Restarting the aquarium hobby

[AliciaScheckel]

Hi everyone,
I was on here years ago and got away from the hobby due to life issues. Anyhow, I am getting back into keeping fish. I currently have a 40-gallon breeder, no hood, a hob filter with bio wheels and no media yet. I am using pool sand as substrate and also have a grow light on it, and a heater. I currently have a few plants in it. For plants, I currently have Hornwort, Frog bit, water lettuce, Hydrophilia dagger, Rotala, Jungle Val, and Guppy Grass. I have nothing in there to keep anything alive at the moment. I know I need root tabs, but what do I do to feed the plants that are floating? I don't want to get into Co2. Also, the water is cloudy and has been for a few weeks. I haven't added anything to it. All it had up until last Thursday was the sand and the filter. I do not have a test kit yet. That will be here this Thursday.
I do plan on getting a pair of German Blue Rams for it when it's appropriate.

 

[dougall]

Your water lettuce won't need CO2 as the leaves aren't under the water

The primary nutrition that your plants will need is nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) which you're unlikely to have much of without fish .. and no.. don't add then right now .

I think only the val should be in the substrate, so I wouldn't worry about root tabs, but maybe a liquid fertilizer that has nitrate in it.. normally designed for lightly stocked or heavily planted tanks. I'm a big fan of thrive (made by an old aquaria central member) from nilocg.. available from nilocg.com or anazon - not the S or C versions.. maybe the plus if you plan to grow certain red plants .

Thrive also has root capsules that are better than most root tabs (containing nitrates is a big one)

All plants benefit from having additional CO2 injected, very few need more than you likely have in there..

The cloudiness might come from the sand being dusty.. it's unlikely to be bacterial. The filter running will help clear it out, but will lead to your filter media getting dirty quicker until it's clean .

Yell if there are more questions .