starting a planted aquarium!!

[ziddyziddy]

Planted aquarium issues! please help!?
ok so i am starting a planted aquarium and i am starting to freak out just thinking about it!


1.}will an african dwarf frog mind if the entire aquarium is cover in plants, even small short ones?

2,}any suggestion on good plants to get that are relativley easy to find?

3.}any websites that you know of that have pics of planted aquariums?

4.}i have 3 dwarf gouramis, 4 guppies, 5 glolite tetras, 2 marbled shrimp, 1 ADF, and 1 snail.(im getting 6 more tetras) is there anything i need to keep in mind or things i shouldnt do in teh aquarium?

5.}any good websites for me to get decorations/plants from?

6.}any suggestion for design in my 30 gallon bow front tank! like wear i should put a peice of driftwood or what shape dristwood and stuff like that!(i kinda want driftwood and rocks and plants, but i want a section thats clear)



P>S>i got Peter Hiscock's book Aquarium Design Inspired by Nature, i just ordered it, it'll come soon! i heard that that will help!

 

[CaitxSith]

1) Most likely nothing no

2) Java Fern is REALLY easy, Anacharis, Anubias (prepare to dish out some cash for this one), Crypts. Java Moss is actually pretty hard to find...

3) plantedtank.net

4) I don't know if it was cichlids or something but some fish dig up plants... and what kind of snail? some eat plants. Other than that, I think it's ok...

5) liveaquaria.com is all i know

6) Hmm... how about a piece of driftwood in the center, Tall Plants go in the back, Medium plants go around the driftwood, small plants go in front, scatter rocks, I think there should be enough room in between for whatever you want..

hope that helps!

oh, and what lighting do you have, what substrate...

I recommend Flourish tabs (if you have regular gravel) or just Flourish as ferts and Flourish Excel for CO2 and Iron...

 

[kjf91004]

Here are a few links to a few websites I like to check out...
1. For info and inspiration: (the first three even have good plant and algae databases to search)
www.plantgeek.net/
www.plantedtank.net
www.aquaticplantcentral.com
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/ (they have an annual international aquascaping competition that is incredible!)
http://www.aquaforestaquarium.com/
www.aquariumdesigngroup.com (pics of tanks they have professionally designed)

2. For plant sources
http://www.aquabotanic.com/abstore/index.html
http://www.aquariumplants.com/

3. Supposedly one of the best places for driftwood - you can email them for pics and discuss with them so you get what you want
http://manzanita.com/contact.htm

Another good source for pics is always
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/
The top of their list gives me something to work toward, and the bottoms of their list makes me feel better about what I do have

I am sorry... I can't help you too much with your specific questions so far, but have fun and good luck!

 

[dizzykylie]

...."i have 3 dwarf gouramis"...

I have 2 gouramis and a planted tank. I would recommend not getting small/weak stemmed plants. They seem to like to snap off the stems of my plants. Right now surviving the gouramis in my tanks is amazon sword, some other sword plant, java fern, other types of ferns, and money wort. Nothing that is wispy or thin has survived the gouramis. I hope this makes sense.

 

[epicfish]

Erm, first of all, I highly recommend you think about what types of plants you want/need, how much time you have to dedicate to it all, and last but not least, how much you're willing to plunk down on this hobby. =P

I didn't really think about it and jumped head-first into it. To date, I've spent ~$1190 on lighting, CO2, tanks, plants, shrimp, & fish....and it's only been 3 months. Of course, always do your research. I made a few stupid purchases, but I'm a little wiser for them.

How large is your tank? Decent lighting for a 10 gallon will start at ~$50...the larger, the more expensive. Top-of-the-line Tek T5 lights will cost ~$250 for a 4 foot setup, for example. A pressurized CO2 setup will cost ~$150 if you're frugal and piece the setup together slowly. Think ~$200 if not. Your substrate, if going for the best (Flourite, ADA AquaSoil), will cost $35 a bag. $35 will layer two 10 gallon tanks to about 1.5". Ideal is about 2"+ for any sized tank. With slopes and layering, estimate about 4" for the deepest areas. It all adds up FAST!

Not saying it's not worth it, but man, I totally underestimated this hobby when I started.

 

[Sammie7]

Erm, first of all, I highly recommend you think about what types of plants you want/need, how much time you have to dedicate to it all, and last but not least, how much you're willing to plunk down on this hobby. =P

I didn't really think about it and jumped head-first into it. To date, I've spent ~$1190 on lighting, CO2, tanks, plants, shrimp, & fish....and it's only been 3 months. Of course, always do your research. I made a few stupid purchases, but I'm a little wiser for them.

How large is your tank? Decent lighting for a 10 gallon will start at ~$50...the larger, the more expensive. Top-of-the-line Tek T5 lights will cost ~$250 for a 4 foot setup, for example. A pressurized CO2 setup will cost ~$150 if you're frugal and piece the setup together slowly. Think ~$200 if not. Your substrate, if going for the best (Flourite, ADA AquaSoil), will cost $35 a bag. $35 will layer two 10 gallon tanks to about 1.5". Ideal is about 2"+ for any sized tank. With slopes and layering, estimate about 4" for the deepest areas. It all adds up FAST!

Not saying it's not worth it, but man, I totally underestimated this hobby when I started.

I have 2 screw-in 10 watt CF fluorescents that cost 5 dollars each over my 10 gallon, and I grow rotala rotundifolia, java fern, java moss, anubias nana, vallisneria, and watersprite very well. You don't need as much light as some would have you believe, because even the rotala have nice pink tops in what most consider low light. If you want to save up and spend a lot of money on a pressurized system that's great and will prove helpful in the long run. However, there is also diy CO2. I have a Hagen Nutrafin CO2 system on my 10 gallon that cost 30 dollars and it works great. My plants grow quickly and look healthy. Even my anubias nana sprouts a new leaf or two every two weeks. I have tahitian moon sand that was 20 dollars for 20 lbs in my tank, and my plants are doing great. I don't add anything to the substrate. As for fertilizers I only add a few drops of Florapride every now and then. Maybe I just have dumb luck. You are definately right about underestimating the cost for this hobby though.

 

[beviking]

1) No.

2)The aforementioned sites are good. The first question you should be asking is high light vs. low light plants. You can circumvent some of the hidden cost of the hobby by choosing the latter.

3)Those mentioned and many here have pics listed in their signatures.

4) Don't think so.

5) Again, those sites listed already. Check the classifieds at the forums or even aquabid.

6) Look at a LOT of pictures. Choose elements you like, figure out why you like them and incorporate them into your layout. You won't get it right the first time, you may not even have it the way you like it after 4 or 5 times, that's what makes this hobby so frustrati...I mean fun

-Bill