new to planted tanks.

[johnnyxxl]

I know this may not the be right place to ask if so please move to correct place. I am wanting to start with plants, I know very little in the latin department. I have not decided what I want to put in the tank or know what I need to put in the tank in addition to the plants, gravel, higher output light than I have.

[happychem]

Greetings, you're definitely in the right place!

First thing I think you need to decide is how much time, effort and money you want to put into your planted tank.

Another good step is to get an idea of what you want your tank to look like, what sort of plants do you want to keep? Surf around and look at pictures of some aquascaping. Combine this with your decision on time/money/effort.

Now you'll have a better idea of what you want and the good people here can help you get there.

[johnnyxxl]

well I am trying to put at least to start with a minimal investment in upgrading my stuff. I don't think my roommates will go for a co2 doser etc in the house if you know what I mean. I am ordering a new bulb from big als, its a 50/50 flourscent. I am going to hopefully plant the 20, after starting with my 10 which just houses a snail right now I was hoping to go with plants that will reconstruct the habitat of my tiger barbs, if I could at least get close. I know my tank gets good light from outdoors and could get a good 10 hours a day from the lamp as I work 3rd shift. The fish are thriving no nitrates or ammonia in the tank right now. I test weekly the tank is a bit warm 82 but the fish love it. The tank is a long not tall tank. I have river gravel for a substrate, and currently decorated with penn plax fake stones for a stone laticework, I think is the right way to put it.

[superjohnny]

Look for a book called Aquarium Plants Manual. It's got tons of easy to understand info & lots of great pictures. A great place to start for sure.

[happychem]

Not too sure what you mean by a CO2 doser? BUt if you mean adding CO2 to the tank, you really can't go wrong with a DIY bottle. It's cheap to set up and pretty safe with a few elementary precautions, like not blocking the line or over filling...

Having a good reference is good too.

[johnnyxxl]

ok, I have decided on a theme, and am looking for the above mentioned book along with a resource that will let me do what I would like.

My 20 gallon tank has tiger barbs and a chinese algae eater and the 2 cory cats other than the cory cats the others are from the same region upon insepection on ranges of natural disperction. I would like to try to recreate there natural habitat if possible.

I am just wondering if there are books or people on here that would know that sort of information The fish both inhabit the Malay Penninsula according the resources I have.

I have ordered a light from big als along with a few other things for my tanks like food, and a penguin filter to try out.

Are there other things I should look into for the tank to prepare it for plants like changing substrate or other things the current setup is below in fairly complete details.

20 gallon long tank,
23.5 or 24 inch light bulb details will be provided when arrives from bigals online.
currently whisper 2 will replace with penguine 170
natural stone substrate fairly well mixed sizes
ugf plate to raise the substrate and allow kulhis to hide when I had them.
some rock work that can be rearrainged to aquascape very nicely,
heated with rena submirsable heater.
6 tiger barbs
1cae
2 cory cats
1 apple snail
was thinking I may have to change substrate, dose fertilizers but was worried about the fish.

I currently have ph 6.2-6.4
0.25 ammonia

I am thinking that the ph from tap is treated with chlorimaine and my gassing it off with out using treatments is affecting the testing but with the test showing lowest reading am not concerned that it won't drop below when I retest after water changes.

[happychem]

Originally posted by johnnyxxl
I am thinking that the ph from tap is treated with chlorimaine and my gassing it off with out using treatments is affecting the testing but with the test showing lowest reading am not concerned that it won't drop below when I retest after water changes.

I don't know what you mean here.:confused:

[johnnyxxl]

Originally posted by happychem


I don't know what you mean here.:confused:


sorry if I was not clear, I mean the ammonia won't drop after I am doing these water changes, I know I am likely to over feed as most of us do but with so few fish in such a large tank. I should not be having a problem with bioload leading to an ammonia build up. The local water here varies quite a bit in what they do to it. The ph also changes about 2 0r 3 points sometimes on a daily swing. I have tested the water out of tap after 24 hours and had a ph of 6 then test a new sample gathered with same sort of container cleaned the same way and gathered a test resulting in 7. I had visited the water treatment plant here and they were using 2 different water treatments depending on rainfall, and construction concerns with contamination.

[anonapersona]

Originally posted by johnnyxxl
I have ordered a light from big als along with a few other things for my tanks like food, and a penguin filter to try out.

Are there other things I should look into for the tank to prepare it for plants like changing substrate or other things the current setup is below in fairly complete details.

20 gallon long tank,
23.5 or 24 inch light bulb details will be provided when arrives from bigals online.


A 20 gallon long tank is 30 inches long, the light is only 24 inches and so you will have some dark areas at each end. As the 20Long is shallow, you may find you are restricted in what will grow at the ends. At 20 watts over 20 gallons, you are at a very low level of light. What plants do you have in mind for this tank?

currently whisper 2 will replace with penguine 170
natural stone substrate fairly well mixed sizes
ugf plate to raise the substrate and allow kulhis to hide when I had them.
some rock work that can be rearrainged to aquascape very nicely,
heated with rena submirsable heater.
6 tiger barbs
1cae
2 cory cats
1 apple snail
was thinking I may have to change substrate, dose fertilizers but was worried about the fish.

UGF plates are not recommended with a planted tank. Roots will tangle in the plates, and the crap that collects below the plate may be the source of the ammonia you are noticing. Realize that ANY ammonia is a bad thing for fish.

I currently have ph 6.2-6.4
0.25 ammonia

I am thinking that the ph from tap is treated with chlorimaine and my gassing it off with out using treatments is affecting the testing but with the test showing lowest reading am not concerned that it won't drop below when I retest after water changes. [/B]

If you are not treating for chloramines and your water has chloramines you are exposing the fish to harm. First, find out if the water department uses chlorine or chloramine, then treat correctly. Better to use something that is right for the water than to try to age water that cannot be made safe by only aging it. Prime treats both chlorine and chloramine and is best, IMO, to use when you may have either in your water. There are other products that work but Prime allows the biofilter to operate normally which some ammonia treating products do not allow.

Next, if you have a UGF, you ought to get rid of it now, before you plant. Better to do it now, it will be harder to do later. The kuhlies will be very happy with some driftwood that they can hide under.

[johnnyxxl]

I have ordered some prime, and was recomended to put some crushed coral in my tank for buffer to help maintain a stable ph in the tank so my ph won't move around much. The local water here fluctualtes daily. I also ordered a new filter a penguin 170 cwhich should be fine for a 20 gallon tank.

[johnnyxxl]

my ammonia is gone, finally, and still waiting on my order from big al's which has a new filter etc in it. I was at lfs and they had java fern and java moss.so I picked them both up and well they are now in my tank. The shop i bought them from is very good about not selling anything form tanks that have not been quarenteened. He had taken them out of a tank he had set up for display the Fern is attached to a bit of drift wood and the moss was loose he sold me a huge pile of it I tied it to a rock in my tankwith a piece of monofilament. hope that was the right way to attach it. If not how?

My new light should be here soon.

[johnnyxxl]

test results after plants in tank and new filter turned on with old media in it

before new filter
6.2 ph
7 drops in gh test
1 drop in kh test not sure how to translate those from the tetra test

after filter and resin log which was washed and rinsed
6.8 ph

going to test kh and gh again.

the fish and plants still look good,

[happychem]

Someone out there probably has a tetra test and can tell you how to convert the drops to ppm. Just post a new thread on it and tenaciously bump it if you get no replies. I know I've heard people talking about the tetra test, so they may not be around at the time of the post.

The rest looks pretty good.

Although, it would also be useful to take some of your tap water in a shallow bowl. Leave it for a few hours, then test the pH. This will give you an idea of the pH at CO2 equilibrium that you can expect for your water. I suspect it will be pretty close to 6.8.

[johnnyxxl]

thanks for the reply. I will try that when Iget back home on saturday evening sunday morning.

I was wondering should I start looking into changing the substrate, or adding fertilizers to the water or is that a bit ambitious with those two plants in the tank?

:)