Set Up of Pleco Tank

[wasabi8888]

Hi all

I am going to set up a pleco tank and need advice.

Intend to place a thin layer of Dennerle gravel and DW. I used to use Sera peat with my apistos and since the apistos will be staying with the plecos for a while, can I use sera peat?

If I do that, wouldn't the water be brown in color? Is that OK for a pleco tank? I know quite a lot of you use Kepetang leaves, so I assume brown water is acceptable in a pleco tank?

Tank is a clear silicon tank with blue background. Please advise

[valice]

Go ahead. They are from South American waters. So all the conditions you have with Apistoes will be the same with Plecos.

What colour will be your Dennerle gravel? Dark?

[wasabi8888]

No.. color of the gravel is brown (mid tone). i was just wondering in my Apisto set-up, the tank was the black silicone type with black oyama back, thus brown water was still acceptable visually. With a clear silicon tank and a blue back ground, wont the brown water be ugly?

[valice]

Benny did mention to me before that blue background brings out the colour of plecos.
Sera peat don't really tint the water that much anyway.

ugliness depends on whether you are more concerned with aesthetics or with the fish.

[wasabi8888]

VIncent..

Yap, the blue background is because of Benny's advice....

I know that last sentence will come out from this discussion

then i will continue with Sera peat stuffed in the 2211. Do I still need to keep the peat in a bag?

[valice]

Do I still need to keep the peat in a bag?

For easy maintenance and replacement of the peat in future, it might be a useful to bag them.

[wasabi8888]

For the 2211, put the filter bag with peat , on top right?

[valice]

For easy access, definitely the top.

[iwishweallcouldwin]

hey jeff, looking forward to see pictures of your tank!

[genes]

Actually, sera peat will stain the water. So the more you use, the more brownish your water gets. After all, they are still peat but made into granules. New granules will float, so another reason here to contain them in bags. Browning of water stops once the peat have been leached of their tanin.

Charcoal can be used to remove the brown tinge if you are bothered by the colour.

[wasabi8888]

So, if I am irritated by the color, i put peat and charcoal at the same time?

[eeeeemo]

will the peat effect be taken away with the addition of charcoal as it does to the tinted brown colour?

[illumnae]

would it be possible to put a bag of ADA africana into a fine mesh bag and dump it into the filter to get the low ph without staining the water?

[wks]

Jeffrey. why don't you use black water? You can control the amount to be used, so the tank water won't turn brown.

[wasabi8888]

i am doing that... but I believe peat is more effective. Besides, black water also will cause the water to turn brown though not as much

[wasabi8888]

Does anyone have a L134? I saw some at a LFS and was wondering whether it's worth getting.

[mickthefish]

ive got one, a very good looking peckoltia,
i had a bit of trouble i the first few weeks but now no trouble at all.
a fish worth putting a bit of work into.

mick