New and need some advice about plants

[Sandra78]

Hi everyone,



I'm very new to scaping also to owning a fish tank. I took one over from someone in march this year. The tank is 60x30x40 about 54 L.

This is the tank now.


There are about 17 Tanichtlys Albonubes, 2 Gastromyzon ( small species), 3 Corydoras ( small spec) about 5 otocinclus affinis and 5 Japonica shrimps in it.

Plants at this moment

Anubais Nana Mini

- Hydrocotyle Leucocephala

-Hygrophila Polysperma

- Pogostemon Helferi

- Bacopa Monnieri

-Microsorium Pteropus

-Microsorium Pteropus "Narrow"

- Nymphaea Lotus

- Ricca moss and a moss Ball

These plants are quit big and my idea was to get an Overtank Luminaire instead of a hood. Two or three lamps.

Filter is Eheim 2213 and I'm going to start Co2 from Ferplast just need to figure out the BPS.


I would't like a Dutch style meaning a tank with nice colorfull plants.

Does anyone have any ideas on the plants and scaping?

( The fish just got there food so that's why they are at the upper water)

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Hi, some more data could be helpful, the ammount of your light and fertilization method. 2 watts per gallon of light would be a good starting point.
Scape wise i could see a nice green theme with your microsorums (it looks beautiful by the way), adding some anubias, cryptocorynes and maybe mosses. Try to choose less types of plants. The existing light would be enough for these plants. Adding 2xmore ammount microsorums to the left and creating 2 islands. Some stones in front of them. This type of scape would give you a nice easy maintainable tank, the plants would look at presentable level all the time while with stems you have a period after trimming when they need to grow back to look beautiful.
Throw away that 3 tube thing 😉 , it looks unnatural. Add couple more pieces of same wood or get some different.
You want to use 1 type of wood and 1 type rock.

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/forum/a ... capes.html
Mr. Farmer's work, hope he doesnt mind: Have a look at 'The Shade' . He is using couple anubias there and cryptocoryne species together with microsorum.


Second option is to make a study tank for some time and learn to grow everything and read read read: techniques, design, maitenance etc = Win IAPLC 8)

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=199 this and the rest two parts to help with design...
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=1275 thats for setting up and things you would need. I'd recommend to read the whole tutorial section.

And good luck.

 

[Sandra78]

Hi,

Sorry forgot that one. At this moment there's only a 15 Watt light in it, I give 1.4 ML of easy Carbo every day an weekly Ferro and profito, The bottom under the gravel is a feeding substrate.

I'm planning on keeping the bottom at this moment 'cause it's new. The light a want to change for a 3x24 Watt by a normal white light and a Philips 830 and 840.

To be honest this is going to by a study project for me that's why I'm not going for an bigger tank right now. If this wil work and all goes well then I can look out for a bigger one and start a new project. But it's just so new to me. The links are very helpfull thank you very much.

 

[Piece-of-fish]

3x24w would be too much for you. Even 2 would be too much. The best option would be to have 2 but be able to switch them separately, then you could go for a midday 2-4 hours burst with 2 bulbs and have one for the rest of the time. Adding the second 15w could do the job as well.
830 and 840 would give you too yellow light, these would be 3000 and 4000K temperature bulbs, try to get 6500 (865), lampspec.co.uk have cheap bulbs, that would be a daylight color and much more pleasant to the eye.
You would have to increase liquid carbon if you add light or go for pressurized co2.

 

[Sandra78]

The weird part is on a Dutch forum everyone said that the best way to get an nice planted tank would be to change the light. To get 3 lamps and seperate one, to switch off in the evening and leave the other two on.

Reading your story than it won't even matter if I would change the lightning and get an overtank Luminaire on it. If I change the 15 w that's in it now to a higher watt, is making difference already?

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Hi, yes they told you the truth. But the more light you have the more chances for trouble and if anything goes wrong it goes proportianally faster with higher light. Its a most common mistake for beginners me including. If you are after stems then go with 2x24 max or 3x24 but never use 3 of them, use like i told you 1x2 hours, 2x4hours then again 1x2. Its almost 4wpg which is about max light you'd ever need. Most will tell you you can grow any plant including carpeting plants with 2-2,5wpg if co2 and ferts are sorted good, why go higher then? If you are looking at luminaire then dont go for 3x24 if they have only one plug. Luminaire would also give you a really useful benefit for scapers which is ease of maintenance of the tank plus open top view.
Are you planning on presurized co2? I doubt you could survive just on liquid carbon with such a high light. Me personally trying to avoid using it, just for several days as an algaecide if i am desperate as its quite a nasty chemichal and should be handled with great care.

 

[Sandra78]

Well I was installing the Ferplast proffessional kit Co2 but got some trouble with the connection so I'm going back to the store tomorow, if I'm not mistaken that's presurized Co2? I'll go for 2x24 lights then and try to separate them.
But the most trouble I've got is with the scaping part 🙁 . I have total lack (do you write it like this ?) of creativity.

 

[Piece-of-fish]

Yes thats the thing (co2). Dont worry creativity will come with time. The good thing is to look at others work and even copy it at the beginning.
AGA, ADA, forum members works give loads of inspiration.
Anyway you have to learn how to grow plants first 😉

 

[Sandra78]

That's true.

I'm very happy that I found this forum, give's me plenty ideas.

And If I can find an 80x30x40 tank then there's a new start in the mean time this one will be my study project.