Beginner Planted Tank

[oblivion]

Hi everyone!

I'm a noob in this so wld like to get some advice frm all. Inherited some stuffs frm a cousin who went overseas n hav been readin extensively on the Net abt planted tanks n all. Am very entranced by all the beautiful planted tanks that I see and wld like 2 ask how shd I go ard setting one up optimally.

Have the following equipment:
1) Glass tank with rounded front edges (500mmx290mmx290mm + 5mm thick)
2) Ocean Free HOB filter (think can cycle up to 300L per hr... box says so anyway) with 3 media chambers (2 with filter wool and 1 with pouches of ceramic now0
3) Boyu PL Light set (18W, 6500K)
4) Mini cooling fan (Size 6cmx6cm)
5) 0.5L CO2 canister with manual regulator (no gauges)
6) Metal check valve, bubble counter & Boyu glass diffusor

Am planning to do a low setup with driftwood, rocks and mosses (Considering any combination of the following: Riccia or mini riccia, dwarf hairgrass, willow/java/taiwan/spiky moss and glosso for a lawn and also on the driftwood and rocks) Thinking not to have any taller plants though may consider things like windelov fern and march pennywort. Havin the idea to make it green without being too "leafy". Any recommendations on what to use and on where / for which area?

Other Questions
1) Am not sure about whether these hardware, esp the filter, lights, cooling & CO2 are okay for doing a planted tank or I shd change?
Don't mind changing some equipment and spend a bit since thinking to go into the hobby long term
2) No idea what kind of backgrd, base fert and gravel to use would be optimal and easier to start off.
3) Any brands of water conditioner, liquid fert etc to recommend?
4) Shd I use those off-the-shelf bought liquid bacteria to quick-start the cycling process?
5) Where can I get the type of plants mentioned easily, as well as having a large collection of rocks and driftwood to pick from for designing the tank?
Realised from my many visits to the LFSs to check things out that variety and stocks always very little to chose from.
6) Any other points that I shd consider and note or anythin that you guys think that shd be pointed out!

Thanks in advance!

[|squee|]

Low setup meaning low maintainence?

I can't help on the plant positioning because I've not used many of the plants you want.

1) They all look fine to me, 18W will be too low for glosso to crawl properly (that is, if you want the crawling effect). 36W will make it crawl imho, or 55W. But these two light levels will mean good CO2 management. Good CO2 will mean consitant and heavy CO2 injection/dissolution into the water. I'm not sure if your manual gauge regulator works well (some do) but mostly only a solenoid+ 2-gauge "non-manual" regulator work well. They cost above 100 for a good set (JBJ brand) and below 100 for Taiwan/China brands.

2) ADA Aquasoil allows you to slack off the fert dosing for the first month and doesn't need base fert, but personally I'll not use it if I were a beginner, because it's not suitable for constant shifting and rescapes which I expect you will do. I'd go for the rather common JBL Aquabasis Plus (basefert) and Lapis sand (gravel). Background-wise, people usually use "Oyama paper" which is a sticker-based background that you can paste on the back of the tank permanently that gives good rich colours (black or blue are common).

3) Water conditioners are usually not needed for wel-setup planted tanks. I don't use decholrinator or any sort of water conditioner except for new "chapalang" tanks that I set up, and that's only for the first month at most. Fert-wise, I dose KNO3, KH2PO4 and Seachem Equilibrium with a commercial trace product. If you do not understand, just ask questions

4) Yes you can, but if you could get mulm or "dirt" from a established tank's filter and sprinkle that stuff on the base of the tank before laying down the substrate it will start off your tank very well. Once water clears and the plants are seen growing new tips, fish can usually be added.

5) That will be the local plant farms. I do not know where they are.. probably someone will give you the address to these rural places. They have good driftwood/rock and a heck of a plant range to choose from from what I've heard

6) You might want to buy a new 60cm tank instead.. because that tank size is very common and people will be able to advice you more. Try getting the Ocean Free brand, or 5-Plan or anything. Your tank size is pretty uncommon (to me) and you might have problems fitting light sets, matching filter flow rate that sort of thing. It's real good that you're reading up, from the looks of things you know lots about what you're supposed to do already. Read more!

Good luck, and any further questions are welcomed.

[richietay]

Maybe you can browse www.tropica.com to see which particular plants interest you. For plants, you can surf the marketplace, make your deal and arrange for collection. Also you can visit any LFS near you, make enquires whether you able to place special orders the plants you require. else can visit NA and colorful.
if you have transport, aquatic farms be good.

[oblivion]

Thanks all for replying!

Squee, haha i meant low as in low plant height. well, guess i'll hav to plan out the scaping bit more.

1) So the HOB filter can do? Cos some stuffs i read seem to say disturbing water will run off the CO2 in a planted tank. heard alot abt canister filters being the best, tho seems like my tank kinda too small to fit one. any suggestions as to filter type/brand/model would be best?
if i stick to my filter now, what media shd i place inside?
got filter wool (ocean free) and sponge plus ceramic inside now.

Seems like i need more lights. at least 36 watts. kelvin wise? standard 6000+ kelvins is fine? saw some 10,000K tubes but not sure what they are for. standard white lights will do right? no fancy colors needed?

So the mini fan and Co2 can do also? Though seems to suggest that a solenoid 2-gauge auto regulator will work better (i assume you mean this is those kind of plug power and can plug into timer together with lights kind)
and is the canister size enough? how long can a 0.5-1L canister last?

2) the lapis sand comes in what colors?

3) KNO3, KH2PO4 and commercial trace product, any brands to recommend?
use the seachem brand as well?

fert wise i'm the most clueless. read abit on the kinds of mineral requirements
plants need, but the whole variety of brands and products confuses me. tinking to keep it simple and just stick to the products of one single brand (a good idea? if so, then any gd brand to rec? seachem? tropica? etc..) cos i dun wanna anyhow mix and dose and screw it up haha.

Thanks for helping!

[andrewtyr]

if you are looking at low height, then better avoid stem plants. Bro Baranne is also looking at the same problem as you, you two might want to discuss.

My advise is use crypts, ferns, anubias and tied moss on wood. There so many variaties to choose and play with and they don't need much maintainence. All you have to do is sit back and watch them grow and prosper.

Unfortunately these plants are more likely to get algae if you choose to complicate things by adding CO2, ferts, high light. Because your tank is a low one, anything gone astray will result in algae problems.

I would discourage glosso because they tend to overrun other plants.

There are good information ladden all over this forum, spend some time following the threads, looking at the pictures before jumping in. I am sure that way is an easier process to find one style that suits your taste.

Enjoy the hobby!

[|squee|]

Low plants... *smack my forehead*

Yes, the HOB will render your CO2 injection redundant, so if you're going to use one you might as well make it non-CO2.

If you go CO2: Ferts and light levels are important; have to be taken care of.
If you go non-CO2: Ferts can be dosed less frequently/no need to dose. Light has to be slightly lower powered than norm. No water changes... only water top-ups.

If you want a cannistor filter the Eden 501 should fit your bill. It's popular all over the forum nowadays.

A picture of lapis sand:


KNO3 etc doesn't come in brands... they are generic chemicals. The Seachem range is essentially the liquid version of the chemicals. Why don't you try Seachem first then? Get Flourish Potassium, Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish, Equlibrium and follow the simple instructions stated on the labels. As time goes by, you'll eventually come to understand what plants need and how simple dosing can be once you figure that out.

[oblivion]

Heard alot about Eheim filters as well...
Lets say i wanna get a canister filter, for a tank of such size as mine (1.5ft to 2ft) , which would be good? both brand and model wise?
checked out eheim site, seems like their canister filters are too big for mine. eden 501 seems good (what u suggest putting as media inside?) m how much?
how bout the filstar range? any other suggestions?

perhaps u can elaborate on taking care of lights and ferts if use co2.
lights 36W for my tank size on abt 8-10 hrs a day can?
ferts mayb weekly or wad as per label instructions i guess.

thanks!

[oblivion]

Also just saw the Seachem onyx sand.
quite like the look of it. but not sure if its suitable to use...
if use it will need to put in base fert? if put base fert put what is best?
how much it costs and where to get?

[kemp]

eden will be just ideal. Don't worry about buying addiditonal media. Eden has everything you need inside the packaging when you buy it.

[|squee|]

Onyx sand doesn't need base fert if I'm not wrong.

If you use CO2, 36W-55W for 10 hours a day on your tank is fine. Ferts-wise follow the bottle's instructions.
If non-CO2, I'd go for only 36W and not more. Ferts-wise weekly.

[oblivion]

Ok, guess I'll be following your suggestions.

So summarising, here's what I'm gonna have hardware wise for my tank.

Tank: 500mm by 290 mm by 290mm (existing)
Lights: 36W? PL lighting, 6500K (to buy)
Filter: Eden 501 external canister filter (to buy)
CO2: 0.5L stainless steel tank (existing and looks nice!), solenoid+2-gauge regulator (to buy), tubing, bubble counter and stainless steel check valve (existing), Boyu glass diffusor (existing)
Cooling: 6cm by 6cm fan (existing)
Substrate: SeaChem Onyx (to buy), no base fert?
Background: Black oyama paper (to buy)
Liquid ferts: SeaChem series (Flourish Potassium, Flourish Phosphorus, Flourish Nitrogen, Flourish and Equlibrium)

I suppose thats what I need to get going. Anythin I missed out or you guys think I should have?

Also got ALOT of questions???
1) The hardware equipment I put down how long can they last?
2) I might upgrade to a bigger 2ft tank in future. Will the stuff be able to be used on that tank size?
3) What's the difference in Co2 and ferts dosing between using 36W and 55W lights? I.e. how many bps? Seems like a big difference between 36W and 55w for my tank size. Cos my tank (500mm by 290mm by 290mm) is about 11 gallons (ard 42 litres). Heard that optimal is 2.5W to 3W per gallon. 36W seems enough (abit more than 3W per gallon le). if 55W is a massive 5W per gallon! Lets say I upgrade to 2ft tank in future, which wattage of lights is better?
(trying to cut costs and buy "upgradable stuffs" so that don't have to buy hardware again for 2ft tank in future, can just bring over and use)
4) the Eden 501 comes with a rainbar and media right? how to use the rainbar optimally? just connect to output and put in tank below waterline? the media how long need to change? must buy back eden media?
5) the Co2 solenoid 2-gauge regulator - any brand to recommend?
6) For Co2 i just attach tubing like this? - regulator ==> check valve ==> bubble counter ==> diffusor
Is diffusor ok to use? saw some pple linking Co2 to filter output. then also heard about ceramic diffusors and reactors. not sure how these work? anyone can explain to me?
7) the eden 501 canister filter i can place below the tank right? will it leak or not enough pump pressure if below tank?
the cooling fan so small enough? need to get more? how many deg shd i keep the tank at optimally? 26degs? which thermometer accurate on temp reading? - thinking of getting one.
9) so confirm the Seachem onyx gravel don;t need base fert? just buy and put, then plant in and use liquid ferts will enough for plants?
10) the Seachem ferts that i put down are enough to cover all the plant requirements already right? anymore stuffs? i'm bad at chemistry so just hoping to have an "easy" solution. just buy all i need and follow instructions dose.
12) Lights wise what's the advantage of e-ballast and "normal" ballast? read abit on this but dun understand. And what brand of PL light tubes to get?
13) Any1 feel that PL lights not good and shd use other lights? ie FL, MH etc.
And whats T5 lights?
14) anyone can give me an idea of how much the stuffs i planning to buy cost? need to budget this haha. the more i read the more i see the more expensive this seems to get!

LAST QUESTION!: I assume i can get all the stuffs i need to buy from Nature Aquarium right? read abit and seems like equipment wise they have the most variety and stock.

Thanks evryone!
Regards.

[tcampbell]

1) The hardware equipment I put down how long can they last?

They shouldn't fail if used correctly. The good gauge and co2 tank can last a long long time!

2) I might upgrade to a bigger 2ft tank in future. Will the stuff be able to be used on that tank size?

CO2 no problem, filter might be fine, but a little under powered. Either upgrade or add another. . Light would work, but not right lenght, so cornoer plants would receive less light, and might want to increase the WPG

3) What's the difference in Co2 and ferts dosing between using 36W and 55W lights? I.e. how many bps?
BPS depends upon plant growth an dtypes of planst. Start off at 1 bps and then adjust depending upon growth and need.
Better light, strong = more growth and more need of CO2 and other ferts. Just like growing people, more grwoth, more food!

Seems like a big difference between 36W and 55w for my tank size. Cos my tank (500mm by 290mm by 290mm) is about 11 gallons (ard 42 litres). Heard that optimal is 2.5W to 3W per gallon. 36W seems enough (abit more than 3W per gallon le).

WPG does not always work out best in smaller tanks. BUt that said, more light is not always better (can lead to more algae, and more work - extra co2 more ferts etc). I have the approx same tank (460 x 290 x 350), with a 30 watt light and things are growing great. Though I know some of the smaller mosses etc would grow better with more light. For me it works fine. Higher light would make easier for upgrade (be able to use) plus usually it will have two bulbs with two switches so you could always just use one bulb most of the time and the other just during peak times with your smaller tank so you wouldn't be getting the fully 55w all 8 ` 10 hours a day (ie... 4 hours just one bulb, 2 hours both, 4 hours just one)

if 55W is a massive 5W per gallon! Lets say I upgrade to 2ft tank in future, which wattage of lights is better?
(trying to cut costs and buy "upgradable stuffs" so that don't have to buy hardware again for 2ft tank in future, can just bring over and use)

Higher better. for upgrade

4) the Eden 501 comes with a rainbar and media right?
YEs
how to use the rainbar optimally? just connect to output and put in tank below waterline?
Yes.
the media how long need to change?
just rinces off every couple of months depending upon your tank load, feeding schedule and how direty it gets, ie... flow slows down

must buy back eden media?
No. Just standard rings and filter sponge

5) the Co2 solenoid 2-gauge regulator - any brand to recommend?
Rex's or high quality brand

6) For Co2 i just attach tubing like this? - regulator ==> check valve ==> bubble counter ==> diffusor

Correct

Is diffusor ok to use? saw some pple linking Co2 to filter output. then also heard about ceramic diffusors and reactors. not sure how these work? anyone can explain to me?

More complicated and expensive. Diffuser is fine

7) the eden 501 canister filter i can place below the tank right?will it leak or not enough pump pressure if below tank?

Better beside the tank or attached to the tank with the attaching hook. Below, the power is not really enought to push the water up.

the cooling fan so small enough? need to get more? how many deg shd i keep the tank at optimally? 26degs?

26 to 28 degrees for plants

which thermometer accurate on temp reading? - thinking of getting one.

cheap ones!!

9) so confirm the Seachem onyx gravel don;t need base fert? just buy and put, then plant in and use liquid ferts will enough for plants?

Can't comment

10) the Seachem ferts that i put down are enough to cover all the plant requirements already right? anymore stuffs? i'm bad at chemistry so just hoping to have an "easy" solution. just buy all i need and follow instructions dose.
Can't comment

12) Lights wise what's the advantage of e-ballast and "normal" ballast? read abit on this but dun understand. And what brand of PL light tubes to get?

Daylight tubes

13) Any1 feel that PL lights not good and shd use other lights? ie FL, MH etc.
And whats T5 lights?

14) anyone can give me an idea of how much the stuffs i planning to buy cost? need to budget this haha. the more i read the more i see the more expensive this seems to get!

That is what I find too, starting out seems to be a lot, but they parts last and don't need to be replaced. Total cost depends upon brands and where you buy. I am in Taiwan so my pricing is different.

[|squee|]

You don't need base fert for Seachem Onyx sand. For dosing Seachem Equilibrium, follow the instructions for dosing enough to raise 1 degree gH, and only dose half or 1/4 that amount. You are just dosing to ensure calcium and magnesium are sufficient.

Don't use bubbles per second to gauge how much CO2 you're putting into your tank. Use plant growth and algae growth as a gauge. bps is just a visual gauge for you to base on when amending rate of CO2 injection

If you upgradge to a 2ft tank, 36W is still fine but a tad little low. I personally use 72W for my 2ft standard tank (60L). The WPG "rule" can be broken if you know how to manage things! I used 36W for the same tank when it was a non-CO2 one.

For the rainbar usage, I place it horizontally across the tank's width blowing across to the other side where my CO2 diffusor is placed. This makes the bubbles flow all around the tank.

For temperature of the tank, as long as you put your hand into the tank and feel it's colder than tap water, it's good enough. Most common thermometers on the market are inaccurate anyway I believe. Below 28 degrees Celcius is good.

The ferts you're going to buy will cover practically everything your plants need, namely nitrogen potassium phosphorous calcium magnesium iron sulphur manganese etc etc. As you go along you will realise plants all need the same stuff and buying cheap chemical powders (leave that for later) work just as well as buying $50 commercial solutions.

Just buy any brand for PL tubes, personal preference issue. E-ballasts are lighter, and supposedly save electricity and don't give out so much heat like iron-core ballasts. They say the tubes last longer this way too.

PL lights are pretty much common, T5 is coming up but it's still a tad expensive. MH on a 2ft is overkill FL is fine too but more use PL now imho.

Set aside a budget of perhaps $200. You haven't considered driftwood/rocks, fish, plants themselves, and numerous equipment like fish food, buckets, fish net, a pair of plant scissors and tweezers (buy a good set for these, will last you throughout your hobby), a length of hose for water changing etc.

Yes, Nature Aquarium and the LFS next to it (Colourful Equipment) is almost a 1-stop location for everything you need. Get a car.

[oblivion]

Wow! Thanks guys, the info you all give and the answers to my queries are being very helpful and useful.

Haha, i tend to ask alot of things and find out b4 i go n buy n try.
cuts down costs on unnecessary/wrong/bad purchases.
wastes money and more importantly wastes alot of effort!
will be ard here askin more qns these few days. planning to go for a shopping spree in toa payoh NA and colorful tis wkend!
haha n after tat when i actually start, theres gonna be even more

Just a few more questions today; =p

1) So of the series of ferts listed, you mentioned only Equilibrium need to under-dose? the rest as per instructions right?
not sure of seachem range of ferts the prices. any comments? prolly more ex than most but i dun wanna risk and buy some cheap unknown brand. heard horror stories of how poor liquid ferts screwed up tanks and wld wana save myself frm tat

2) tink i'll stick to 36W of lighting. dun wana get embroiled in a vicious cycle i.e. more light ==> more co2 ==> more ferts ==> plants grow ==> alot of trimming n maintenance ==> no time!
think 36w shd do fine as i prefer a more open setup rather than very densely planted.

also planning plants as mostly being mini riccia, hairgrass, taiwan moss, java fern and windelov fern so far (heard abt others like anubias and nana also, tho i cant really differentiate by sight most of the plant types - ie moss jus seems like moss to me. only pics close up den i see the differences)
haben researched much into all the plant types 1st (one thing at a time)

the ferts, lighting(36W) n co2 i plannin shd be jus enuff rite? hope not underkill or overkill...

any comments on equipment vs plant here?
also welcome comments on other plant types recommneded

n btw, i hav a n exisiting Boyu 18W PL lighting set. anyway to like change/upgrade it to a 36w set? change the power inside or smthin? or must buy new one? seems a waste to leave the 18w there jus liddat.

n do i need e-ballast for my lights? elec-saving or not etc im not so concerned. more concerned now is with the heat produced. want to make sure can keep water cool enough for plants and shrimps.

n since im at cooling, any fans to recommend? as in efficient and silent.
the tank is prolly gonna b in my room, so dun want disturbance when i sleepin =p (one big reason why i planning get eden 501 is cos its supposed 2 b quieter)
or do u all off the fans when lights are off also (planned lighting cycle is 8-10hrs, prolly 1200 - 2200 hrs daily via timer)?

3) as for the eden, hmm tink i have to find a way to put it level with tank.
was planning put in compartment below tank. abt 1/2 to 3/4 foot below but seems like every1 is saying not enuff pressure to pump water up.

i dun have to buy tubing to connect it to rainbar etc right? supposedly all comes in packaged

4) my tiny 0.5L canister of co2 cn roughly last how long for my tank size?
assuming i'm running at 1-2bps 8-10hrs daily (same cycle 1200-2200 hrs as lights thru a timer)

5) saw an ocean free set of scissor n tweezer. stainless steel supposedly.
costs 22bucks. is that gd?

the rest of the fish nets, water change hose etc jus buy any normal one in any lfs can le i suppose

6) planning to rear small schooling fish, prolly cardinals or other tetra species plus 2 SAEs (to help keep tank clean hopefully) and cherry shrimps (got a fren who has bred like several hundred in his 2 feet shrimp breeding tank. he's giving me some).
what brand of food good? can feed them just flakes or pellets right? ocean free or tetra brand?

n i suppose bio load wise, for my kind of setup abt 20+ such small fishes and 10+ shrimps issit too many?

7) if i put diffusor below rainbar in back of tank shd b fine right? what angle to place rainbar? face up/down straight?

do i have to dechlorinate water b4 put in tank? u all mentioned tat dun use water conditioners. but chlorine etc stll seems like a problem.. wat u do? fill a bucket of water and air it overnight b4 filling in tank / water change?

n i suppose no other forms of conditioners are needed ie black water / slime coating / water softener etc?

9) tinkin use bottled bacteria to help set up the tank - play safe with the cycling. a fren recommend aqumedi bio bacta. any comments/suggestions as to using of commrcial bacteria and if the brand gd? (tho im still planning to add fish at least 2-3 weeks after plants are in and the aquarium is running)

Thanks every1 for your invaluable advice!

[ranmasatome]

your questions are so relative.

[|squee|]

1) They're a reliable brand so don't worry. They're expensive in the long run, however they're easy to dose, almost a no-brainer. It'll be better for you since you're just starting. Yea, under-dose Equilibrium. It's actually not needed but a lot of people here use it for the same reasion: just in case.

2) Yeap, not underkill or overkill. 36W is perfectly fine That 18W one might be able to be upgraded at NA, you have to ask. Otherwise just keep it, you'll definately have a small tank for it next time

E-ballast seems cooler to me, much cooler. I DIY my fans using computer fans and wire trunking. I turn them off at lights-out since the main purpose for my fans is to dissipate the heat generated by the lights and prevent the water from warming up.

3) Can't advise you here, don't own a Eden

4) Should last perhaps a year.

5) Not sure. I bought the JBJ/JBL set. Best is the ADA one costs like... nuts.

6) Food-wise it's seriously personal preference.

7) You have to arrange your equipment in the way that bubbles from the diffusor are blown throughout the tank.

It depends on where you live.. some parts of Singapore have water that needs to be conditioned before use. Seachem Prime is a good dechlorinator, as well as many others. Nope, don't need blackwater extract, water softener all that. Best to keep it as natural as possible.

9) Asking for a wet filter sponge from your friend's filter will do the same job

[valice]

Regarding the use of Seachem Onxy, remember that it is not a open bag and dump kind of substrate. It is more of a wash 10 times then dump kind... You can ask those who are using the substrate... They will swear that they wouldn't want to go through it again...

Also, Onxy sand seems to have difficulty in holding some types of plants according to some users... Not very sure about that. Hope they can advise better...

For your tank, why don't just jump straight up to a standard 2ft 5-plan tank and forget about your odd size? Extra 10cm on the length and 1 cm in height and depth isn't much really...

As for scissors and tweezers, find those thin and sharp tips one for easier planting of small plants like glosso... Whether is curve or straight is really down to personal preferences... Ocean free ones rust easier than JBJ ones, and the Ocean Free tweezers are more "rigid" than JBJ ones... But the former has thinner tips than the latter... I using both...

With regards to food, feed a variety of different foods and do trial and error... Some fishes will give certain brands of foods a miss totally after tasting another brand... While other fishes just gorge on anything that drops into the water... It depends... Just try lor... Food is cheap anyway...

To cut down on heat generated by your lights, go straight to a T5. Confirm cooler... Hands down... T5 also gives you the flexiblilty of using 2 different spectrum of lights which only affects the visual satisfaction of viewers though... 6000k lights might be too "dim" to the human's naked eyes compared to 10000k lights. But no difference to the plants actually...

Have fun with the setup...

[kemp]

eden comes with everything that you'll need. media, rainbar, tubings, etc. No need to buy additional stuffs

[oblivion]

Haha thx guys,

1) Was on my way home frm work n passed by aquastar over in yishun. tot mayb pop in c the eden. but they dun have it =(
tink wkend go NA find. is it difficult to find?

2) the T5 lights start frm wat wattage? im just gettin 36W of light so dunno if higher-end T5 got such low wattage available or not.
n cost-effectiveness wise T5 issit gonna b alot more ex than PL?

ie any eg of pricing for lets say the following:
i) e-ballast 36W PL
ii) normal 36W PL
iii) T5 (dunno if it has e-ballast n normal versions or jus 1 version)

3) main reason y im not gettin a new 2ft tank now is cos (a) i alrdy hav an existing tank (cost-cutting! =p ), (b) n more mainly cos a 2ft tank will not fit nicely onto the stand i have now. putting the tank onto a cabinet in my room. sturdy n neat. 2ft wld stick out abit from the sides of the cabinet n dun tink tat helps stability

its either tat or change tanks = change cabinet = etc etc (bit too much at 1 go)

4) checked out the nature aqaurium webbie n they use some sort of sand flattener to shape the gravel in the beginner's manual. is it useful?
any kind of such stuff in spore? haben seen any as yet. i rummaged ard my hse n planning use a metal scraper (the kind to scrape paint off walls one) to flatten the gravel.

5) b poppin by NA n colorful on sat for hardware den setup tat day.
prolly sun go down again for plants (mini riccia, taiwan moss or other mosses, hairgrass, java n windelov ferns etc)
any plants to recommend? or anywhere else i shd go to get plants
heard NA n colorful are well-stocked in terms of equipment, not so sure abt plants n fishes tho.
when shd i begin fert routine?
n in the beginning shd i pump co2? n lights on how long? (assume co2 n lights cycle is together)

6) fish wise, apart frm shrimps, tetras, characins n other small fishes, shd i b keeping SAEs? tinking use em to keep tank clean but saw smwhere tat they mgt grow to like 10+ cm in size.
any other fish to rec? heard abt otos performing same function, but not sure how big they r n how they look like

7) im looking for substrate of darker colors, hopefully a nice dark gray.
thus my choosing the seachem onyx sand.
any other dark substrates to recommend n gd to use?

i suppose the solenoid+2-gauge regulators shd b able to fit my co2 canister rite? std size for these kinda stuffs? or bring down see can fit safer.

9) n last of the qns here is to find out rough pricing of the following stuffs so that i can plan n compare n budget for final decision
i) seachem onyx sand (1 bag is tink 7kg n shd b more than enuff rite?)
ii) JBL Aquabasis Plus base fert (1 bag how big? more than enough leh)
iii) Lapis sand
iv) JBJ solenoid+2-gauge regulator
v) eden 501 (heard its $50+)
vi) seachem series of stuffs - flourish, flourish nitrogen, flourish phosporus, flourish potassium, equilibrium & prime (per bottle how much?)

thanks guys, for making my entry into the hobby a much smoother one

[|squee|]

1) Not sure if NA has it. Might want to call them to check.

2) T5 lights for 2ft start from 24W. For now, yes T5 is expensive. The iron-core PL light set will be cheapest in that list.

4) Not really, I use my hand but yes, the scraping triangle tool will do the job nicely. You can buy that sand flattener at NA if I'm not wrong, but the prices will blow you away because it's ADA.

5) Imho it's better you buy the equipment, check it all out but don't fill the tank with water yet. Remember you have to make sure your driftwood (if you're buying any) sinks. That can take a month. Also it's better to have the tank chock-full of plants on day one. This helps against algae.

For plants and fishes Colourful is a better choice for me. Equipment is NA. You can begin the fert routine right at the start, CO2 begin at the start too. I start 10 hours 36W, then increased to 72W for my own tank. If you're getting a 36W light set, just start at 10 hours will do. You can also choose to "stagger" the light period increasing 1 hour every day.

6) SAEs are useless imho, but you can try them if you want. They work for some and don't work for some. Yes they grow huge. Standard algae/cleanup crew will be some otocinclus and Yamato shrimp. Otocinclus stay small enough.

7) Nice dark grey = ADA Aquasoil Amazonia. Seachem Onyx Sand might be a little too black for you. See if there are any on-site displays.

Bring down safer and easier; Mr Chan can install for you on the spot.

Aquasoil is less than $40, Seachem not sure. Aquabasis Plus and Lapis sand is less than $20. One bag of the above-mentioned substrates/baseferts is more than enough.

Solenoid and regulator combo will be more than $100. Eden 501 was about $50 the last time I saw. The entire range of ferts will amount to perhaps $30.

Take your time, buy equipment bit by bit if you have to. The important thing is to plant the tank thickly on day one, and introduce slightly-less bioload when you feel the time is right.