New planted setup, input needed

ajbry

ajbry

AC Members
Jun 27, 2007
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Cape Cod, MA
I'm looking to transition my 29 gallon from shelldwellers to a fully planted tank based around rams. Looking for a relatively decent representation of the typical environment of the rams (but not a strict biotope). Presently I have minimal experience with plants but not too concerned about it.

Here's an outline of everything I plan to do, any input would be appreciated on what to modify...


Equipment:
  • Eheim 2213 Classic
  • Coralife Aqualight PC 1x65W 6700K
  • Visi-Therm Stealth 150W
  • Eco-Complete substrate

Fish stocking:
  • Microgeophagus ramirezi (either 1 or 2 pairs depending on if the vegetation is dense enough, need further input as I've kept rams before but 2 pairs seems ambitious)
  • Cardinal tetras (approximately 12)
  • Bristlenose pleco (likely a pair or if not, just 1)

Plant stocking:

  • Anubias barteri v. Nana
  • Water sprite
  • Italian val
  • Amazon sword
  • Java fern
  • Sagittaria subulata
  • Dwarf baby tears

Fertilizers:

  • Seachem Flourish (once or twice a week?)
  • Seachem Flourish Excel (every day or every other day?)
  • Seachem Flourish Potassium (once or twice a week?)
  • Seachem Flourish Phosphorus (once or twice a week?)

Thanks!
 
Good enough for me. I question how successful you will be with the dwarf baby tear (HC). HC usually require high light and co2 injection(excel) is fine. I don't know too much about how much u should dose. Instead of excel, you should look into a diy co2 setup.
 
I'll omit the dwarf baby tear then, as it was my least favorite anyway. I'm still looking for a carpet plant though - would either dwarf hairgrass or micro sword be attainable in this setup?

This tank will be near my 360 and TV so I'd rather not mess with a DIY CO2 in case it explodes or anything.

Thanks for your help.
 
With 1 x65w and Eco Complete in a 29g, you need co2 of some kind. If not, you'll have a lot of algae.

You could use Flourish Excel, but it gets to be pricey when it's your only source of carbon.

You'd be hard pressed to find anyone that has had a problem with DIY CO2 exploding. The water acts as a pressure release, so the pressure in the bottle never rises above that of the water pressure in your tank. Theonly way is if the tube clogs. The most common(and near only) way for the tube to clog is you have a check valve that freezes up. Even still, if it's a slide on/barbed type check valve, the tube would blow off the check valve and release all the pressure before the bottle explodes.

So, highly doubtful you have to worry about that. It's just as likely that DIY CO2 would explode as it is likely that your tank will spring a leak....actually, the tank leaking is more likely.

There is also the idea of a pressurized system.
 
Is the Nutrafin CO2 system a decent option? I'm on a tight college student budget and can't spring for the pressurized at the moment.
 
I wouldn't recommend that. That's a glorified DIY co2 setup, and compared to the DIY setup, it's very expensive. Check out:

http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

Then search these forums for answers to your questions.

The DIY 2L bottle setup is the way to go for you. It'll be cheap and produce a nice amount of co2 for your 29g. You can setup a DIY for $10-$15 depending on how fancy you want to get.

Don't purchase bulkhead fittings like that article suggests. Just drill(you can even puncture with an ice pick if you want) a hole in the top of your bottle cap. Make sure the hole is slightly smaller than than your tube, then cut the tube at an angle, and use pliers or something to pull it through. It will make a tight seal around the tube.
 
If you are afraid of it blowing up...you can put the diy in a lockable tuberware, therefore if it blow up, the mess will be contain.
 
They would work, but if you're on a budget and want to save a little more money, look into dosing dry ferts:


This is what Rex Grigg has to say:


Why would you want to use bulk nutrients. Well here are some numbers.
  • If you are dosing 60gallons of water with Flourish Potassium you would need 100 ml to get to 20 ppm.
  • If you are dosing 60 gallons of water with Flourish Phosphorus you would need to dose 48 ml to get to 1 ppm.
  • If you are dosing 60 gallons of water with Flourish Nitrogen you would need to dose 30 ml to get to 10 ppm.
  • Flourish Potassium is $6 mail order for 500 ml. So if you dose once a week that bottle will last you 5 weeks. Cost would $1.25 a week to dose potassium.
  • Flourish Phosphorus is $7.50 mail order for 500 ml. So if you dose once a week that bottle would last you 10 weeks. Cost would be 75¢ a week to dose Phosphorus.
  • Seachem Nitrogen is $7.50 mail order for 500 ml. So if you dose once a week that bottle will last you 16 weeks. Cost would be 47¢ a week to dose nitrates.
  • Total cost for one dose a week with Seachem $~2.75. Note there is no shipping factored in here and there are some rounding errors.
To dose the same tank with bulk nutrients.
  • Nitrates 2¢ a dose.
  • Phosphates .2¢ a dose. Note that is 5 doses for a penny.
  • Total cost for one dose a week with dry nutrients 6.2¢
Click to expand...

http://www.rexgrigg.com/ferts.htm
 
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