# Setting up a new freshwater aquarium help



## neonplanet40 (2 Aug 2017)

Hi folks,

In the past, I have run freshwater tropical tanks for 4 years and marine reef systems for 3.

After a 3 years break, I am looking to run a planted tropical tank.

However, given the absence, I am unsure what equipment to get and which brands etc to go with.

All I have at the moment is a 91cm x 2ft x 2ft aquarium, stand and a sump. I used this previously for my marine reef tank. It will be cleaned thoroughly etc.

So what will I need now? Ideally, I want to keep costs low (which is why I'm not restarting my reef system).

Pump? I was thinking an Eheim compact+ 3000. Happy to take other recommendations
Other pumps for circulation?
Filtration? Unsure what to get here given I used to use live rock for marine! What should I use now? will be between 400-470ltrs.
Lighting? No idea what to get here. Low power would be good.
Heating + controller?
Food?

I am unsure what livestock I am getting yet but I know I went active colorful fish 




Thanks for any help.


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## Paul Sabucchi (2 Aug 2017)

Tapwater parameters (pH KH GH nitrates?). As your heater will go in the sump you can go big and ugly but bombproof reliabe: inkbird 308 temp controller and Schego titanium 600w heater. Lighting you could go low cost - DIY with good quality cold white + rgb LED strips controlled by a TC420 (would still leave one cannel free if you want to use it as timer for CO2)

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## neonplanet40 (3 Aug 2017)

The only measurements for water I have at the moment are from my water website:

*Param. Name* *No. of Results* *PCV Std* *Units of Measure* *No. of Results Failing* *% Compliance*
Turbidity 52 4 NTU 0 100
Aluminium 53 200 µgAl/l 0 100
Iron 53 200 µgFe/l 1 98.11
Manganese 53 50 µgMn/l 1 98.11
E. coli (Faecal coliforms) 144 0 CFU in 100ml 0 100
Total Trihalomethanes 7 100 µg/l 0 100

I will need to get some test kits. However, I would rather order these with the other equipment I will need to save on postage. So advice on those would be great re: filtration, pump and circulation, and lighting.

Thank you for the advice with the heater and controller.


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## Paul Sabucchi (3 Aug 2017)

Well worth getting your test kit together with the rest of the stuff at the start. More convenient to buy the whole set at the start, I trust mostly liquid tests by Sera and JBL, possibly API (with the caveat about bottle n2 of the nitrate test that needs shaking the $#!+ every time). The tests you need most are pH, GH, KH, NH3, NO2, NO3 possibly Fe and K

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## neonplanet40 (3 Aug 2017)

Thank you. Happy to get the lot together. I just need to see what lights, filters, pumps etc I need so I can order them alongside it


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## Paul Sabucchi (3 Aug 2017)

For the sump return pump I would even look at a SunSun CTP-2800. 3000 l/h for only 10w seems too good to be true. Lighting will depend on what plants you choose but very fast growing ones will want CO2 as well and the sump setup probably will disperse a lot of it. Take your time while planning and ask the experienced folk on the forum for advice before buying (fishkeepers equivalent to "measure twice cut once"

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## neonplanet40 (11 Jan 2019)

Holy thread revival Batman!

So, I never got around to doing this... Moving house, decorating, new car etc etc. However, I am getting it done in the next 3 months I still have the same questions I had at the start. I just need to sort the room out and paint it first!

Namely,



Which light? Looking at Fluval 3.0 or Fluval Plant and Fresh 2.0 at the moment. Would like to keep a range of plants easily.


Substrate? I have looked into this a bit - so many options. Some is too expensive (more than live rock for a marine tank!) - I want one that won't float all over the place - but also good enough for plants to take root.


Return pump - I want one that is quiet but not too expensive.


Heating controller - This should be easy enough. no issues here.
Anything I am missing?


Thank you!


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## akwarium (11 Jan 2019)

Lights, will they be suspended above the tank? Fitted on top of it, or in some kind of hood?

Substrate, for a planted tank there are basically two options: 
1 An active soil substrate, like ADA aquasoil, Dennerle scapers soil etc. It is the most common substrate used in serious aquascaping. It lowers and buffers pH and hardness it contains and stores nutrition for the plants. Downside is the price tag...
2 An inert layer of sand or fine gravel,  with a nutrient-rich substrate underneath. It is usually more affordable. Downside is that uprooting plants will bring the underlying substrate to the surface. Which could lead to algae issues. So it is not ideal if you want to be able to move plants around (a lot).

Return pump, just look for reviews on the net wen you have found a pump you might like. I personally would choose an eheim pump because they are reliable, silent and made to last.


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## neonplanet40 (11 Jan 2019)

Yea, I've always used Eheim in the past. So seems a safe bet.

In terms of light - it will be fitted to the top of the tank. The Fluval seems like it can do this.


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

Got a like new Eheim Compact 5000+ for £50. Not bad I thought. Maybe a bit much but it's adjustable. 

The list I have at the moment:

*Lighting:* Fluval Plant 3.0 LED 46W - £179.99 everywhere


*Return Pump:* Preferable – Eheim compact 3000 - £90 more reliable- Now got Eheim Compact 5000+


*Powerheads:* - The ones I already have may be enough- however: Alternative - Jebao OW-25 possibly


*Sump media*: Unsure yet


*Skimmer*: Use my mini Eheim skimmer in sump IF needed. 


*Substrate*: ADA Aquarium Soil - Amazonia 9L - Don't know how much I will need? What do people do to have raised areas? What else do they use underneath?


*Hardscape *– Need to decide rocks/wood – Wood cheaper. However, I like the scape on the featured journal 'Olympus ius calling'.


*Air pump* – I have a small air pump (if don’t still have my old one) + air stone) – to use on timer for it to come on during lights out. Keep oxygen levels high on the new tank. If needed one.

I have an RO unit from my reef aquarium days. Should I just stick to tapwater?


Few other questions ()the start of many no doubt).

I want a carpet of plants along the floor of my tank. Will this light be enough for them? Also, what is a dry start tank? Is it when you plant the carpet etc and grow them into the scape before you add water? Is this worth doing?

Do I need CO2? I am fine with slow growth. I obviously don't want my plants to melt though.

I haven't thought of livestock yet....

Thanks for your help!


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jan 2019)

You don't really need to put anything under AS to build raised areas it'll be fine as is. But to make it go further you can use tights or filter media bags filled with gravel or crushed pumice. As for quantity depends on area and depth, this may help https://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/gravel-rectangular-solid

You can use tap water, it'll be fine. But since you have a RO unit you can take your pick...

Not sure about your light but there are some carpet plants that are less demanding than others like MC. Either way if you want a dense carpet you'll need CO2.

As for dry start...it's a way of establishing a carpet before flooding. It simply involves growing plants in a wet substrate for 2-6 weeks before the aquarium is flooded. This allows plants to use the aerial advantage to become firmly established. In addition, whilst plant roots are growing in they oxygenate the rhizosphere which accelerates the bacterial driven processes of tank cycling and substrate mineralisation.

The DSM has the added advantage of being algae free (no water), and of being less labour intensive. For instance, there are no water changes and nutrient dosing isn’t necessary, although fertiliser can be added to the substrate to help establish a lawn quicker. Foliar feeding with a dilute nutrient solution can also help, but if the solution is too concentrated it may burn plant leaves; I use 3 mls of TNC Complete per litre of water. But when all said and done, the key to a successful dry start is very high humidity, so all that’s really required is regular misting and a tank cover; clingfilm usually suffices. This ensures the plants leaves don’t dry out and provides ideal conditions for growth.

The methodology is usually as follows...

1. Add water to a level just below the surface of the substrate; _don't let the water level raise above the top of the substrate, which can happen with daily misting._
2. Keep the tank sealed, but let fresh air in for 5 minutes every day to replace the old stagnant air, this may help prevent mould.
3. Spray and mist the plants.
4. Reseal.
5. Repeat daily for between 2 - 6 weeks during which time your lawn should become fully established, and then flood.

Nevertheless, the DSM is not without its downside. Looking at a tank devoid of water for several weeks can stretch delayed gratification to its limits. The humid conditions also favour mould growth, which can becoming a problem. Also, many plants don’t necessarily make the transition from emergent to immersed growth very well, particularly in a low-energy system. Therefore, it may help to achieve better results by choosing easy care, low maintenance plants such as _Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, L. novae-zelandiae _and _Cryptocoryne willisii. _Other plants such as_ Marsilea hirsuta, M. crenata, Staurogyne repens, _and_ Micranthemum_ 'Monte Carlo', may not be as low maintenance but might still be worth a go. Plants nursery raised in their emergent growth form will be better suited to the DSM.


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

Thank you for the help. I have started reading up on CO2. It's a lot to take in. Is there a ready-made kit you would recommend? I could look at getting on in the future I guess if it is needed. But one of my reasons for not getting back into a reef aquarium was less maintenance and less monthly costs.

I wouldn't be keen on going for Co2 if it was going to become a £20 a month type of thing for refills.

But I' m not ruling it out yet.


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## alto (13 Jan 2019)

neonplanet40 said:


> *Substrate*: ADA Aquarium Soil - Amazonia 9L - Don't know how much I will need? What do people do to have raised areas? What else do they use underneath?


I suggest Tropica Aquarium Soil - much more forgiving of missed water changes, especially during tank start up
It maintains its structure (eg, over 3 years) much better than some of the other branded aquarium soils

For longer term nutrition, I suggest following Jurijs mit JS recommendation to add opened Tropica Nutrition Capsules to the tank bottom (sprinkle some soil first, then the many “beads” don’t bounce about so much )

Depending on your tap water (mine is very soft and nutrient free), some of the ADA substrate additives are also useful (long term substrate iron etc) 

ADA Power Sand is also a great enriched product IF you’re looking for a longterm scape, especially if building a steep slope (I wouldn’t place it in bags ) 

I like to rescape so tend to just use Tropica Soil - I add the Nutrtion Capsules if I manage to remember 




neonplanet40 said:


> *Lighting:* Fluval Plant 3.0 LED 46W - £179.99 everywhere


You’ll need 2 of these for even coverage on a 60cm front to back tank
I’m unsure how well it will perform at substrate level in a 60cm deep tank - likely worth scouting about online
Lots of Twinstar S examples on EA tanks but obviously more £ (higher intensity LEDs I suspect)

You might look at AI Prime HD Freshwater - prices have dropped substantially on these locally - BUT no manual controls, instead there’s a phone app


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jan 2019)

For CO2 read this https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/fire-extinguisher-co2.266/ and have a look at CO2 Art https://www.ukaps.org/forum/forums/co2art.91/ The initial outlay is quite expensive but if you're going to add CO2 it's the most cost effective longterm. If you want to keep things simple and cheap just keep it low-energy. See the Tutorial section for more of the same.

Good suggestions from alto but there are more cost effective ways of achieving the same goal. Tropica Nutrition Capsules, are just repackaged slow release fertz granules, like Osmocote, buy those instead and chuck a handful in if you want, but you won't really need them if you water column dose fertz. Both ADA AS and Tropica AS have a high CEC so they will absorb nutrients from the water column.

Power sand is mucho dinero and has no additional benefit to plant growth, despite what ADA would have you believe https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-effective-is-ada-powersand.19258/#post-209039 If you're after a similar bulking substrate base layer, pumice works just as well and is much cheaper http://scapefu.com/pumice-substrate-base-layer.

Whatever light you buy just make sure it has a dimmer or can at least be retrofitted with one.


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

I am still leaning towards the fluvial. It has far better control than the twinstar. Also, I looked at the twinstar and it only has one year warranty? That's poor. Also, it says maximum glass thickness is 10mm. Mine is 12mm.


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## akwarium (13 Jan 2019)

about the lightning,  for a carpet you need certain amount of light on substrate level, based on measurements in some good quality aquascapes  a PAR-value of 35 to 40 µmol m-2 s-1 should be sufficient to grow any carpet plant you want. Those tanks always use CO2. So for an none CO2 tank with less demanding plants you could and should go lower. How much lower is hard to answer. But maybe around half of that. 

Great, but how much light may you expect from the Fluval 3.0?

Fluval specs: 46 watts, 3300 lumen, 252 led, 6500 K, 120° angle

Assuming  a 65cm distance between lights and substrate, each individual LED will illuminated in this case 4 square meters. Since they are on a 90 cm long bar, in total they will illuminated 6 m2. 3300 divided over 6 meters is 550 lux, multiplied by 0.0135 (based on cool white fluorescent lamps)  gives 7.425 µmol m-2 s-1.

Theoretically the LEDs should preform better than fluorescent lamps,  but even if they preform equal to the sun you won't get much more then 10 µmol m-2 s-1. 
I think it is safe to say that is not enough.


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

What would you guys recommend then for my tank? My glass is also 12mm thick.


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## Siege (13 Jan 2019)

Twinstar 900 SA (adjustable one). Another league to the Fluval. More money but won’t have the need to upgrade. I think your tank is too deep for the Fluval light. High in controllability to pay for poor lights in imo.

https://www.aquariumgardens.co.uk/twinstar-led-aquarium-light-900sa-3377-p.asp

Can also get a controller to set by percentage and give sunrise and sunset. Let us know if you want info where to get controller It’s in lots of threads.


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

Will it fit my glass though? It says 10mm max and mine is 12mm


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## Siege (13 Jan 2019)

Sorry mate. Yes 10mm max. Just checked my one.

Your glass is thick!!!!

I assume the tank is open top. What’s your budget? I assume you are using co2.


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## Tim Harrison (13 Jan 2019)

Is the suspended version not suitable? It's working for @Ady34 https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/re-education-planted.56118/page-2#post-545962...


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## neonplanet40 (13 Jan 2019)

I would rather not have a suspended one to be honest. No idea about co2 yet. I wasn't intending on using it. Yes, tank is open top and glass is thick and heavy haha. Budget? Well, I'm trying to keep costs low if im honest.. 

 If I wanted to spend a lot I'd probably go back to running a reef system. The purpose of going freshwater was to reduce costs. Seems that's not really happening...


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## akwarium (13 Jan 2019)

For a 60 cm high tank something suspended is the way to go in my opinion.  Lamps higher above the tank with a narrower beam angle are much more efficient since more light is actually going (and staying)  inside the tank. You need efficient lightning to have enough light on the bottom of your tank.


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## neonplanet40 (14 Jan 2019)

What about two Al Prime HD for 91cm wide? They seem to be more customisable than the twinstar. Similar price.


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## zozo (14 Jan 2019)

For budget light system LED Flood lights might be an option.. Already used by quite a lot of aquascapers and prooven effective.

But than you need to DIY some parts for mounting.. If you don't like suspended than do a search on Aliexpress for <Goosneck tube>, they come in silver and black up to 60 cm long.. It can be srewed to the lamp and screwed to a clamp to the glass. Than you have to search for some alternative clamps or make them. An alternative clamp could be <this one>

Than clamp - goosneck in desired lenght - flood light as many and as strong as desired.. 

Or use any other LED spotlight model that can be mounted to the goosneck..


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## neonplanet40 (14 Jan 2019)

I could save money for longer to spend more in a light. I'm not against that. I can't say I'm going to get co2 straight away though. Maybe when tnak is a little more established and I want to try some more difficult plants. 

How would the AI Prime HD serve this tank  or is their better for similar price point  thanks for your help so far guys. It is helping me plan and budget.


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## neonplanet40 (16 Jan 2019)

WHat kind of light would I need for a low tech tank? I am starting to sway more towards that, the more I read.


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## Siege (16 Jan 2019)

If you are concerned about costs whatever light you like. Go the Fluval if you like. 

Defo add co2 though, even at a low level. It’s like night and day with plant health and growth!


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## neonplanet40 (16 Jan 2019)

The fluval 3 - 46w is long enough for my tank. It costs £200. Is there a better light (that would fit my tank) for the same price?

In the future (if the PAR was okay), I could always add another.


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## zozo (16 Jan 2019)

neonplanet40 said:


> WHat kind of light would I need for a low tech tank?



That is rather difficult to answer..  It depends on the size of the aquarium and the type of plants you want to grow..

Personaly i would say get more than you need with a dimmable option than you can't go wrong. You could make a choice to take enough to go high tech in the future and dim it down as long as you are runnin it low tech..


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## neonplanet40 (16 Jan 2019)

My tank is 91cm length, 2ft width and 2 ft height. 

As for plants... I honestly have no idea yet. I was thinking of getting the fluval 3 (just 1) and maybe getting a 2nd in the future. But if it isn't good enough for my depth of tank, then that seems a waste.


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## Matt @ ScapeEasy (27 Jan 2019)

The Fluval 3.0 is definately good enough for low tech in my oppinion, you just need to decide if you want to potentially upgrade to co2 and will have to accept that you can't grow all plants and that they will grow slowly without it. My style is definately low tech no CO2, I can grow carpeting plants (though don't have a carpet), grow red plants etc but they grow slowly and there are many many so called easy plants I simply cannot grow (which is like to!). I have a 90cm 30w light over a 200 litre tank which is 50cm deep.


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## neonplanet40 (27 Jan 2019)

I'm jumping back and forth on lights. I've looked at two ai prime and twinstar 900sa. They are very expensive though!

I don't want to go co2 to be honest.


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## Tim Harrison (27 Jan 2019)

Then in that case just get a T8 luminaire, it'll be ideal for low-energy and you could probably pick one up fairly cheaply; keep an eye on eBay for instance.


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## neonplanet40 (27 Jan 2019)

I will be setting up my 40 ltr tank first. Either with a chihiros wrgb or a twinstar 300. From this I think I will make decisions on my bigger tank that are based on my experiences with this smaller one.

Can I ask, what do people use that is best to control twinstar? Also, many twinstarts are out if stock. I have emailed our UK supplier twice and never received any response. Any other sellers I am not aware off?

Thank you for your help guys. At times I feel like I am going in circles but I am taking your advice on board


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## Tim Harrison (27 Jan 2019)

Check out Aquarium Gardens


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