# How's my tank look?



## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Hi all,

Hope this isent the wrong place to post. But, how does my tank look so far? Any suggestions? I don't know were to place the creeping jenny so any suggestions on that would be great. This is my first attempt at a planted tank by the way. Thanks to preston from plantedtank.net for helping me place the plants were they are now, and pranks for sending a bunch of filler plants in today.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

A good start! I think you need to switch places with the wysteria and the plant in front of it. You could use ore plants. You need to plant heavy with a new tank or you will fight algae.

The creeping jenny will go nicely between the cabomba and the grass in the back. Just move the grass over a tad.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Hi Tex Gal,

Are you talking about the Augustfolia (the long stringy stuff on the right?) 

I'm hoping the wysteria starts growing into a bush and fill in the back corner back there. I'll put the creeping jenny were you suggested and see how it looks, thanks!


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Should the plants do good in the gravel for awhile or should I buy some eco-complete or something? I'm wanting to buy a canister filter next week and then a either substrate or a pressurized c02 system (paintball.. space is limited or I'd buy a 5 pound tank). But, if you all don't think they'll do good for now in the gravel I'll buy the eco complete..


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## Morbida (Aug 15, 2005)

I think you should skip the eco-complete and go for some good old fashioned cheap soil. But thats just me , I havent heard if the issues with eco-complete have been solved , but I do know you will need more then just gravel.

Btw. Your tank is looking great!!


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## DMHdispute (Oct 23, 2007)

what is the name of the plant all the way in the back left corner, the tall one. I have one that looked like that when i first bought it (the new leaves grew a lot different)but i forgot the name of it as soon as i left the lfs.
i think your tank will look good when its filled in.


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## OkieFishGuy (Feb 5, 2008)

Is that a topfin heater in the tank? I had one of those get stuck in the on position and when I came home from work it was like 110 degrees in the tank. All fish belly up and no bb left at all. Other than that I like your setup. Sorry for going off your subject but thought I would give my opinion.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

DMHdispute said:


> what is the name of the plant all the way in the back left corner, the tall one. I have one that looked like that when i first bought it (the new leaves grew a lot different)but i forgot the name of it as soon as i left the lfs.
> i think your tank will look good when its filled in.


Are you talking about the moneywort? The green stems thats pretty much the tallest on the left side?


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

OkieFishGuy said:


> Is that a topfin heater in the tank? I had one of those get stuck in the on position and when I came home from work it was like 110 degrees in the tank. All fish belly up and no bb left at all. Other than that I like your setup. Sorry for going off your subject but thought I would give my opinion.


Yeah, its a topfin. I'll keep a watch on it.. thanks

Morbida: Soil? Like potting soil? Would that work on my fish tank and be safe? lol

Thanks for the comments. I have some ludwigia cuba and pantala to come in next week maybe.. and some ranunculus. I also bought some rotala today. I'll take pictures when I get it in.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

By the way, the moneywort is bacopa moneri I think. I'll check it when I get back ina few.


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## Morbida (Aug 15, 2005)

Yes potting soil. You cap it with gravel so it doesnt float all over. After putting soil in the bottom I'd make sure your cycle is good before adding the fish back in. I have had several tanks set up with soil , i do a more NPT approch, but i do know you need more then just gravel with co2.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=55&category=genus&spec=Bacopa Is this what you are talking about DMHdispute?


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Morbida said:


> Yes potting soil. You cap it with gravel so it doesnt float all over. After putting soil in the bottom I'd make sure your cycle is good before adding the fish back in. I have had several tanks set up with soil , i do a more NPT approch, but i do know you need more then just gravel with co2.


Well, I need something I can just dump in.. lol.. can't catch all of my fish because their so fast and I don't have anywere else to put them. What about 3 bags of aqua soil? Would it be good?

I'm going to get a canister filter first though this week. And then the soil. I hope the plants will make it for about a month in the gravel..


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Would 5 bags of flourite be enough in a 46 gallon tank?

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18483/si2984771/cl0/seachemflouriteblack7kg


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## Morbida (Aug 15, 2005)

Adding soil after and not basically doing a whole resetup is kinda hard from what i understand. Might want to consider and afternoon and a good 5 gallon bucket and a fish net. Unless someone more experianced comes along with something that has worked great for them to add soil after a tank is established. 

icex you want a good inch , inch and a half , the biggest i have ever set up was a 30 , two five pound bags of soil did me well in that.


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## DMHdispute (Oct 23, 2007)

Yea thats the one im talking about, and i think mine was called money wart also. But the leaves on mine grew really weird after i put it in my tank, you should look in my sig ewhere is says "my journal" and look at my pics of it. but thanks for helping me remember the name of my plant.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

With or without CO2 plants don't require more than an inert substrate. You can provide all of the nutrients they need using water column fertilizing. That doesn't mean that a substrate that provides nutrients is a bad idea. It just means that plants are so adaptable the will be able to get what they need from either the water or the substrate, or, ideally, from both.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Morbida: My plan was to hopefully empty the tank pretty low and then add the soil and fill it back up. They say it don't hurt anything, it will just cloud the tank for a few days. Hence why I want to buy a canister filter first.

Only 10 pounds of soil was needed for your tank? According to bigals, a 15lb bag of flourite leaves about a 2" bed in a 10 gallon tank. I calculated I needed about 80 pounds of flourite.. I think 4 bags might do what I need.

DMHdispute: Your bacopa looks like bacopa carolina. 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...details.php?id=124&category=genus&spec=Bacopa

I could be wrong, though..


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## Morbida (Aug 15, 2005)

I'm sure florite also lays differently in the tank then soil does.


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

To achieve a depth of 2 inches in a tank 37 inches long and 12 wide, you will need to purchase 30 lbs of Flourite . 

This doesent seem right to me. I used the calculator on plantedtank.net and it says I'd only need about 2 bags of flourite?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I do think your gravel is a little big. If you keep the gravel you need to use root tabs. It's what I just got rid of. I was never able to grow the fine rooted plants and tiny stems. I went to ADA Aquasoil. I had that gravel for decades so I felt I had waited long enough to get the best. I haven't used eco-complete but isn't it a similar cost of ADA AquaSoil? Why not go with the best?

If that is blyxa in your midground it won't do well in your gravel. I have had it for 3 months in my big peagravel. It wasn't able to root down. It just barely hung on. I was waiting to do my tank rescape. At same time I put 3 plants in my shrimp tank with ADA aquasoil. I just trimmed 6 4" plants off the original 3 and I still have 3 more I could trim off.

Your wysteria will get bushy, but what is so pretty about wysteria is the detail of the leaves. Behind your Augustfolia you can't see it. The Augustfolia doesn't have that pretty detail. You will always see the Augustfolia as it's big and lanky. Also the wyteria is a bright green color and usually light is in the front going to darker in the back - like natural shadowing. Course that doesn't mean you can't mix things up. Just a general thought.

The plants you ordered are really pretty. I think with those you will need to do CO2. They are high light plants and that will drive your plants fast and that means ferts and a carbon source (CO2 or excell). I dose EI and it works great. I like futzing with the tank so it works well for me.

Hope this helps. Just suggestions.....


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

Tex gal,

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll switch places with the Augustfolia and wysteria. As for the c02, I currently am doing 4 bottles of DIY c02. It's messy, but it works for now until I get a regulator. 

I want to get a canister filter this week, a Rena XP3. I found one online for $110 shipped, pretty good deal so I'm going to grab it. Next will be substrate. Were can I get ADA Aquasoil? I'll check into it.

Oh, and I have fertalizers on the way. Rex Griggs combo pack for $20 shipped. It will be here tommorow and I will start dosing fertalizers when I get home from school tommorow.


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## russel p (Feb 9, 2008)

One thing I see that might be an issue are the figure-8 puffers. They are technically a brackish fish and do much better with some salt in the water. This, of course, is not going to make your plants, tetras, or clown loaches happy. Also, I've kept some clown loaches that got quite large and disruptive. They dig a bit, but fortunately, are fairly slow-growing. Just something to keep an eye on down the road. 
I think your tank looks very nice.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I got my ADA Aqua Soil from here.

http://www.adgshop.com/Substrate_System_s/1.htm


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## ewitsshawn (Jan 30, 2008)

Nice


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