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Natural looking setup?

S

slakey

Seedling
Joined
24 Dec 2008
Messages
20
Hey everyone.

I bought a tank yesterday, an Aqua El Econoline 70.

- 98 litres
- 27.5" long
- 14" wide
- 18.5" tall

I would like to go more into aquatics this time round. I've kept fish and live plants in the past, but would like to attempt to make a nice looking tank.

I know that I would like some wood, some hand made slate caves and also a carpet of dwarf hair grass or something similar.

I'll be using some brand of plant substrate most likely Seachem, and then putting sand on top. I won't be looking into getting a Co2 system.

For fish stocking I will be looking to stock a pair of rams, corydoras and then I'm also a bit stuck on some other fish, but that can wait.

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Basically I'm just wondering which plants will be good for a natural looking tank.

Sorry if I haven't been very descriptive of what I want to achieve :(
 
That is very similar how I wanted mine to be laid out :eek:

I wanted to put the mopani or marsh root on top of a mound and then build the slate caves into the mound.

Then where they have go there substrate I could put my carpet :)

I do really like this though for an idea:
miyako-island2.JPG
 
Still, that's no reason to not try something, that was almost certainly a high light, co2 injected tank, a moss version could be something totally different and have a whole different character and feel. (contentious issue warning) You won't be able to grow hc in non-injected tanks so moss would be pretty much the only plant small enough in stature available to you. Post images of what you want and this will "pick your poison" so to speak as certain aesthetics will lend themselves more to certain approaches more readily.
 
Do you reckon I should get plant substrate or just use the liquid stuff instead?
 
I've decided against the carpet as I have been told there is no way of stopping it spreading the entire tank unless you pull it out.

Was also told sand wasn't a good idea for substrate for compaction reasons, but in the past I've had my Rio 125 with about 2-3" and had no compaction problems, I also done the same for my Rio 300 and had no compaction problems.

So surely if I keep Corydoras they will prevent it from compacting as they'll rummage through the sand?

Also is my light a low or high? It's a 24w T5 I believe.

And what will be a good plant substrate for my tank? I kind of like the idea of having the flourite black sand.
 
Most definitely highlight, I'd say you'd need co2 injection with those levels.
The advice on a carpet is a bit misleading, maybe it will if you're not looking after the carpet with sufficient diligence, carpet plants are often so dependent of high levels of co2 that their spread is often dead spots and shaded areas of the rest of the tank.
Sand is a okay for plants, but a nutrient rich substrate will make all the difference to how easy you'll find things.
This link is excellent and will explain a lot better than I.
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=1275
 
I think I may have bitten off more then I can chew with my ideas lol.

Is this any good for Co2? http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquar ... ystem.html

The man at the garden centre says he has 2 of these running for his Rio 125 and his plants look amazing.

I am looking to get some plant substrate and possibly half the tank, so plant substrate one end, sand the other.

Then only plant in the plant substrate.
 
Sorry about the lack of my Microsoft Paint skills, but this is how I'm planning it to look like.

tankn.png
 
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