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Newbie to plants!

P

Palmer92

New Member
Joined
13 Nov 2019
Messages
21
Location
London
Hi all,

I have kept fish for years with no real focus on plants and decided now is the time. I have always fancied a nice planted community tank and thats how I found the forum.

I picked up an open top 4 foot tank with sump and have just ordered a JBL co2 unit (never used one before, so will see how it goes). For substrate I have used fluval stratum. Any advice or guidance would be great!

Thanks all,

Alex
 
Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice!

This might sound stupid but do you dose anything else on top of co2?

Thanks in advance
 
Thank you. I tried searching the web but wasn't even sure what to search lol.
 
Yes, most folk use the EI method of adding fertilisers in excess but, without harming any tank inhabitance.
This method always ensures your plants will have enough nutients so you dont have to worry about them being short of anything in that respect.
It might sound a little bit daunting but honestly it is a very simply method !
Dont be put off by some post on the forum where some folk like to add other ingredients or double dose etc ... you don't need too!
Getting the C02 content just right is the big challenge and using to much light is the classic mistake...
 
Ok well I have 3 aqua medic qube leds (on for about 6 hours a day) and was told to start with 1 bubble per second on the counter (hopefully thats right).

Thank you for all the input :)
 
Hi,

I don't have a have a drop checker yet. The aquarium is 80 gallons and is currently sitting at 7.2 PH. I currently have just 6 Corydoras in the tank and might add a shoal of tetra, potentially 10 diamond tetras.

Just looking at drop checkers and might order the fluval one, unless you can recommend a better one?

Thanks
 
I would hold back on buying anymore fish, it is a shame that you have some already as experimenting with C02 can be dangerous for tank inmates !

I would suggest you look up ‘PH profile’ on this forum.

I think drop checker choice is more about appearance than function, they all work in the same way.

Once you have your C02 dialed in, it will be unlikely you could count the amount of bubbles traveling through the bubble counter but, considering you already have fish in the tank it will be best to gradually increase the bubble count over many days while closely monitoring the drop checker and PH.
Most importantly watch that your fish don't start behaving strangely!
C02 is an exciting and very effective addition but you need to understand how it works and effects the whole tank.
Just keep asking questions if you are unsure .
 
Brilliant thank you. I have ordered a drop checker and will start off slow with the CO2. I have searched the forum and also looked at the Tropica website for some ideas.

Might sound really stupid but whilst I try to get the CO2 right per the drop checker, should I add any plants or not. I have 5 valis plants in the tank at the moment.

Thanks
 
Yes load up with lots of plants, fast growing tall stem plants are the easy ones and are great for starting off the tank.
The more plant mass the better, get a PH pen and and start a profile when you have free whole day.
You are aiming for a one point PH drop before the lights come on and a steady PH for the lighting duration.
As a guide line expect to switch the gas on 2-3 hours before the lights and switch it off 1- 2 hours before the lights go out.
Your drop checker will have a time delay so it wont show a true reading for a couple of hours but it should be lime green two hours after lights on or before.
Just remember that to much gas will kill your fish.
 
Hi all,

I thought I would give you all an update!

I have planted the tank up completely and it all seems to be growing. Have a look at the pictures attached. Please excuse the cardinals and the gouramis who are coming back out but are here whilst a friend upgrades his discus set up.

So the plants seem to be doing well but I have had nightmares with the CO2. I bought a JBL pro flora system online but I am going through a bottle of gas a week at the moment. I cant see any leaks at all, so am not sure if its broken or just not big enough for my tank. I need to keep the gas at this pace to make sure the drop checker stays green. The tank has a sump which isnt ideal I know and the bottles of gas are the standard m500 ones.

If any one knows what I am doing wrong it would be great to hear it. Also how often should I be renewing the gas (the tank is about 400 litres and sump is about 60 litres I believe)?

Thank you for all your information so far. I am trying to put it all to good use.

Thanks

Alex
 

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foxfish said:
With a tank of that size you would be better off with a 5kg cylinder, that should last around 6-8 weeks.
Click to expand...
Excellent, so it is not a problem most likely with my regulator but more likely that I need a lot of Co2 to keep it at a good level?

Will try to get ny hands on a fe to use from now on.

Thank you for your help.
 
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