My first tank - Low Tech and Low maintance

[wingwa77]

Recently my niece poured half a bottle of alga waffles into my 2 ft tank when I was out . By the time I was home all my fishes were dead except for 5 clown loaches (but 1 did not make it later)
.


After resting for 1 month decided to start my 1st planted tank .
Just wanted to share the process of setting up after reading so much in AQ, comments and advises welcome

1st Pict: Base soil
2nd and 3rd Pict: unknow plant? Can any brother help me I.D.
4th pict: Tape grass from my friend's tank
5th pict: unknow plant? Can any brother help me I.D.

[wingwa77]

1st Pict: Hair grass from my first planted tank
2nd Pict: Planted plants into base soil
3rd Pict: Added Gex soil as upper layer of soil and added water
4th Pict: 24 hours later
5th Pict: 20 days later and added some red color leave plant, anyone can help me ID? Actually currently having some runners from the tape grass. Really fast growing.


Final Set up
Tank: Gex 60 x 30 x 25 (Curve front)
Filter: Ecco 2232
Light:
33w PL Magnum II
Fauna:
6 x small angel fish
9 runny nose
4 clown loach
1 oto

No CO, Chiller, Fan etc etc <- complain by family members that waste alot of electricity

[Xianghao]

bro IMHO no CO2 injection half your plants will die after a while. maybe try DIY CO2 or something?

[wingwa77]

bro IMHO no CO2 injection half your plants will die after a while. maybe try DIY CO2 or something?

Oops thought without CO2 the plants will just grow slower? Thought right temp + good soil + right pH + clean water = nice plants?

Any helpful brother can help to ID the plants, the uncle at my lfs said that these all don need CO2 .

[Jungle-mania]

Technically, you are right. No CO2 means slower growth, but the plants might just die from the lack of it. I have tried it before and it is a 50/50 thing for a decent survival.

[Shadow]

Technically speaking all plan need CO2 . I believe what you are trying to say is without CO2 injection. This depend on what plants species that you have as well as lighting intensity. Normally slow growing plant can survive without CO2 injection. however if you put slow growing plant under high light and without CO2 injection, you are inviting algae to grow.

[koolman]

Technically speaking all plan need CO2 . I believe what you are trying to say is without CO2 injection. This depend on what plants species that you have as well as lighting intensity. Normally slow growing plant can survive without CO2 injection. however if you put slow growing plant under high light and without CO2 injection, you are inviting algae to grow.

Hi

Likewise you say that all plant need CO2. If I just want to place HC grass carpet for a natural look.. Does it require CO2 too?

Cheers
Koolman

[Shadow]

HC need lots of CO2

[koolman]

HC need lots of CO2

Thanks for your enlighten.. Is there any grass carpet that can be kept without CO2.. I am newbie for planted.. Cheers

[fireblade]

can get moss lawn, or fissiden for the carpet..
if you don't want inject CO2 maybe can add in Excel?

[actorial]

hmm... suggest to try DIY CO2 ? but the ppm wont be consistent so if there are many livestock in tank, they might have a hard time unless u can pump in some oxygen bubble

[fireblade]

think no problem with diy CO2 ..
have been using that before and now still using..

[wingwa77]

Thanks for your enlighten.. Is there any grass carpet that can be kept without CO2.. I am newbie for planted.. Cheers

So far hair grass and all types of moss no need CO2 injection. But need cooler water e.g. less than 28 degrees.

[koolman]

So far hair grass and all types of moss no need CO2 injection. But need cooler water e.g. less than 28 degrees.

I have decided to use a chiller for my next project.. Temperature is not an problem to me.. What kind of grass do you recommend if I want a greenie bottom look..

Cheers
Koolman

[Sphere]

Interesting that you used a toilet bowl as a background for your plant pics

[wingwa77]

Hehe just an update of my tank, it is very messy even after trimming. Plus now got a "jack and the beanstalk"

All the fishes doing well, except for the clown loaches. 2 of them have lost become very dull coloured.

[pustefix8965]

I think a lot of people have success with non-CO2 injection planted tank. As someone once said, CO2 injection is for "production" planting.

Anyway, the taller plant seem so to be Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' and the short plant Echinodorus quadricostatus. I have both and they are growing fine in my non-CO2 tanks. The only problem I have of corymbosa is that the lower leaves will die off when the plant is growing taller. After a while the bottom stem is bare (about 6 inches) but the plant is still growing new leaves at the top.

[Shadow]

whether its need CO2 injection or not depend on the light intensity and species.

[boi_wave]

if i were to put a method of planting the HC and soil with water enough to moist the soil and let the HC grow with sufficient 02 and C02 from the atmosphere like one of the link i came across, will it really works? i just tried it out days ago before hari raya...

[Shadow]

yes it work, tried that myself. The difficult part is when you start flooding the tank. Fail 2 times before and the last successfull try is by injecting lots of CO2.