what needed to setup a basic planted tank

[jovian]

hi

i recently bought a 2 by 1.4 ft tank. i wish to setup plants for my discus. but i really a newbiz abt setting up the plants

i hope u guys can help me
[what must i get[i really wish to know the list of equipment i need for my planted tank], how much is the budget to setup[lowest budget]

ya finally .. izzit recommanded to setup my tank for few days after i put my fishes in ?

hope to help from u guys

thanx

[jovian]

hi

i recently bought a 2 by 1.4 ft tank. i wish to setup plants for my discus. but i really a newbiz abt setting up the plants

i hope u guys can help me
[what must i get[i really wish to know the list of equipment i need for my planted tank], how much is the budget to setup[lowest budget]

ya finally .. izzit recommanded to setup my tank for few days after i put my fishes in ?

hope to help from u guys

thanx

[jovian]

hi

i recently bought a 2 by 1.4 ft tank. i wish to setup plants for my discus. but i really a newbiz abt setting up the plants

i hope u guys can help me
[what must i get[i really wish to know the list of equipment i need for my planted tank], how much is the budget to setup[lowest budget]

ya finally .. izzit recommanded to setup my tank for few days after i put my fishes in ?

hope to help from u guys

thanx

[jovian]

hi

i recently bought a 2 by 1.4 ft tank. i wish to setup plants for my discus. but i really a newbiz abt setting up the plants

i hope u guys can help me
[what must i get[i really wish to know the list of equipment i need for my planted tank], how much is the budget to setup[lowest budget]

ya finally .. izzit recommanded to setup my tank for few days after i put my fishes in ?

hope to help from u guys

thanx

[PeterGwee]

Hi jovian! a very big welcome to you []

1)Cheapest -- DIY CO2, low light planting<--less lamp tubes, base fertilizer, gravel, liquid fertilizer (JBL cheap).

2)You need to setup your tank and wait until the nitrogen cycle is over before you can safely add your fishes in.

[vinz]

Welcome Jovian,

Equipment for a basic planted tank:
1. Lights. At least 2.5 Watts per US Gallon. 3W/USG or higher for light demanding plants. (eg. 20 US Gallon Tank needs 50 to 60 Watts of light)
2. Filter. Not too strong. Enough to circulate your tank water 3 times an hour is good enough. For Discus, probably good idea to get an external canister filter.
3. Base fertiliser. If you intend to plant alot of rooted plants. Average of 2 to 3 inches thick. (e.g. 1 inch front slope to 3 inch at the back)
4. Gravel. 1 inch thick above the base fert. No base fert, then average of 2 to 3 inches thick.
5. CO2. DIY CO2 solution is cheap and suitable for tanks under 3 feet long (1.5 litre plastic bottle, sugar, water, yeast, re-mix every 2 weeks or so). For consistency and convenience, CO2 tanks and regulator (~$100++). Tank, regulator plus solenoid (to put on timer control)(~$250++).

You should cycle the tank before putting the fishes in. Average planted tank takes about 1 to 2 months.

Read
1. http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/
2. Success with planted Discus aquaria - By George and Karla Booth part 1 and part 2
3. This forum.

Search
1. thekrib, google, altavista, etc for 'planted tank', 'low tech planted tank', etc.

[vinz]

Opps... forgot to mention. After doing your research, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

[bclee]

Well, Vinc has given the advice most will give.

But one concern is that 2ft may be too small for discus even 1 or 2.

BC

[toledosun]

Hi Jovian,

There's two type of people:

1) some want to set a planted tank where plants are the main theme and have fishes as accessories;
2) some want to set up a fish tank, but have some plants for decorations.

You'll have to decide which category you belong to first. If the latter, you don't really need to worry about CO2 or intensive lighting. Just go to one of those fish shops like Petmart, and buy an overhead filter (to keep water clean and provide some aereation) and ask them for hardy plants that can survive without CO2 and heavy lighting. Add a packet of gravel and.... you're done. I believe $50 may be sufficient in this case.

If the former, including the CO2, lights and filter, you're probably looking at about above $100 easily for the basic equipment.

I'm a newbie trying to set up a planted tank myself so I can tell you... it's neither easy nor cheap

[vinz]

Actually, there's a third type... sado-masochists who want the fish to be the main focus, but also want a really nice heavily planted tank to complement the fish. []

[bclee]

Vinz, talking about your dragon tank?

BC

[vinz]

BC, that's a good example of one... but there are others. []

[jovian]

hi vinz

1. my tank is 2 by 1.4ft. i don't know how to measure how many gallons of water inside my tank. Can u help me estimate how many Watts of light i need . currently i just bought a new 20 watts light

2. ya for Base fertiliser. what brand is gd.

3. is better to get tiny Gravel for discus?

4. what type for plants is advisable for discus environment. which u can easily get from shop.


i hope u can help me ..

thanx dudez

[vinz]

1. Not enough info... take the height, width and depth in cm and multiply them together. Divide that by 3800 will give you gallons.

2. I've only used JBL and J Arthur Bower's Aquatic Compost. JBL is not bad, but I haven't tried much else.

3. & 4. I've never kept discus, so I don't know the issues re these.

[sherchoo]

Point 2 - I've used JBL Aquabasis with great results. I'd recommend this brand. It comes in packs of 2.5L and 5L. 5l would roughly cost around $15. Prolly you need juz 1 pack of 5l for your tank.

Point 3 - Normal 'lapis lustre' gravel will do well. A big bag (22.7kg) would cost around $22-$25. You don't really need so much, but it doesn't hurt to keep extra. Any gravel for planted tank will be suitable for your discus. I have to stress that keeping Discus in your small tank would not be advisable.