Ok I am contemplating setting up a 55 gallon, and I have some questions hopefully one of you experts can help me with!
I do not want to artificially insert Co2, so I plan on using a heavy bioload. Here is my plan, tell me what you think of it.
PH: Comes out of my tap at 7.0. Most of the tanks I have now are 6.6 before weekly water change, and 6.8 after the change.
There will be no air stone, just *some* surface movement due to a canister filter with bioballs and sponges, including a sponge on the intake. I will probably place the outlet at a low position in the aquarium to limit the surface agitation, assuming the plants are producing enough oxygen to keep the fish alive and well.
Due to the bioload, I intend on doing 50% water changes once per week. This works well in my guppy raising tanks which are very heavily populated, and that's where I got the PH figures noted above from.
Because I raise guppies, I will have seasoned water and filters to start out with, YAY!
The tank will be heavily planted with Amazon swords in the rear, Java Moss in the middle, attached to driftwood, and then 6 inch Corkscrew Valisnera up front, along with duckweed up top.
Everything except the duckweed will enjoy this substrate:
1/4 inch peat covered with...
1/4 inch Shultz aquatic plant soil covered with...
1/4 inch eco-complete covered with..
2&1/4 inches small to medium rounded edge gravel.
I may or may not fertilize the water column depending on the health of the plants.
The water will be treated with Blackwater extract (and dechlorinator) in each water change.
For lighting I have 2 3ft long hoods with 2 30w bulbs each on glass lids. That's something like 12 ft of 30w lighting, woot! (4 36inch 30w lifeglow bulbs)
There will be several branch like pieces of driftwood arranged to appear as a mostly covered tree branch, as well as several small pieces of driftwood just laying on the gravel. I am hoping to get the java moss to grow on the driftwood.
I intend to use Malaysian trumpet snails to keep the substrate happy, and then the following fish:
7 discus
20 cardinal tetras
6 Blue rams, 3 male, 3 female
3 True Siamese algae eaters
3 Spotted Corys
I am "hoping" that the snails and duckweed will act as bioload "buffers" if you will, meaning if there is excess co2 the duckweed will increase and if there is excess nutrients the snails will increase, thus increasing the co2, wash rinse repeat type cycle...
My questions fall into 4 main categories...
1) What do you think of the bioload? Could it be increased? Is it too much?
2) What about my idea with the snails / duckweed? Will the duckweed prevent growth of the other plants, even with the substrate described? Will the whole bioload buffer idea pan out at all?
3) Will I be able to keep surface agitation low, allowing most of the co2 / oxygen cycle to be done by the fish and plants? If I am forced to increase surface agitation, will this blow the entire plan up?
4) Am I missing anything major in my plan? Is there an elephant in the room? lol.
I do not want to artificially insert Co2, so I plan on using a heavy bioload. Here is my plan, tell me what you think of it.
PH: Comes out of my tap at 7.0. Most of the tanks I have now are 6.6 before weekly water change, and 6.8 after the change.
There will be no air stone, just *some* surface movement due to a canister filter with bioballs and sponges, including a sponge on the intake. I will probably place the outlet at a low position in the aquarium to limit the surface agitation, assuming the plants are producing enough oxygen to keep the fish alive and well.
Due to the bioload, I intend on doing 50% water changes once per week. This works well in my guppy raising tanks which are very heavily populated, and that's where I got the PH figures noted above from.
Because I raise guppies, I will have seasoned water and filters to start out with, YAY!
The tank will be heavily planted with Amazon swords in the rear, Java Moss in the middle, attached to driftwood, and then 6 inch Corkscrew Valisnera up front, along with duckweed up top.
Everything except the duckweed will enjoy this substrate:
1/4 inch peat covered with...
1/4 inch Shultz aquatic plant soil covered with...
1/4 inch eco-complete covered with..
2&1/4 inches small to medium rounded edge gravel.
I may or may not fertilize the water column depending on the health of the plants.
The water will be treated with Blackwater extract (and dechlorinator) in each water change.
For lighting I have 2 3ft long hoods with 2 30w bulbs each on glass lids. That's something like 12 ft of 30w lighting, woot! (4 36inch 30w lifeglow bulbs)
There will be several branch like pieces of driftwood arranged to appear as a mostly covered tree branch, as well as several small pieces of driftwood just laying on the gravel. I am hoping to get the java moss to grow on the driftwood.
I intend to use Malaysian trumpet snails to keep the substrate happy, and then the following fish:
7 discus
20 cardinal tetras
6 Blue rams, 3 male, 3 female
3 True Siamese algae eaters
3 Spotted Corys
I am "hoping" that the snails and duckweed will act as bioload "buffers" if you will, meaning if there is excess co2 the duckweed will increase and if there is excess nutrients the snails will increase, thus increasing the co2, wash rinse repeat type cycle...
My questions fall into 4 main categories...
1) What do you think of the bioload? Could it be increased? Is it too much?
2) What about my idea with the snails / duckweed? Will the duckweed prevent growth of the other plants, even with the substrate described? Will the whole bioload buffer idea pan out at all?
3) Will I be able to keep surface agitation low, allowing most of the co2 / oxygen cycle to be done by the fish and plants? If I am forced to increase surface agitation, will this blow the entire plan up?
4) Am I missing anything major in my plan? Is there an elephant in the room? lol.