# New to Planted Tanks



## Aquakilla24 (May 26, 2008)

Hi, I'm a college student interested in setting up my first planted aquarium, and i was wondering if anyone out there could give me a few pointers on how to go about doing so. Any advice would be appreciated- Aquakilla24


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

It's hard to give advice without knowing what direction you want to go (low tech, high tech, El Natural, middle-of-the-road...).

I'd say first and foremost, read. Go through as many threads in all the forums here and find out what the difference is between low and high tech. Decide how much money you want to spend (make yourself a budget) and go from there. Look through the PlantFinder (top/left of this page in a golden toolbar) and see what plants there are for certain light requirements or difficulty levels.

You need to consider lighting. Most aquariums DO NOT come with adequate lighting for planted tanks (or even for some fish-only tanks). You will need a hood that gives you at least 1 Watt per Gallon of aqaurium capacity (Very Low light) or upwards of 3 or more Watts per Gallon (high light).

Also, with higher light comes a need for CO2 and fertilzer. If you don't want to mess with the addition of CO2 and don't care about watching plants pearl or grow super fast, then you may want a low-light set up with slow growing plants (low maintenence).

Anyway, first decide where you want to go with it, pick out a tank and light fixture, then it will be easier to get yourself some really great advice and help with getting it set-up.

-Dave


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Here are some good sites to help you out...

http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articles/basics/pages/01_intro.html

http://thegab.org/Articles/WalstadTank.html

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/blog.php?blogid=180

http://www.aquabotanic.com/begin.htm

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...ums/14684-new-tank-setup-guide-parts-1-a.html

Hopefully the above will give some idea of the direction you want to go, then we can give you more specific advice.

:welcome:to APC!


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## Aquakilla24 (May 26, 2008)

Firstly, I would like to thank you both for all of the links, they were definitely helpful. After a bit of reading, I've decided to go with a 10 gallon tank. As for lighting, I do have a 130watt current orbit PC system that I happened to have laying around. But i'm concerned on whether it would be overkill in regards to wattage, or underpowered( PCs) as opposed to (T5HOs) for a tank this small.. . I also picked up on of those Aquaeon ( AGA) HOB filters, and was wondering if this would be adequate as well. Basically, im at the point to where i know where i want to go with this system, kind of.. maybe i could use some of that helpful advice in regards to aquascaping, supplementation, and setting up in general. As always any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! - Aquakilla24


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

130 watts on a 10 gallon is overkill (13 WPG). If you're looking for high-tech/high-maint., shoot for 40 to 60 watts (that's NOT a suggestion based on experience, just based on what I've read).

If you want medium light, go for 20 to 40 watts, and less for low light. *(Some of you more experienced folk, is that right, or am I off on the wattage for a 10 gallon?)*

As far as aquascaping, it's all in the eye of the beholder. Generally, you want something for background, mid-ground, and foreground. You also want to set a focal point. Go back to the thread about the Golden Ratio. Look through the Plant Finder on this site to find plants you like and that will grow in the conditions you want to have.

Substrate also depends. Personally, I prefer something dark and not 'gravel-like'. What I've got is called aquatic plant substrate (some are called aquatic soils) but it's really just fired clay. Mine is a bit too light weight for my taste, but it gets the plants growing some REALLY GREAT roots.

Read through the advanced topics threads about different substrates and lighting before you make a final decision. You'll be glad you did in the long-run.

Also, the more the lighting, the more supplementation you'll need (CO2, ferts...). I'm using the Seachem line of supplements and DIY CO2 on a medium-light tank. But you'll have to try out/research different things and get other opinions before you find what's right for you. I like what I've got because it's easy and I don't spend any time trying to measure out stuff or make certain settings to this or that.

Hope that helps.

-Dave


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I suggest getting a bigger tank if you can afford it and have the room. I find a 10 gallon tank is very difficult to be successful with. First, it is too small for the general "rules" on how much light is needed to apply, so you have to do some good guessing to get the right amount of light. It is so small it is difficult to keep the water conditions stable, and it is too small for many of the plants you will want to experiment with.

I used to have a 29 gallon tank, which doesn't take a lot more room, doesn't cost a lot more, and is much easier to maintain. In my opinion, that is about the smallest practical planted tank. I know a lot of people have "nano" tanks, but I'm speaking of a conventionally sized tank.


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## Aquakilla24 (May 26, 2008)

Dave- thanks for that bit of information. I was unsure about using such a high wattage. I was also wondering what specific Kelvin rating and what spectrum bulbs would i need for a planted aquarium. would i be able to get away with 2 10k daylight bulbs? Or would i need to split it 1x10k and 1 bulb in the red/blue spectrum? I read somewhere that actinics are useless for planted aquariums. As for the substrate layer i noticed that people split their substrate into layers, would a small layer of peat underneath the substrate be a good idea? I was thinking about using a mix of Ecocomplete and flourite, would that be a suitable substrate?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

A thin sprinkling of ground peat under the substrate is useful for helping the beneficial bacteria get growing in that area. Above that any of the commercial planted tank substrates would be effective. Flourite, Eco Complete, ADA Aquasoil are three that are widely used. Or, you can use an inert substrate like 3M Colorquartz, with black being a popular color. Or, plain pool filter sand can be used. Mixtures are unnecessary and add nothing of value.

One exception to the statement on mixtures: if you want a substrate that will provide some nutrition for plants you can use soil or river silt as a layer under one of the above substrates, not counting ADA Aquasoil, which is already loaded with nutrients. So, there are lots of options.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Aquakilla24 said:


> I was also wondering what specific Kelvin rating and what spectrum bulbs would i need for a planted aquarium. would i be able to get away with 2 10k daylight bulbs? Or would i need to split it 1x10k and 1 bulb in the red/blue spectrum? I read somewhere that actinics are useless for planted aquariums.


As far as lights, having 10000 Kelvin bulbs are fine. Once you get to the correct spectrum range, it becomes a matter of preference (although people have noted better growth with some like the 9325's). You can go all 6700K (more red-ish), 8000K, 10000K (more blue/white-ish, or 9325K, etc...or a mix of any of them. All of them will have sufficient red/blue ranges for planted tanks. Just stear clear of the actinics.

That's about all I know about lights. There is better info in the 'Science of Aquatic Lighting' area on this forum. Normally I say, "for beginner's don't worry about this or that", but I've quickly learned that I wish I had gotten my lighting wisely picked out before-hand. So, do the research on the lights and make and educated decision. Everything else can be learned as you go.


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## Aquakilla24 (May 26, 2008)

Ok , heres an update! I went out and bought an Aquaclear 20 HOB filter, a 20lb bag of Eco-complete, and some "african root" wood. I have to admit that im having a hard time determining whether or not what I have is a suitable drift wood. Is "african root" wood the same as "Mopani" wood? or is it something entirely different? Unfortunately my tank had a huge chip in it, so i have to wait on setting it up.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Sorry to hear about the chip in the tank.

The only time I'd worry about the type of wood is if it's softwood or is rotting/falling apart. Otherwise, I've never had or heard of any problems with any wood (mopani, mesquite, manzanita, cedar...)


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## Aquakilla24 (May 26, 2008)

Hey there everyone, I just want to thank everyone who commented on this thread for helping me get started on APC. Setup and further updates will be in my tank thread- Aquakilla24


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## bzzi (Apr 8, 2008)

I'm anxious to see what you are coming up with 
If you get T5s, try combining them 10000K and 6700K, this is my setup. The plants literally jump out of the water.
Also, use ADA aquasoil and their fertilization program. I know that as a college student, budget is an issue but with a 10G, you only need a little of Aquasoil and Step-1 to start a beautiful planted. I've used Amazonia Aquasoil rough and fine for substrate, but I don't use their Brighty-K, I use Seachem potassium that is cheaper, but doesn't have the super cool pump, though. I think I will re-use the ADA bottles for my fertilizers, as they are durable and very handy.
Also, don't fertilize during the first three weeks of planting it, the Aquasoil is rich enough, unless you will have bottled CO2 from day one. Good luck!


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