We used to have tanks growing up and my father once raised tropical fish. I am currently reading and learning all I can on planted aquariums. I'd love to get a 29 gallon planted tank running, with an overflow to a 10gal sump filter tank. Still a long way to that goal I think - I need good lighting (probably going to go with LED), good substrate (thinking mineralized topsoil), and what plants/decorations I'd like to have in it (driftwood). I bought an aquascaping book and an aquarium plants book. I've got some chemistry and lots of biology background. I'm matriculating into Michigan State's vet school this fall, so I've got a pretty good understanding of how success is usually based on planning and research. The more I learn about planted tanks, the more I realize I need to know. I'm surprised I kept any of my previous fish alive, lol.
That being said, I have a little betta tank (1.25gal) that has gravel substrate, driftwood, and has 2 plants. One Java fern and one I can't remember the name to.
It is a bunch plant. Its starting to root down so I need to figure out better substrate. I'm using the Seachem plant starter pack (flourish, flourish excel, and iron). I'm interested in making the poor mans' daily drops or similar instead of the pricier supplements, when I get the 29 gallon running. (I'm a college kid, remember! ) The little 1.25gal tank only requires I add .1ml a few times per week of each of those - so it's pretty economical at this point. I've got a tiny azoo powerfilter on my betta tank (which comes with a foam and floss filter, but I now take larger powerfilter floss pockets and cut them to size, fill with carbon, and sew it shut so he has carbon filtration too...) and I usually do weekly water changes as well. My betta is pretty spoiled, considering cheap flake food causes him to bloat up and float sideways with constipation/swim bladder probs. He then gets peas hand fed to him. - only fancy foods for him now, and no problems since. He is also aptly named Captain Nibbles, in case you were wondering. :naughty:
I also have a 2nd tank I just bought, probably also 1.25 gallons or so. I bought it because I ordered 3 giant merimo moss balls online. Having seen only tiny ones before, I imagined 'giant' meant the size of a large marble. Well, turns out it meant more like the size of a BASEBALL. They won't fit in my current betta tank. So now, I bought a new fancy tank for my mossballz. I'll probably get another spoiled betta or try out shrimp - for which I need much, much more research to do, lol.
Enough rambling I suppose. Hoping to ask dumb questions and money saving DIY questions mostly, and absorb some information from more experienced people.
Sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures of a poorly lit tank.
That being said, I have a little betta tank (1.25gal) that has gravel substrate, driftwood, and has 2 plants. One Java fern and one I can't remember the name to.
It is a bunch plant. Its starting to root down so I need to figure out better substrate. I'm using the Seachem plant starter pack (flourish, flourish excel, and iron). I'm interested in making the poor mans' daily drops or similar instead of the pricier supplements, when I get the 29 gallon running. (I'm a college kid, remember! ) The little 1.25gal tank only requires I add .1ml a few times per week of each of those - so it's pretty economical at this point. I've got a tiny azoo powerfilter on my betta tank (which comes with a foam and floss filter, but I now take larger powerfilter floss pockets and cut them to size, fill with carbon, and sew it shut so he has carbon filtration too...) and I usually do weekly water changes as well. My betta is pretty spoiled, considering cheap flake food causes him to bloat up and float sideways with constipation/swim bladder probs. He then gets peas hand fed to him. - only fancy foods for him now, and no problems since. He is also aptly named Captain Nibbles, in case you were wondering. :naughty:I also have a 2nd tank I just bought, probably also 1.25 gallons or so. I bought it because I ordered 3 giant merimo moss balls online. Having seen only tiny ones before, I imagined 'giant' meant the size of a large marble. Well, turns out it meant more like the size of a BASEBALL. They won't fit in my current betta tank. So now, I bought a new fancy tank for my mossballz. I'll probably get another spoiled betta or try out shrimp - for which I need much, much more research to do, lol.
Enough rambling I suppose. Hoping to ask dumb questions and money saving DIY questions mostly, and absorb some information from more experienced people.
Sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures of a poorly lit tank.
