Newbie getting started in planted tank

[Xanavi]

Hi all

Although this is my first post here, I have been keeping fishes for quite a while but never ventured into planted tank. I had stopped the hobby more than 2 yrs ago when we shifted. Recently, a trip to a fish-farm and the recent article on ST got me interested again, this time in planted setup.

After several days of browsing the forum, I must admit that a planted tank is quite a challenging aspect of the aquarium hobby. Despite my knowledge on the fundamentals of the hobby, I realised that there are really plenty of things to learn for a planted setup and it is not something that one can dive straight into. But I am pretty determined to get started and hope the old birds here can advise me on a thing or two...

I have already decided on the location of the tank in my living room. It can accommodate a tank of 3 to 4ft. I am thinking of a depth of 1.5ft. However, there is a permanent shelving structure just about 1m off the ground which restricts the height of the overall setup. I don't mind doing a low setup/cabinet but what should be the recommended height of the tank? I am also thinking of putting a light set on top of the tank and how much allowance should I provide for the light set? And where do you get your tank sets from? I used to custom make 5-6ft tanks from online tank-makers in the past but I am not sure if they would entertain the building of smaller tanks like what I have in mind.

As for equipment , I am not too sure which comes first, the choice of plants followed by the kind of equipment or vice versa? But since I am not so familiar with the plants at the moment, I thought of looking at the equipment first. I came across discussions on low tech tanks, high maintenance tanks... etc. For me, I just want something in the middle which i can create a pleasing underwater landscape with lush greenery. I am envisioning a setup with a nice uniform foreground plants for that carpet effect, driftwood or rocks in between and tall plants for background.. something simple and not too cluttered. With that in mind, what kind of light-set should I be looking at? And would a simple canister filter do the job for filtration? I think CO2 setup and the substrate/plant supplements are important as well but I think I will cover it later after I read up more.

I apologise for the wall of text but it really feels overwhelming to get started. I still have many questions but I guess I will ask them along the way.

[Shadow]

You can get ready made tank from LFS or you can customize one. They do small tank, even 1ft tank. There is no magic size, all depend on the scape you want to do. I personally like shorter tank, make the scape look panoramic.

There was another person asking for similar question, I cut and paste my reply
For planted tank, you need to get the right equipment and material. Roughly below is what you need.
1. Light, not too much and not too little. Too much (too bright) light and you will invite algae, too little and it wont reach the bottom.
2. CO2, get pressurize CO2 with solenoid regulator even if your plant is not demanding or low tech tank. Plant will benefit from CO2 regardless species and light setup.
3. Water flow, plant do not have hand and leg to capture nutrient, you need to bring the nutrient to them by water flow. Typically 8-10 time your tank water volume will provide enough flow to the tank. Otherwise you can also add wavemaker or powerhead to improve the flow
4. Substrate/Soil, get fertile soil with high CEC (cation exchange capacity) this will allow you some slack in fertilizer dosing. ADA soil is one good soil, there are other soil but I never try, cannot comment.
5. Fertilizer dosing depending on your light intensity.
6. Temperature, plant are more difficult to handle at higher temperature.

[AQMS]

Hi,
For equipment wise,this is what i prefer..but yours might be different.
Tank and cabinet - If you have extra $$$$ to spend go for custom so you can match your furniture in your living room.
Lights - definitely Led, expensive but worth it in a long run ( DIY even better) lots of saving.
Co2 - Pressurize CO2 with solenoid regulator
filter - Go for caniter. Eheim still the best.

I got my tank from Coral reef here is the address
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...cturer-Pte-Ltd

[qngwn]

yes they do smaller tanks well, they calculate by per feet run for glass tanks. no harm asking for a quote, best to get those with warranty. I customed a 2ft crystal glass tank from N30 before, comes with 5 year warranty. still working well after so long.

Personally, i've been with LEDs since my T5 lights started giving me problems. So i personally recommend LEDs. Height and breadth of the tank will play a huge factor when it comes to choice of lights. so perahps when the tank size is more or less settled, then it would be appropriate to discuss about lights then.

A CO2 set with solenoid will be great, imagine plants on steriods . "strong" plants to make sure algae keep themselves at bay. Prevents algae in tank due to co2 flunctuations makes sure that there is sufficient co2 in the tank especially if your tank is heavily planted.

I would recommend a canister if you are injecting CO2 as it will minimise water-air surface contact so that co2 in the water do not diffuse out of the water, wasting your injected CO2.. Brand wise, most, if not all of my filters are from eheim. Slient, efficient, durable, with easily replacable and available spare parts.

[Xanavi]

Thanks for the tips

For a start, I am going around to get some quotes. I am thinking of a 3ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft to start off. What would be a minimum glass thickness for it to withstand all the soil, wood, rocks together with the water pressure? I understand 6mm glass is quite common for such a size but are they too thin for planted?

[Shadow]

with 6mm glass, you will need brace. For brace-less tank you need 8 or 10mm

[qngwn]

If you're going for planted, it will be ideal if you can get braceless tank. it gives you alot more convenient when it comes to maintenance, and also when you can place your inlet and outlet of your canister filters at any corner without being constrained by the bracing of the tank.

Those ready made 3X1.5X1.5 ANS Opticube tanks are of 10mm thickness.

If you're thinking to custom make it yourself, you can ask the maker to recommend, or else, go for a thicker one if your budget allows.
Either way, you can get the optimum tank thickness from http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

For me i usuauly use a safety factor > 5, yours can be higher or lower depending on how kiasu you want to be

[Xanavi]

thanks for the tip, I will go 10mm thickness to play safe.

I will be dropping by C328 later to take a look at filters and other stuff, maybe checkout the prices. I am inclined to get a Eheim canister filter since they are well known to be reliable and durable. However, the last time I used one is about 7 yrs ago for a 5ft arowana tank... the model is 2028. Since then, I understand they have produced newer models/versions and I am getting a bit confused with the number of models when I did a search in the forum. Could anyone recommend a suitable model that is easily available from LFS for a 3ft x 1.5ft x 1.5ft setup??

[qngwn]

Depends on which series you prefer.

Lesser parts, less complicated, lesser ways the filter will fail.

More parts, more convenience, more pricey.

I have friends using 2217, 2028, 2075 for the size you mentioned.

[David]

If you are considering a 10mm glass, why not consider a 4footer rather than a 3footer? I don't think the cost is going to be jacked up too much and the increase in water volume is easier to managed as opposed to a smaller water volume?

While a 3footer sounds okay...but the fact is that you are going for 10mm glass and the cost between 3 and 4 may be marginal.

Just my thoughts

[Xanavi]

Hi David

I did some measurements again and realised that the location I had in mind will be too tight for a 4ft considering the fact that its gonna be a low setup (1.5ft off the ground) and I most probably need to place the filter and Co2 and other eqpt beside the setup. Furthermore, a thought of a failed 4ft seems a bit scary, i think 3ft is still manageable.

Anyway, i can always try to make spaces in the house for a upgrade next time. Really missed my own place last time, i could easily place 2 6 footer and still have space for more tanks.

[David]

1.5 feet off the ground may be too low considering that filter and CO2 needs to be placed in. 2ft is more likely. While you cannot increase in length, perhaps in depth or height?

Regarding upgrading, if you are a fish only aquarist, it's somewhat easy to upgrade. If its a planted tank, it a totally different question all togather.

All I am saying is to give it thought. Know what you really want before setting dimensions.

[Xanavi]

Hi David

Unfortunately, there is also a height restriction as mentioned in my 1st post. I would have wished for a higher stand if possible.

I am not sure you misinterpreted my intentions that think that I am putting the canister and the CO2 under the tank? In fact, I am placing them beside the setup (at ground level) and not underneath the tank. I believe that shouldn't affect the operations of the filter and the CO2 right?

[David]

No, it should not affect it in anyway....

[AQMS]

1.5 feet off the ground is too low but if you able to find the the right size filter and co2,you should be able to squeeze
all the item underneath the tank. Can you remove the shelving structure in the living room and place it higher?

[qngwn]

Do consider the extra height required for you to do tank maintenance as well. If possible, have at least 1 to 2 feet clearance for weekly maintenance.

[Xanavi]

Okay, its official! I am definitely into this hobby. Just ordered a tankset/cabinet and most of the necessary equipment/stuff (lights, CO2, driftwood, rocks, substrate… etc) over the weekends. I have decided for a 2ft setup for a start as I have more flexibility positioning the tank around my place. I now have a decent height cabinet to hide the canister filter and CO2 system. The tank/cabinet is expected to be ready in 2 weeks’ time. I think the smaller setup, if successful, will give me confidence to move on to larger setups.

During these few days, I have also been immersing myself in the forum to pick up more knowledge. I am now thinking of a setup using HC as foreground plants, using DSM as a start. By the way, how do you tell the difference between HC and glosso? I have small trays of plants that looked like either of the 2 in C328 selling for about $4 each. 1 thing I found daunting for a beginner is that quite often, the plants in LFS are unlabelled, making ID quite difficult.

[qngwn]

Perhaps looking at google images will help.. That's how most of us learn here as well, besides asking for plant identification.

[magpie]

Your quote of $4 plants that you bought from c328 could be HC. Do a google search and visually confirm.

[David]

I like to make a slight correction. It's better for beginners to start a larger tank rather than a smaller tank. One of the main reason is that water perimeter is more stable in a larger volume of water.

In my opinion, I would recommend a 90x45x45 as a beginner tank.


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