Plants always die - now what

[slakkr2]

Hello all,

I currently have a 29 gal tank and tried live plants in it for the past year, but they always die. So, I'm not going to fool around with that particular tank anymore, but am in the process of purchasing equipment for a new 125 (72x18) and would like some adivce. I'm planning on purchasing 2-XP3's and 2 aerators so far. I would love to establish some live plants in the tank along with fish, but am uncertain what type of equipment I need. Some people say undergravel filters, other say it's not necessary. Can't exactly afford a CO2 setup right now, but may introduce one later down the line. Any recomendations anyone has to help me out would be most appreciated. Since it's a new tank I'd like to do it right.

[Timmain42]

You'll need:

-Enough light to make 2+ watts per gallon (WPG)
-a "rich" substrate like Flourite or EcoComplete
-NO undergravel filter (they're hard on plant roots)
-If you aren't going to do CO2, then you'll want to investigate Flourish Excel as a carbon alternative (expensive on a 125G, but hey it's your dime)
-Enough plants right at the beginning to fill at least 75% of the tank bottom
-A REGULAR SCHEDULE OF FERILIZATION
-regular water changes of 35-50%
-test kits for GH, KH, NitrAtes, pH

That's all I can think for right now.

[reiverix]

Everything above...but no aerators required.

[Timmain42]

Everything above...but no aerators required.
I knew I forgot something.

[slakkr2]

Good advice...just what I was looking for! I'll look into the cost difference between a CO2 unit verse Flourish Excel. Maybe I can offset the cost of the unit somehow and justify upfront in my own little way.

Anyway, why no aerators? Too much water movement?

[slakkr2]

Alright, what type of CO2 system would you recommend for a "rookie" that isn't going to kill my account.

[reiverix]

Yeah keep surface agitation to a minimum.

I would say that using excel on a 125g is not the most effective or cost efficient way to provide carbon. DIY is out the window for a tank that size as well unless you want to spend a lot of time making up mixes. Compressed CO2 is probably the single best component I have made for my tank - as long as the lighting justifies the initial cost up front.

[Torf]

Alright, what type of CO2 system would you recommend for a "rookie" that isn't going to kill my account.

"Do It Yourself" CO2 is very cheap up front. Over extended peroids of time, the process of brewing alcohol to produce CO2 becomes tiresome. Usually by then the aquarist will know if he will be well served by investing in some more expensive equipment.

I would recommend this route as a way to get started at least.

There are plenty of DIY articles on sugar/yeast CO2 generation. I personally combine my winemaking knowledge with my aquarium knowledge to get a reasonably easy and reliable CO2 output. I will upgrade to a pressurized system sometime in the next year or so.

Since you are running a tank that is more than twice the size as mine, you will probably get sick of mixing sugar water before I do, but at least you will be able to understand why having a pressurized system is so great! You can always upgrade, but if you get discouraged by growing plants in the short run, then a pressurized system may not be worth the money.

5, 1 gallon plastic juice bottles should be plenty for a 125 gallon setup as long as you reduce surface agitation and utilize an efficient method of dissolving the gas.

The mistake most beginners make when doing DIY yeast generation is that they don't mix the sugar strong enough and use the wrong type of yeast. Mix the sugar to at least 13-15% Potential Alcohol, and use champagne yeast.

Rule of thumb:

1# of sugar (roughly 2 cups) per gallon gives you about 10% PA.