Looking for some advice, considering a planted tank

@ captain caveman

Thanks! I am making a list of all of this for when I go shopping.

Worth mentioning... I do not have any lights or fixtures for this aquarium. It used to be reptile tank long long ago. So I will get whatever lights I need! I was thinking 2 watts / gallon like you guys said. That's a nice medium light, right?

I thought there were 2 kinds of glass er... ghost catfish. and one was smaller than the other? maybe i am wrong. I love those guys, but I don't want to make them miserable or anything.

The filter I am using is just a sponge. I rinse it in aquarium water (in a bowl) and then I put it back in everytime I clean. I have never used anything but a sponge, but i'm thinking I maybe should? It might mean less maintenance or a healthier tank? I don't know.

As I mentioned, I do have some um... what's the word... some kind of tiny white crustaceans? in my tank now. I've been told it's no biggie, but I wonder if it's ok to use "old tank" stuff for the "new tank" if it transfers these buggers in there?

Let me know about the filter media. If all I need is foam/sponge... then I can keep using this one. If i need anything else, i need a new filter because this one is some kind of knock off that came with the old tank and has no replacement filters etc.
 
LOL

What are your 'cephalopods?"


And I definitely think you'll need more than just a sponge filter. Check into the different power filters. THey are pretty simple and easy to work with.
 
SidtheMonkey said:
I would invest in a very versatile, flexible filter. LIke I said, I can add all sorts of media/amendments to my filter boxes....we have very soft water where I live and I usually add some nylon stocking with some calcium carbonate in it to help stabilize the pH. I put it between the sponges in the box....I usually add more sponges too....like I said, the more bio-filtration the better.

I use Aqua Clear filters. They are one you could consider and they're not expensive. They are also very quiet if you make sure they are level. Ver very easy to clean too...I just squeeze out the sponges "in the water I've vaccumed out," and put 'em back in the filter box. This gets rid of most of the particulates (like poop) but keeps most of the beneficial bacteria.

If your current filter is 'just a sponge' filter, then I'm not sure it's enough for the fish you want to keep.

On another note: you have octopuses in your tank?! Those are cephalopods. ;-) So I'm not sure what you mean.
Click to expand...

LMAO I am so tired. I'm sorry. Doh, I do NOT have an octopus. Too bad about that lol. It's some kind of tiny tiny white crustacean... they told me not to worry about it, but I can't remember the term now. All I am thinking of is the octopus now. Man, that was a good LOL
 
SidtheMonkey said:
I would invest in a very versatile, flexible filter. LIke I said, I can add all sorts of media/amendments to my filter boxes....we have very soft water where I live and I usually add some nylon stocking with some calcium carbonate in it to help stabilize the pH. I put it between the sponges in the box....I usually add more sponges too....like I said, the more bio-filtration the better.

I use Aqua Clear filters. They are one you could consider and they're not expensive. They are also very quiet if you make sure they are level. Ver very easy to clean too...I just squeeze out the sponges "in the water I've vaccumed out," and put 'em back in the filter box. This gets rid of most of the particulates (like poop) but keeps most of the beneficial bacteria.

If your current filter is 'just a sponge' filter, then I'm not sure it's enough for the fish you want to keep.

On another note: you have octopuses in your tank?! Those are cephalopods. ;-) So I'm not sure what you mean.
Click to expand...

I was definitely planning on checking this filter out. I just wanted to make sure what I had was... indeed worthless. Whew, glad to hear this filter might ... take care of that darn octopus problem I'm having now, haha..

on a side note: i have no issues cultivating a nice layer of algae in this tank (yay?). enough to keep the otto cats and amano shrimp happy. in a planted tank... i know there is less algae. Do i need to make sure i start leaving more algae tablets.. just in case? Right now... nothing in my tank requires anything but that, haha. I'll have to find a good fish food for the rasboras and.. possible ghost catfish.
 
lol just transfer the substrate to the new tank ;)
 
tbirdie said:
. in a planted tank... i know there is less algae. Do i need to make sure i start leaving more algae tablets.. just in case? Right now... nothing in my tank requires anything but that, haha. I'll have to find a good fish food for the rasboras and.. possible ghost catfish.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Anytime you have excess nutrients, you can end up with algae. Any tank requires balance. Too many watts/powerful spectrum K can accelerate things too quickly unless you have a ton of plants in there (among other things). That's why you have to balance wattage with plant growth, depth, fish load, etc. CO2 adds a whole other element.

That's why starting out slow and low to medium light is a good idea...things go slower and can be more easily adjusted.
 
Okay so... I am going to use the substrate I have... straight out of the old tank... no vacuuming or anything. I'm going to put that on top of Flourite. I'm going to put water in the new tank from the old tank.

Speaking of vacuuming... the local fish store fellow told me not to gravel vac anymore. He said the plants will use it all, and just to do water changes from there on out. Yea or Nay?
 
if using flourite, don't stir up the gravel, but just vac over the top to suck up the unsightly stuff when you water change ;)
 
tbirdie said:
Okay so... I am going to use the substrate I have... straight out of the old tank... no vacuuming or anything. I'm going to put that on top of Flourite. I'm going to put water in the new tank from the old tank.

Speaking of vacuuming... the local fish store fellow told me not to gravel vac anymore. He said the plants will use it all, and just to do water changes from there on out. Yea or Nay?
Click to expand...

*sigh* IMO, you still need to do some vacuuming...but I dont know if that is a Walstad precept or not.

I vac the gravel and just go easy and shallow around plants/roots. I vac the gravel over my Flourite but the other poster is right...it will start coming up thru the gravel eventually. To me, it looks ok, and now it comes in other colors too.

In my main loach tank, where I wanted them to sift thru gravel without sharp edged Flourite, I put screen between the Flourite and the course sand...the plant roots got thru the screen just fine. Obviously it wasnt really fine screen and it was nylon, not metal. All Flourite might not even have sharp edges now........
 
This is what my current gravel looks like:

http://cardenas.shutterfly.com/pets/1110

As it appears, fluorite comes in a few different colors and even sand. No idea which would be better, but I think either would probably blend in nicely.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlouriteDark.html

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlouriteBlackSand.html

If I want either of those, it appears I'll probably have to order them online.

I'm assuming that the stuff, if it became accessible... isn't like jagged enough to hurt any of the fish? Anything I need to know about actually "planting" the plants in everything?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom