# My 20g -first planted tank



## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Hello,
This is my first planted tank, it's gone through multiple changes. I happy with it now. Any comments or advice is great.

Thanks. I'll be updating it as the tank fills in. (this is the third day after replanting)

20g in Kitchen

Equipment
-Coralife 130w 6,700k
-Pressurized CO2 w/ Milwaukee regulator. (ceramic beetle)
-Seachem Ferts.

Plants
-Rotala rotundifolia
-Rotala wallichii
-Glossostigma elatinoides
-Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'
-SAGittaria subulata
-SAGittaria platyphylla
-Vesicularia dubyana
-Micranthemum umbrosum
-Ludwigia repens x. arcuata
-Anubias barteri v 'ekona'
-Microsorum pteropus v. 'narrow leaf'

Fish
-Dwarf Gourami
-Cardinal Tetra
-Celestial Pearl Danio
-Queen Botia
-Halfbeak
-Otocinclus catfish

Invertebrate's
-Red Cherry Shrimp

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-Ghost shrimp 
-Olive Nerite Snails
-Malaysian Snails










55g coral reef tank in the works in the rear (office)










Rc-Shrimp










Rc-Shrimp










Another Angle










Rc-shrimp


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Co2 Set-up


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Nice job for a first-timer!!!  Even for an experienced hobbyist! I don't see the needle-leaf ludwigia......could you provide a closer "front" shot?

Good work!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

> Nice job for a first-timer!!! Even for an experienced hobbyist! I don't see the needle-leaf ludwigia......could you provide a closer "front" shot?
> 
> Good work!


Thanks very much. It's the Ludwigia Narrow-Leaf in the back left corner. "Aquahobby.com" -Heres the link. 
Ill post closer shots later.

http://www.aquahobby.com/garden/e_Ludwigia_Narrow.php


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

Are you sure its only your first try, that tank is sweet! Excellent growth from your plants, and colorful happy shrimp.


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

ty ty


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

VERY pretty tank, nice work!! You obviously did your homework and lots of planning!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

> VERY pretty tank, nice work!! You obviously did your homework and lots of planning!


I tried 

Thanks again guys for all the comments!


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## reims (Nov 20, 2006)

nice growth on your walichi! great tank!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Cherry :mrgreen:


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Fts


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## JensR (Sep 21, 2006)

Nice work!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Thanks. I need to do some trimming and replanting. The glosso is growing in nicely but doesn't show to well due to overexposure. Hopefully within a month the tank will be what I'm looking for once it fills in. By that point maybe I'll figure out how to take better pics.


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Rotala Wallichii Pearling  








One week update


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

nice pics!! so what kind of substrate are you using? keep up the great work


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

> nice pics!! so what kind of substrate are you using? keep up the great work


lol, riverbed gravel. Which I think has held me back from certain plants, and explosive growth. But I do use Seachem Root tabs, and have a thick bed of fish mulm. It took a lot of plants to find what will grow (well) in gravel (i.e. no heavy root feeders, ect..) Eventually I'll tear down the tank and replace with Flourite or some ADA substrate. Thanks for the comments!


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## CmLaracy (Apr 28, 2007)

nice tank, try turning out all the lights around your tank and turning off the flash to get better pictures. Good work


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## Amazon_Replica (Nov 24, 2007)

I don't believe that is your first planted tank hehe. VERY NICE. You should be beaming all day long. Looks great. You could try turning off all lights even in the tank, and maybe setting up a desk lamp above your tank. Im sure it depends on camera, i have an older digital, and no matter what setting i put it on, i get alot of glare, so desk lamp helps me, but your pics arent bad. I cant wait to see your 2nd tank


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## mtundu (May 8, 2007)

As everyone else has mentioned, the plants look great and the shrimp seems happy. But what about the fish? In the description you listed species but not numbers and I could only find one cardinal in the pics and none of the others. Is the fauna still a work in progress? I hope so because those would be some lonely tetras and danios if not....


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## onyx (Sep 14, 2007)

Have you encountered any algae problems with that much light? I have a 20g high as well and debating between a 65w or 130w light fixture. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## copperleaf (Oct 1, 2006)

Wish I did so well on my first tank. Keep up the good work!


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

> Have you encountered any algae problems with that much light? I have a 20g high as well and debating between a 65w or 130w light fixture. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


Hey onyx, 
I'd say go with the 130 watt fixture (coralife fixture; even though the fans are a bit noisy) most definetly (I love it). Any algae problems can always be remedied with something else. As for algae, I get some green dust on the glass but nothing a magnet scraper can't take off within a couple minutes. I use the magnet every 3-4 days or so. I got pressurized CO2 about 2-3 weeks after I put on the light, which I think stopped any chance of algae growth(@30ppm CO2). With the 130 watt the growth is incredible; glosso & dwarf sag. have completely taken over the foreground. The Rotala indica, ludwigia, rotala wallichi are bright red and reaching for the top. In fact I had to trim the wallichi within a 4 day period of a previous trimming. I need to trim some ludwigia down and get it more bushier, same as the baby tears. Once I get those in order I'll be posting some more pics. Go for the 130, but I strongly suggest C02 injection. 

Thanks for the comments.



> In the description you listed species but not numbers and I could only find one cardinal in the pics and none of the others. Is the fauna still a work in progress


Lol, sorry. There 4 cardinals, 2 gourami, 6 celestial danios, 1 Queen Botia, 1 otto, numerous rcs, 5 Nerite olive snails. I'd like to remove the gouramis, and get 3 cardinals, 3 more danios. I think once the plants grow in a little more and provide some more shade the fish will be more out and about.



> I don't believe that is your first planted tank hehe. VERY NICE. You should be beaming all day long. Looks great. You could try turning off all lights even in the tank, and maybe setting up a desk lamp above your tank


Ty ty, I think I'll try that. I'm shooting a Canon G6 and still very new to it. I'll be reading up more how to properly shoot digital tank shots. I turned off every light in the house, I gotta go through the settings on the camera. 

Thanks again guys I'll be posting soon...:mrgreen:


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

I replaced my Ludwigia Repens with Limnophila aromatica. Really like how it looks. I started liquid dosing greg watson ferts this week. I was pretty nervous (still am) bout making the switch from Seachem to my own mixed concentrations. But everything is pearling and growing nicely. 
Will post FTS when the glosso and cuba fills in.


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