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Advice needed: To plant or not?

SheldonC

Seedling
Joined
23 Dec 2018
Messages
4
Location
Melbourne
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, based in Melbourne, Australia. I have a Juwel Rio 125 that I'm going to start as a low tech tank soon, but I have a small issue that could delay the start.

Long story short, after delays waiting for my tank, receiving the wrong tank and eventually getting the right one, I'm ready to get started. The problem is that I am away from home for 16 days early June, and I'm scared that if I plant and get started now, that I will come back to a nightmare of a tank in dire need of help.

I am an eager and impatient man-child, and really excited to get started, but from my thought process and limited knowledge on planted tanks, I have come up with 3 options:

1. Plant the tank and start the cycling process with plants and no fish, go on leave and hope that all is well when I get back
2. Fill the tank and start cycling with no plants or fish, just the hardscape and covering the tank to minimise light and hopefully any algae
3. Stare at an empty tank until the end of June and be sad

I appreciate any helpful hints and tips that can be offered, thanks in advance!

IMG_9728.JPG

(Apologies for the less than great image, was a quick snap before heading off to work, but it's a start!)
 
16 days away!
I’d wait unless you can have someone check on the tank every couple days

My most awesome algae ever was after returning from vacation to find the lights had stuck on and the CO2 solenoid had stuck off (minor power outage that messed up the timer) - you couldn’t even see the plants or back of tank, massive sheets of algae made it look like a (movie version) prehistoric forest
 
I’d go with number 1) :D

Even a neighbour can check
-lights on/off
-CO2 on/off
etc

Just do a couple trial runs with whomever (and offer suitable recompense)
 
Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate it!

I think I will be able to go ahead and get it planted. I have someone that will be spending a fair bit of time at my place to look after my cat, I will give her the rundown on the lights. I bought the Helialux Spectrum lights from Juwel, with the wifi controller, and I have been testing it out, and even with a power loss, it remembers my settings, and syncs the time from an online server if available. Without CO2, I think there may be less to worry about, I can even dim the lights down a few % if I'm worried about algae I guess.

Keith, I'm in Kensington, not far from Flemington Racecourse, glad to see other Aussies around :cool:
 
I’ve used Fluval Stratum, I wanted a darker substrate, and the guy that helped me at a LFS suggested the Stratum, he said that even though it wasn’t the best, it was good for a beginner.

I planted the tank on Friday, so far I’m happy even though I am unsure about the plants around the log on the left, but if they don’t make it, that’s where I was planning on planting rotala bonsai.
IMG_9736.jpg
 
Sheldon
I’ve used Fluval Stratum, I wanted a darker substrate, and the guy that helped me at a LFS suggested the Stratum, he said that even though it wasn’t the best, it was good for a beginner.
That would start a few bells ringing beware of this type of sales talk.

Those two rocks look completely out of place (not the size or shape) go hunting at garden supplier or even Bunnings. Look for a brown rocks these are available at a supplier in our area .
Granite.jpg


Keith:wave::wave:
 
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