Aquascaping for a 20Gal set up, please help!

I

icecubez189

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Feb 15, 2006
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So im starting over with a 20 gallon setup after the previous inhabitants died. Before i had 2 plants, but now i would like to have a nice background of plants and possible some foreground plants.

i've been looking at Amazon Swords, Anacharis, and Java Fern

the fish species that i've decided are Black Phantom Tetras, 1 male Bristlenose Pleco, and an Apple snail. if these fish prefer another species of plants, do tell.

Also, if the plants are readily available at PetCo, that would be great.
 
I don't know about PetCo, but they are all readily available in decent amounts through PetsMart, but I really like deling online and thatpetplace.com is quite good. As for fish, those should be just dandy. My questions are:

Are you doing a planted tank or a tank with plant?

If the answer is the former, then:

Have you looked into lighting?
Have you read about fertilization?
Have you Looked into CO2 injection?

But... if all the previous inhabitants of the tank died, did you ask why? If the problem was one of neglect, then a planted tank most definitely is not for you. If the problem was that the fish were old (years, depending on the species perhaps decades), or there was a fluke like the tank siphoning dry, then keep on keepin' on. Do your homework, read a lot, and don't stop.

Check out www.thekrib.com for just about any questions you have about setting the tank up.
 
Goatman said:
I don't know about PetCo, but they are all readily available in decent amounts through PetsMart, but I really like deling online and thatpetplace.com is quite good. As for fish, those should be just dandy. My questions are:

Are you doing a planted tank or a tank with plant?

If the answer is the former, then:

Have you looked into lighting?
Have you read about fertilization?
Have you Looked into CO2 injection?

But... if all the previous inhabitants of the tank died, did you ask why? If the problem was one of neglect, then a planted tank most definitely is not for you. If the problem was that the fish were old (years, depending on the species perhaps decades), or there was a fluke like the tank siphoning dry, then keep on keepin' on. Do your homework, read a lot, and don't stop.

Check out www.thekrib.com for just about any questions you have about setting the tank up.
Click to expand...

im doing a tank with plants, mainly as background and maybe some in the foreground, whats the difference between a planted tank or a tank with plants?????

anyways, i thought co2 injections were optional and i was hoping to tackle the fertilization and plant care part after i pick out the plant species (does it matter?) as for wpg and spectrum, i have that ready.
 
planted tanks contain a lot of plants and emphasize them. They usually have a very gentle bioload.

I have a 20 gallon. It was my first attempt at aquascapaing. I've moved some of the vals back a bit and cleaned up all the BGA you might see in the picture.

http://suriel.bounceme.net/fishtank1.jpg

i've also added some hornwort (sp?) in the corner where you see my co2 ladder.
 
A planted tank is designed around plants as the focus, a tank with plants is based around the fish with a few plants. What wpg are you going to run (it isn't in your post). Deciding on parameters of your tank after the plants are in the water is doing everything backwards. You want the lights and CO2 ready for them when you put them in, to get photosynthesis moving along from the get go. If you want a planted tank, then CO2 is not an option, its required. It is one of the factors in the three-way balance for photosynthesis, and without it algae will thrive on the other two (light and nutrients) being in excess. If you just want a few low light plants because they look cooler than the crappy plastic ones, then the swords and java fern should be just fine. I've never had the best of luck with anachris in low light conditions, although it has been quite some time.
 
Goatman said:
A planted tank is designed around plants as the focus, a tank with plants is based around the fish with a few plants. What wpg are you going to run (it isn't in your post). Deciding on parameters of your tank after the plants are in the water is doing everything backwards. You want the lights and CO2 ready for them when you put them in, to get photosynthesis moving along from the get go. If you want a planted tank, then CO2 is not an option, its required. It is one of the factors in the three-way balance for photosynthesis, and without it algae will thrive on the other two (light and nutrients) being in excess. If you just want a few low light plants because they look cooler than the crappy plastic ones, then the swords and java fern should be just fine. I've never had the best of luck with anachris in low light conditions, although it has been quite some time.
Click to expand...

i think its a 20w aquarium light, spectrum is 2000. 1wpg seems a bit low to me but thats why im focusing on low light plants, i think those swords and ferns will suit me best, or will i need some bigger wattage?

thanks for clearing that up, its going to be a tank with a few plants, mainly as a background because i dont like the fake plastic/silk stuff.
 
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