# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Photos and tank description - any advice appreciated!



## Tim Walker (Apr 13, 2004)

Hi Guys,

I setup this planted tank about 3 weeks ago. It was heavily planted from the start and underwent no "traditional" detectable cycling, the plants covered it all up.

It's 8 gallon, 2 watts per gallon, an inbuilt trickle filter and DIY CO2 running through an airstone that's terribly inefficient at this stage, I'm thinking of running into the powerhead in future.

pH = 7.0
KH = 60ppm
GH = 80ppm
NH4 = 0ppm
NO2 = 0ppm
NO3 = <5ppm
Guestimate CO2 = 10ppm (although I would expect more pearling with 10ppm, and suspect phosphates are screwing my results a little.)

Plants include, hairgrass, ricca, wisteria, giant val, blue stricta, another hygrophila, 2 crypts (still to be identified), and javafern (that is now about 5 java ferns.)

3 volcanic rocks for a retaining wall, and a small piece of driftwood.

Fishy inhabitants include, 4 Head and Tail Lights Tetra's, 4 Bronze Cory's, 10 Neon Tetras, 3 true SAE's, 1 Betta Splendens.

I add water column ferts daily, I'm about to start adding plant tabs under various plants, and unfortunately the substrate is plain gravel.

Any advice / suggestion would be appreciated, I'm learning this field as I go...

Thanks and Cheers!
Tim


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## Tim Walker (Apr 13, 2004)

Hi Guys,

I setup this planted tank about 3 weeks ago. It was heavily planted from the start and underwent no "traditional" detectable cycling, the plants covered it all up.

It's 8 gallon, 2 watts per gallon, an inbuilt trickle filter and DIY CO2 running through an airstone that's terribly inefficient at this stage, I'm thinking of running into the powerhead in future.

pH = 7.0
KH = 60ppm
GH = 80ppm
NH4 = 0ppm
NO2 = 0ppm
NO3 = <5ppm
Guestimate CO2 = 10ppm (although I would expect more pearling with 10ppm, and suspect phosphates are screwing my results a little.)

Plants include, hairgrass, ricca, wisteria, giant val, blue stricta, another hygrophila, 2 crypts (still to be identified), and javafern (that is now about 5 java ferns.)

3 volcanic rocks for a retaining wall, and a small piece of driftwood.

Fishy inhabitants include, 4 Head and Tail Lights Tetra's, 4 Bronze Cory's, 10 Neon Tetras, 3 true SAE's, 1 Betta Splendens.

I add water column ferts daily, I'm about to start adding plant tabs under various plants, and unfortunately the substrate is plain gravel.

Any advice / suggestion would be appreciated, I'm learning this field as I go...

Thanks and Cheers!
Tim


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## Alberto Villarroya (Nov 15, 2003)

Hi, tim just wanted to say that acording to your PH and KH you have a level of CO2 of 18ppm which should be ok for your plants, maybe you could rise it up to 25 more or less.

about the hairgrass I would replant it individually or in groups of 3 of 4 stems. It grows much faster.

Nice looking tank btw.


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## ScottH. (May 13, 2004)

Tim, very nice tank. You are making a great mini aquascape! I agree with Alberto about the hairgrass. It will grow and fill in quicker if you thin it out and spread it out more.

Also, you are producing some nice looking stem plants for a small tank which can be pretty hard to do.


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