw,i am also a newbie... Still learning from the masters and mods in aq...lol i just a busybody lurking in aq...lol

[cherabin]

I used Eheim Liberty 2042 for 3 of my 2' tanks and find that the flow generated is good enough. For medias wise, i utilised an original blue coarse filter foam with a green fine filter foam on one side and biohome filling up the other side for each filter. Do not worry about surface agitation if you're not using pressurised CO2. Excel double-dosed worked very well for the plants i have and didn't havs any adverse effect on the fauna. Once again, have fun.

[Urban Aquaria]

I read that ADA will leech ammonia & thus must soak longer or something.

As ADA aqua soil is designed for planted tanks, users will usually experience high ammonia measurements during the first few weeks when a new tank is started up, this is how the soil is designed to work, it releases alot of ammonia and nutrients during the initial period to kick-start the growth of plants in the tank... the aquascaping practice is to plant very heavily so that all the plants can take advantage of the initial burst of nutrients and establish quickly.

During the initial period of cycling (usually the first month for new tanks, it can sometimes take even longer depending on your planting density), the plants will absorb all the nutrients and get the full boost in growth without hindrance.

Fishes and shrimps are only added much later once the tank is fully cycled and all the parameters are stabilized.

For lightly planted tanks (or if there are too few plants to absorb the ammonia and nutrients quick enough), it can take a much longer time to cycle, so one of the practices is to do large water changes every day, up to 90% daily first few days, then 50% daily next few days, and gradually less after that... this technique can help to reduce the excess ammonia/nitrite/nitrates and enable the tank to cycle faster.

By the way, you should also get a freshwater test kit to monitor the water parameters. It will be the most essential tool during the cycling process (or else you will be wondering why all the fishes and shrimps you add keep dying).

As long as I buy rocks from LFS can I assume that they are all inert and won't alter water chemistry? Or should I double check with staff to make sure?

Its still better to test the rocks from LFS, the shop uncles usually don't seem to have any idea either... very often i buy rocks from them and the shop uncle say its aquarium safe, but when i bring the rocks home and test with vinegar, the whole rock fizzle like coca-cola.

I'm not injecting CO2 so not worried about surface agitation..

Note that higher surface agitation will also off-gas the Co2 naturally present in the water (which is already very limited), so its usually better not to have too much surface agitation, especially in a non-Co2 injection setup... the plants need all the limited Co2 they can get.

Also just wondering, if I get a overpowered canister with no flow rate control, can I reduce it by stuffing it very full with media & vice versa if the flow rate is too weak, remove some sponges?

Its very difficult to control a canister filter's flow rate accurately just by stuffing it with more media, it'll be a trial and error situation and as the filter accumulates detritus over time and naturally slows down, you have to keep opening the filter just to adjust the flow rate, very hassle... its better to use an adjustable double or single tap to do the job properly.

[VSGenesis]

I suggest taking it slow first. Use Wongce blog as reference on starting up.

The things you need in the beginning.

Tank - (Bring home. Fill with water. Wait for one day. Just to make sure there isnt any leaks)

Filtration - As said cannister works best but doesn't mean the rest will fail. There are pro and cons. Cannister is best due to the amount of media it can take. I remember the Pro 3 I had, you can adjust the flow as well. Folks will connect such cannisters to a chiller and then back to the aquarium.

You will need to adjust the placement of your tank. Otherwise, the tube will be stretched across the top and then down. You can hide it by placing books and a bookend. You could move the tank closer to the left or right. But not center.

Using HOF creates quite the surface agitation as a member mentioned. More agitation, more gas exchange. Means more oxygen goes into the water and CO2 release back into the air. To have less agitation, I just have more frogbits. Frogbits are great but not sightly when taking a tank picture I guess. Outflow is great and I use CO2 injection. Balance it right both fauna and plants are happy. Again this is by experience, trial and error.

I wouldn't recommend HOF if it doesn't work for planted. Right now, I have a planted tank that is using HOF and daily injection of excel. No CO2 injection. Search in Scapping section. One of our members did an excellent job on his small tanks using low tech methods.

Cannister is first choice but think of your placement. research to find out which cannister is right for your tank. Filtration is very very important.

Media
It should come with the filtration if you purchase new.

Lighting
Research proper on this. There's so much debate on lighting that it can be confusing when I first started. From the 3wpg rule of thumb to what kelvin range is best. All I can say is this. 6500k works. 8000k works. 10000k works and 12000k works. Note that it is a balancing act between lights, CO2 and nutrients.

Material
Driftwood, rocks etc. Creativity comes into play. Search online for inspiration. Nothing wrong to copy. Recommend to go to Seaview or GC. At GC, they have a tank where you place your rocks and driftwood and see how they'll look. Myself I spend 4-5hours at Seaview!! LOL. Lucky I have a friend who was patient with me when all he bought was 50 malayans.

Soil
Again, there are so many choices. Eventually all turn into mud. If asked straight up, I recommend Amazonia Aquasoil. Once you flood, ammonia spikes like crazy. Don't worry just cycle your tank. Do not add any fauna at all.

Plants
Know what plants you want to add in. Front, mid and background. There's been a few times I see our fellow members bringing home non aquatic plants though.

Cycling
Patience and don't go adding chemicals while cycling. Personal experience, 4-6weeks. Though it is not essential; a water parameter kit is a good thign to have. PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Just the basics I guess. GH and KH if you got money. Again not essential. Ammonia spikes like crazy. Within 2-3weeks, you will see Nitrite spiking. If that happens, you're on the right track. Wait another 2 weeks or so and your tank should be ready. Cycling is important. Remember to water change. 50% weekly is the guide.

Typing this on the fly so if I miss out something, fill it in. =)

All I'm posting here are just guides on my own experience. Take it with a bit of salt. Might not be right for some. The learning process that you will go through will be satisfying nonetheless.

1st: research tank size, filtration, lighting, soil, co2 injection or low tech, ferts, timer
2nd: type of scape in mind. search online, on forum for inspiration
3rd: shopping!! Don't get push or rather poison into buying what you don't need. Haha.
4th: fill up tank with water to ensure no leaks.
5th: pour he soil and start putting in your hard scape ie the driftwood and rocks. take pictures, adjust differently and take pictures till you're satisfied. It is your tank; it is your masterpiece.
6th: plant plant plant. backache. relax. watch tv. plant plant plant. backache. wife help massage.
7th: if not doing dsm flood slowly.
8th: on filtration
9th: giggle like a little girl knowing you've finished setting up
10th: take picture and post of AQ
11th: check out the responses, tips, guides, lectures and decide yourself what's right
12th: panic when you suddenly see algaes. (haha usually people always panic when see algae)
13th: research more about planted tanks and read out how the guys does it. AQ have a lot of fantastic aquascappers around.
14th: all the time spend on tank; don't forget the wife. wife makes noise bring her out for dinner.

PS: Take note those hobbyist in here who say they are newbie but the fact is they are actually very very knowledgeable. Learn from them. I know I did.

Good luck mate.