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NoahLikesFish

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I’d do like 8 angels 24 corydoryas aneus like 50 tetras I wouldn’t do rummynose or cardinals bleeding hearts are cool for an Orinoco biotope then maybe like 12 keyhole chiclids, they make colonies like geophagus and I never see them spar in my tank and 4 festivums IMO they only should be kept in a mostly rodi environment. Make sure you cap the dirt because it floats then you can maybe get like a land area with pothos moss and peace lily also do like 16 otos, a word of advice is to never overdo otos cause tons of people especially MD fish tanks extremely overdo things like otos way to early. i Would let it get some sunlight and then maybe 2 60” nicrews or a diy fixture would work. A well scaped comfy black water tank with tons of diversity and micro fauna with fish dancing in a thick blanket of leafs is amazing for the fish and the plants.
 

dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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Seachem flourite contains little, if any, nutrients for plants. It has a high CEC, but contains basically nothing.. it'll hold roots though. I want to say they dis have an actual aquasoil substrate, but doesn't look like they do any more.

if you are mixing it, you can save a pile of money by using safeTsorb from tractor supply.

as listed above, you can use capped dirt, I wouldn't advise it, as it can be an accident waiting to happen, in terms of algae and muddy water.

Lighting is more difficult with a 5 foot aquarium, but a 4 foot light should span across I think, to save money if you have a canopy, you can likely go with shoplights from walmart or home depot. just be sure to get daylight or 6500K ones.
 

NoahLikesFish

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IMO algae isn’t really a problem for me, yeah there’s detritus and mulm and a bit of algae in my leaf bed but I feed like a madman because my fish are gluttons I have a dirt bed too, if you get plants reciving free co2 from the air with roots in the water i Can almost garuntee you won’t get algae.
 

dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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I nominate Noah to support you if you choose a 'dirted' tank here.
 
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EBJD

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Thanks for the eye opener on flourite , I don't see the point in it's price if it doesn't have nutrients,

I did consider potting soil topped with gravel and covered with blasting sand, I will push the edges inward so all that is seen is the sand
 

NoahLikesFish

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thats always a good idea, I’d do play sand it’s a lot cleaner looking Imo when you throw in the leaf litter. And things
 
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dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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there's no point in capping with gravel and sand, just use sand.. you need to make sure that roots get to the soil.

if you were considering flourite, I would look at Fluval stratum or Landen aquasoil.. both are pretty full of nutrients, of the two the Fluval is lighter, so difficult with small plants or digging fish, but it is more beginner friendly with regard to letting off ammonia in the beginning.
 
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fishorama

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I have that same tank & I use a 4ft light I already had (PC not LEDs) It works fine to grow low-medium light plants like crypts, val, etc. Ground cover will be hard if not impossible. I have lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae & it grows but not at all dense enough to carpet. Corys may well dig it up, it seems very shallowly rooted. I've only tried 1 stem plant but only the top is happy the lower leaves die.

I tried Flourite black sand once & hated the dustiness. I have used Eco Complete (not sand) for many years & like the black color & rounded grains. In my tank like yours I'm trying black blasting sand. I'm not crazy about my Turface. I also use pool filter sand in other tanks. I wish it wasn't so whitish, everything shows.

I'm too scared to try dirt. I've heard horror stories but some people love it.
 
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dougall

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Mar 29, 2005
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If your sand gets too dirty, siphon off the top layer and replace..

I would only try dirt if I was somewhat competent with keeping a planted tank and would not be constantly trying to replant stuff. If you insist on dirt, look up mineralized topsoil rather than just going to the store for organic miracle grow or whatever is the vogue these days.

And don't use PC lighting, replacement bulbs cost about as much as a whole new LED fixture.
 

fishorama

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It's only PC because I had them & new replacement bulbs. Were I buying new, of course I would try LEDs with a consultation with you & everyone...everywhere...maybe soonish...

Pool sand is coarse enough "stuff" can work its way down. The 1 time I tried play sand I did vacuum off the top until I just removed it after a few months. Mine was dirty & compacted even in a pretty shallow layer. Most all sand is local, it doesn't pay to ship it. In MA I was able to find more tan pool filter sand but it took some looking.
 
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