New setup

**prodrive** · 30th Oct 2013, 23:45

Hi all, I'll be embarking on a new planted tank setup. My previous attempts were not exactly smooth and i ended up decomming them. I intend to try once more as I am always intrigued with the beauty of planted aquascapes.

Please provide your valuable advice. This is what I intend to do

I'll be setting up a 3x1.5x1.5 tank. 1 or more packs of ada Amazonia. Previously I did mountain scaping. 3 packs of 9L ada soil and it was tough. I guess I was pretty lousy as I hit problems upon problems like plants dying and rotting matter and algae. This time, I will aquascape a pretty flat plain with just a little bit of subtle undulating slopes with some rocks.

Previously I grappled with algae. Badly. For this time, I only intend to grow hc.

1. Chiller to be added. Previously in my crs tanks, I use chiller and the hc grew better, my this 3ft aquascape tank with fan was slow and didn't spread.

2. Last round, With media packed in my 2217, flow was low. I had to resort to powerheads and wavemakers.I intend to use 1 2217 and 1 2215. Both with media. 1 at each end. No more lily pipes as cleaning was a chore. Maybe borneowild's SS inlets and outlets.

3. With just hc, nutrients get high. I may just only add frog bits and some rotala just to absorb the assess nutrients. These are temporary as my focus is on a hc carpet. Maybe some Downnoi for injecting some variety. Yes, pressurized co2 will be blasting as high as possible

4. Algae was a problem. I use aquazonic x 4 7k tubes 8 hrs daily. Should I add more or maintain the same lighting. I like led but not sure if the beamswork will suffice.

5. I will use as much ro/di water to reduce no3 and phosphate elements as much as possible. But will still use at least 50% tap with anti chlorine water. This is in the hope of eradicating more algae growth.

My methods is just what I hope is right but may not be correct hence this thread, to learn from other further hobbyist.

Appreciate the time taken to read this lengthy thread.
Cheers everyone.

**David** · 31st Oct 2013, 00:29

Hi ProDrive

Sounds like a plan. It's obvious that you are quite determine to start again. I don't really know your previous issues. Perhaps you may have started a thread before and perhaps point me to the direction so that I have a better understanding?

**prodrive** · 1st Nov 2013, 03:21

Hi David,

Perhaps this thread may provide some information of my setup previously.

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=96071

Thanks.

**flick** · 1st Nov 2013, 11:50

Hi there,

you could try dosing Seachem Excel to control algae. All the best!

**thebaldingaquarist** · 1st Nov 2013, 13:55

Hi Prodrive,

for the tank, i feel you have it roughly worked out. which is a good thing. the following are my comments.

1. filtration, 1 X 2217 should suffice if its a landscape aquascape. placement of inlets and outlet play an important role
2. lights, HC landscape requires that your lights are strong enough to reach the substrate and also provide a good spread. before buying, check whether its focused optics, if it is.. figure out whether its right for your scape
3. water.. RO/DI only serve to help you stabilize your water parameters and allow you to better gauge whats in your tank and whats not. but if you are going to mix RO/DI water with tap.. i am not sure whether you will reap the benefits. I would go for frequent water changes with tap water only. of course, anti chlorine added.

**Phillipians** · 1st Nov 2013, 19:09

If you are going to do mountain with HC scape then you will indeed have excess nutrients when you dose. I usually add in a bunch of Hygrophila difformis and tie it together and let is float on the surface for the 1st 3 weeks to get rid of excess nutrients. I do not like frogbits as they are tough to remove.

1 x 2217 is more than sufficient. I pack in 2 Litres of Seachem matrix and 1 Litre of Substrat pro. My 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 ft is crystal clear water and I cannot explain how good this eheim is compared to my brandless canister the other time.

Are you dosing like lushgrow or the branded type like ada or tropica?

LED lights from green element is good. I m using 2 x 1.5ft 3W LEDs vertically across and it more than covers my tank well. Plants pearling like mad after i increased the BPS to 3 per second.

Got money, buy the Maxspect Razor. Confirm more than sufficient for your needs and coverage. Just whether you willing to part with 600 bucks.

All the best!

**prodrive** · 10th Nov 2013, 00:29

Cheers bros.

I have started, albeit slow. Very slow. 😄

Over the course of these few weeks, all I did was fiddle around my rockscape on the table. And added 1 pack of ada Amazonia. Not enough soil. Going to buy another pack soon. Hopefully I add in the rocks by next week.

I'm still comtemplating using just 1 2217. Or add the 2215. Although, true, with a flatter scale this time round, flow should be better.

Hmmm, seachem matrix. I may give it a go. Currently I have mech and substrate pro from my previous setup. Haven't thought of adding matrix. It helps with anaerobic bacteria cultivation and removing no3 right?

I may not go with the ro/di water as I am still considering whether to set up a unit for di water supply.

I am also considering how should I deliver my co2. I have an insta canister. I don't know what you call it but its the brand and co2 is fed into a canister and you connect an in/out via your filter so water runs through and co2 is dissolve in it. Used 1 before but stop as visually, I feel the micro bubbles produce by the ever popular ceramic diffuser seems to signal to me co2 is delivered to my tank, using insta, I see nothing. 😄.
What's your opinion? Use insta or ceramic diffuser?

**Urban Aquaria** · 10th Nov 2013, 01:32

Originally Posted by prodrive

Cheers bros.

I have started, albeit slow. Very slow.

Over the course of these few weeks, all I did was fiddle around my rockscape on the table. And added 1 pack of ada Amazonia. Not enough soil. Going to buy another pack soon. Hopefully I add in the rocks by next week.

I'm still comtemplating using just 1 2217. Or add the 2215. Although, true, with a flatter scale this time round, flow should be better.

Hmmm, seachem matrix. I may give it a go. Currently I have mech and substrate pro from my previous setup. Haven't thought of adding matrix. It helps with anaerobic bacteria cultivation and removing no3 right?

I may not go with the ro/di water as I am still considering whether to set up a unit for di water supply.

I am also considering how should I deliver my co2. I have an insta canister. I don't know what you call it but its the brand and co2 is fed into a canister and you connect an in/out via your filter so water runs through and co2 is dissolve in it. Used 1 before but stop as visually, I feel the micro bubbles produce by the ever popular ceramic diffuser seems to signal to me co2 is delivered to my tank, using insta, I see nothing. .
What's your opinion? Use insta or ceramic diffuser?

Starting up slow is good, better to make sure you are fully satisfied with your layout before flooding it with water, once filled its alot more hassle to change things around.

Using 2 canister filters with separate inflow/outflow would be a better choice as they can be positioned in such a way as to cover each others dead spots.

Seachem Matrix is good, i've been using them as bio-media in all my canister filters and so far they have maintained the long-term cycle in my tanks. Not sure about any significant reduction of N03 though, i guess there might be some small reduction effect in pockets of the filter where the flow is slower.

RO/DI water would allow you to control the water conditions more precisely with subsequently added water additives and conditioners, though it also means an additional expense and time to process the water.

As for seeing misty Co2 bubbles drifting around... that's up to individual preference, some like it, some not so much. Though the real signal that there is enough CO2 is seeing your plants pearling with trails of tiny oxygen bubbles rising up.

**prodrive** · 21st Feb 2014, 00:38

Guys,
Just an update. Not exactly a journal but just to share. Manage to setup my tank.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk 21392914204.440948.jpg
Started few days before cny.

Hc is growing slowly.
Currently it's on 8bps co2 and dosing seachem npk + trace. Do comment to help me improve.

**Mookie** · 22nd Feb 2014, 08:33

Will too much co2 cause algae?

**Urban Aquaria** · 22nd Feb 2014, 15:29

Excessive Co2 wouldn't be the direct cause of algae... but note that if you have alot of Co2 and light, but there are deficiencies in certain macro or micro nutrients (hence that becoming the limiting factor), the plants may stop or slow down their photosynthesizing activities enough for algae to start taking advantage of the remaining nutrients and light.