New tank setup, need advice...

[rc311]

Hi,

I have recently fall in love with aquatic planting and decided to pick up as my one of my hobbies. Went shopping and got myself a 3ft tank, together with a eheim 2226 filter as well a chiller. Got my stuff delivered, and i have wash and fill up e tank with 160l of water. Follow the guide by adding the new water guard as well as the super black water (recomm by the sales staff) but my pH level still show 7.4 or above, i wonder how can it be lowered?

I have also got a pack of 25kg sand and a pack (9l) of aqua soil. I am totally loss of how to get into a proper setup. Wash the sand but yet to put into e tank and also read the soil instruction that it should be lay first without any water but right now, my tank is already fill up...

At e moment, i tot first to condition the water first, follow by adding the 1st soil follow by sand and follow by soil again. Am i in the right path?

My intention of the new tank is to fill the floor with some carpet kind of grass (maybe 50% of e floor size). Follow by stem plant as well as some moss on structure.

Please help...)

Cheers,
Rc311.

[Aquaculture]

Utmost priority is to cycle the tank, not so much as conditioning the water as during the cycling stage, you should not add in any fauna or at most feeder fish to accelerate the cycling process.

The aqua soil you're referring to is ADA? What I would do is to fill in the sand 1st then aqua soil. Filling water to just above the substrate then plant your foreground plants.

How about lights? You didn't mention anything about lights and also CO2. In terms of light, if your're using canister CO2, try to achieve 3WPG. Lights are on at least 8hrs a day. Consideration to how much to inject depends on the requirements of the plant you select.

[dwgi32]

Hi,

Normal practise is to add the substrate and soil then add water, like what aquaculture state, you shld add the foreground plant ie your carpet plant at this stage. Please note that the water may become cloudy at this point of time but it will subside after a couple of days.

Do keep us posted on your progress.

[rc311]

Hi all,

Thanks for e vaulable comments...

Here is my equipment list,

1. 3ft x 1.5ft x 2ft tank
2. Eheim 2226 filter filled.
3. A 280w chiller
4. 2 x 30w FL day light
5. 25kgs of sand (d-lilver, something like that, cannot really see the label)
6. Amazonia aqua soil from nature aquarium goods (9l) is it enough?

I do not have any co2 installed. Do i really need a co2? How much will it cost and possible to let me know where is e best bargain place to get one?

I am a noobs when coming into this new hobby, really hope to obtain more knowledge from you all. I read above post, so my current filled 160l tank is useless, am i right to say that i can empty the water now, and can start will putting soil as the base follow by a layer of sand and last covered with another of soil? What will be ideal thickness for each layer?

After planting the foreground plant, should i fill up the tank with water? Also do i need to add those new water and black water to lower the pH?

Once again, thanks for putting any comments.

Thanks,
Rc311

[yck]

i think u shld start off things slowly , my advice will be read up on some plants first before deciding what to plant . cos its troublesome to redo the whole setup if you find those plants not suitable .

[Shadow]

yes emty your tank and start over by putting soil, fill the water fisrt is good to make sure that no leak on your tank. You can download step by step instruction from ADA. Check the thread below:

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=27279

In my opinion 9l for 3ft tank is not enough but it also depend on your scape. You do not need pH lowering stuff, ADA soil will lower your pH to around 5 but it will slowly go up to around 6 once the cycle finished. Thank might take you 3 or 4 weeks You should cycle with all of your plants and plant a lots because that will help reduce algae grow.

So what plant do you have?

Light wise, 2 x 30W = 60W for 3ft tank, I would say it would not be enough for most forground plant, of course it depent what foreground plant you have.

How about fertelizer dossing?

3x1.5x2ft is about 67 Gallons, with 60W light you only have 0.9 watt per gallon. Although watt per gallon rule not really accurate but 0.9 still very low. You might want to target 1.5-2WPG for low tech (no CO2 injection and fert) or >3WPG for hight tech (CO2 injection and fert)

[rc311]

thanks everyone for the comments. I have a noobs question, what do you all means by cycling plant? Cheers.

[yyylarry]

If this is a plant only tank, then no cycling will be nessacary..


If you plan to put in fishes or shrimp, then you need to cycle the tank with hardy fishes to get the bacteria to break down the wastes. (Around 1 month time)

[Aquaculture]

What they meant is to cycle the tank as in to cultivate beneficial bacteria (BB). As Shadow's suggest, to have more plants in the tank when you cycle the water (at least 50% - 70%) of the tank filled with plants. This would help in reducing algae growth.

[mackeith]

here's a good video on how to setup a planted tank. though its for small tank it should apply as well for your 3 feeter.
http://whatthepets.blogspot.com/search/label/aquarium
hope it helps

[torque6]

theres no need to cycle tank unless u want to add fauna to your tank later on, the basic rule is at least 4-6 weeks to get your biofilter establish before adding fish/shrimps.

[Quixotic]

rc311, do take some time to read up about cycling, here are some links...

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...94&postcount=2
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/aquaria/general-faq/beginner/ (section on Beginner FAQ: The Nitrogen Cycle, and "New Tank Syndrome")
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...article_id=113 (Fishless cycling)

[rc311]

hi all, thanks for the necessary and valuable comments. I am setting up the tank now, will post up some photos and appreciate if anyone can help to comment the setup.

I have also purchase another 25w fl light to beef up the lighting as well as gotten myself a co2 setup and preset 3-4 bubbles per sec. Does my co2 keep running or i should set up a timer like the lighting? Currently, the lighting is on 8am to 12pm follow by 1pm to 9pm. Should my co2 follow the same?

Again, appreciate any guidance...

Cheers,
Rc311

[rc311]

Hi, here is my new tank setup, first time planting so will greatly need comments... please feel free....

Whole tank,


Left,


Centre,


Right,



Cheers,
Rc311

[williamng]

Hi RC311

Great effort. Some suggestions: -

1) Maybe you want to use a larger piece of wood as the main focus. Your wood could be too small and if plant grows, it is likely to cover the wood

2) Make the slope steeper at the back?

[rc311]

Hi RC311

Great effort. Some suggestions: -

1) Maybe you want to use a larger piece of wood as the main focus. Your wood could be too small and if plant grows, it is likely to cover the wood

2) Make the slope steeper at the back?

Thanks for yrs sugguestion, point 1 noted. As for point 2, i dont quite get it. Can explain further?

Thanks.
Rc311

[williamng]

Hi RC311

I think maybe you can put the sand higher at the back? Then it may look deeper. For instance the front of the gravel could be 2-3cm, the back can be 8-9cm thick?

[FishFan]

hi all, thanks for the necessary and valuable comments. I am setting up the tank now, will post up some photos and appreciate if anyone can help to comment the setup.

I have also purchase another 25w fl light to beef up the lighting as well as gotten myself a co2 setup and preset 3-4 bubbles per sec. Does my co2 keep running or i should set up a timer like the lighting? Currently, the lighting is on 8am to 12pm follow by 1pm to 9pm. Should my co2 follow the same?

Again, appreciate any guidance...

Cheers,
Rc311

Hi there,

Some replies to your previous question.

(1) Your CO2 is meant for photosynthesis. No point having CO2 on 24 hrs as the CO2 is basically wasted. The simplest approach would be to tie together the CO2 and lighting by using the same timer. Another approach would be to use separate timers. In this approach, turn on the CO2 half and hour before the lights are switched on, and turn off the CO2 half and hour before the lights are switched off. Proponents of the second approach assert that this ensures that CO2 is readily available for the plants when the lights are switched on and less CO2 is wasted as the existing CO2 dissolved in the tank is sufficient for the last half hour.

(2) Your photo-period (4 hours + 8 hours) seems a little long. Go for 8 - 10 hours. Some hobbyists use the siesta method (I believe that you are going for this) claiming that it reduces the tank's propensity for algae growth. I have not tried this method before. However, I have had good experience with containing algae leaving the light turned on 9 hours - mainly because I ensured sufficient CO2 and nutrients.

As for your new set-up, it is a pretty good attempt. Perhaps you can increase the plant mass by adding in some beginner plants like Hornwort and such to forestall algae growth? Also, it seems that you are attempting a Glosso lawn. Perhaps you can separate the Glosso bunches into groups of two plantlets and plant them 1-2 centimeters apart.

Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

[dwgi32]

Bro, get a new and bigger driftwood as the main focus and your tank will look better as i feel there is no focus point in the tank.

[rc311]

Hi there,

Some replies to your previous question.

(1) Your CO2 is meant for photosynthesis. No point having CO2 on 24 hrs as the CO2 is basically wasted. The simplest approach would be to tie together the CO2 and lighting by using the same timer. Another approach would be to use separate timers. In this approach, turn on the CO2 half and hour before the lights are switched on, and turn off the CO2 half and hour before the lights are switched off. Proponents of the second approach assert that this ensures that CO2 is readily available for the plants when the lights are switched on and less CO2 is wasted as the existing CO2 dissolved in the tank is sufficient for the last half hour.

(2) Your photo-period (4 hours + 8 hours) seems a little long. Go for 8 - 10 hours. Some hobbyists use the siesta method (I believe that you are going for this) claiming that it reduces the tank's propensity for algae growth. I have not tried this method before. However, I have had good experience with containing algae leaving the light turned on 9 hours - mainly because I ensured sufficient CO2 and nutrients.

As for your new set-up, it is a pretty good attempt. Perhaps you can increase the plant mass by adding in some beginner plants like Hornwort and such to forestall algae growth? Also, it seems that you are attempting a Glosso lawn. Perhaps you can separate the Glosso bunches into groups of two plantlets and plant them 1-2 centimeters apart.

Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

Hi,

Thanks for your valuable comments. I have readjusted the schedule for the lighting as 9am to 2pm follow by 3pm to 8pm (10 hours) as well as my co2 schedule as 8.30 to 1.30pm follow by 2.30pm to 7.30pm (10 hours).

How can I actually identify the hornwort? (sorry still very new to all these plants and I am trying to get some book to understand their nature) and also the Glosso bunches you mean is those I have in the front ground? and you recommend I continue to spilt the brunches into plantlets instead my current menthod. If yes, that will be a headache to me, cos I already face problem when putting them onto ground, either it floated or I planted them to deep into the sand ... How and what will be the easiest method to plant it into plantlets without letting them floated?

I view my plant this morning and realise some of them have change to a lighter green in color. Is that normal? I have only 9l of aqua soil and 30kg of sand. Is it too little for my 3ftx1.5ftx 1.5ft tank? Should I get more nutrients or fert for them at this moment?

Cheers
RC311