# My 20Gal first try journal



## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

ok here we go ... starting with a basic plant package .. nothing fancy i don't think and im just gonna try learning how to keep things alive lol 

it's an old 20 gal tank with scratches in the glass 

65 watts of CF light ... have a photoperiod of 10 hours

using GW ferts and doing EI dosing ... some confusion here.... there are two plans... one or 10 to 20 gal and one for 20 to actuall i forgot ... but the point being 20 gal fits both so i started with the lower dosing. dosing potassium nitrate, potassium phosphate and plantex.

again my memory is failing me but i have either laterite gravel or flourite gravel mixxed with some basic plain gravel.

im using DIY co2 blowing into an old biowheel filter without the biowheels on... just a gauze mechanical filter. using the mindset that the gauze might help hold the co2 a bit longer  

anything else anyone wants to know?
More pics as the night goes on lol im planting as i go so i can make changes if anyone makes a suggestion.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Looking good, so far


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

ok here a bit more


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

ok here are a few more


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

oops lol  ok let me try this again


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

thanks alot trenac  i am not very artistic so im giving this a whirl lol


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

No one wants to critique my tank?  any suggestions?


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## neonfish3 (Feb 12, 2004)

I liked the tank, till you put the Anubias right in the middle of the tank. I think the Anubias would look better up on the wood. And the dwarf sag. is too tall for such a center placment. They would look better over near the sides in the front. I liked the open center, with the driftwood leading your eye to the back of the tank. Maybe a shorter forground plant in front, like hairgrass, glosso,...etc
I did a quick edit with PS elements to see how that would look.
What is that large leafed crypt in the back?
Just my ideas....... I love the wood and ferns.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Its a good start, I like the wood with the ferns. I agree with neonfish that the grass in front is too tall though. Don't hide your neat wood! A shorter/finer foreground would be better.


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

here was the final project that i didn't have time to post... 

i like your ideas neonfish.... but now that i have added more stuff how would you change your idea ... if you would change it.

i feel i have too many plants but have to use them since i paid for them lol  

but i do appreciate your response and look forward to your advice now that the tank has all the plants in it. if i have to i will pull some plants.

MArco


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## neonfish3 (Feb 12, 2004)

Hey, Marco
My advise is still pretty much the same.

I do like it more with the Anacharis in the other corner. It kinda looks like you planted the stem plants in one bunch, though. If you did, you should seperate the stems and plant individually or in 2-3 stems together at the most.
And I don't think you have too many plant, infact, not enough! The more plants you start out with, the better, expecially fast growing stem plants. You can always remove some of them later, and sell, trade, donate them.

Did you start ferts yet? I follow this plan for one of my 20's:
*20-40 Gallon Aquariums 
*+/- ¼ tsp KN03 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp KH2P04 3x a week
+/- 1/16 tsp (5ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change (copied from John N.'s sticky on EI dosing)

Is your gravel,filter and media inside it, brand new?
I would get a couple fish in there, to get a cycle going and to graze on the algae *every new tank* gets. A couple otto's and 2-3 black mollys or SAE's are my favorite starter fish. If I don't like them later, out they go back to the store or another tank.

my 0.0002¢ worth


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

hello neonfish.
i am using this dosing schedule
10- 20 Gallon Aquariums
+/- 1/8 tsp KN03 (N) 3x a week 
+/- 1/32 tsp KH2P04 (P) 3x a week
+/- 1/32 tsp (2ml) Trace Elements 3x a week
50% weekly water change

you think i should go to the next higher?

so the two bunches of stem plants in eaither back corner should be spread out some? i <being a newbie> keep feeling like im crowding the tank and it has no decent "look" to it.

and i thought i was supposed to plant stems in bunches.. or does that mean just close together? cause if i try to plant the water wisteria on the left close but not together i keep knocking the other one i just planted loose. it seems any sort of bump into those knocks them loose.
so i took the same approch to the ones on the right also... 
although it seems those might hold better with the rings of mini leaves on it.

also the gravel and filter are cycled already. the filter was in my 55 gal for a long time and then had about 6 danios in the tank for the plants with the gravel and the filter for over a month before getting my plants.

right now i have a little catfish of some sort and a chinese algae eater in there.


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## neonfish3 (Feb 12, 2004)

> i am using this dosing schedule
> 10- 20 Gallon Aquariums
> +/- 1/8 tsp KN03 (N) 3x a week
> +/- 1/32 tsp KH2P04 (P) 3x a week
> ...


No, to start out, this dosing should be fine. In a couple weeks when the plants start growing more, you can up it to the next level. Its hard to say, it depends,, watch the plants,, keep your CO2 levels up there 20-30ppm. The Hygrophilia difformis and Anacharis should grow like gangbusters. You'll be trimming in no time.


> So the two bunches of stem plants in either back corner should be spread out some?


YES, trim the leaves off an inch or two of the bottom of the stem,, and plant them deep. Try not to bury any of the leaves, 'cause they wil rot.


> .. or does that mean just close together?


yes


> i keep knocking the other one i just planted loose. it seems any sort of bump into those knocks them loose.


Ya that happens sometimes, like I said before, a longer stem to plant helps, patience helps. (Wait till you try planting hairgrass or glosso! ha!) I have really light gravel and most of my plants are hard to hold down. You'll get it eventually. But you should seperate them so light can get to the bottom of the plants and so you get circulation around the plants.


> also the gravel and filter are cycled already.


Thats good!


> chinese algae eater in there.


If it's small its ok, (no, its not, I HATE, LOATH, DESPISE these fish!!! Mine killed one of my Angelfish and badly damaged another one,, they will chase, harrass, suck on the sides of other fish when they get older, and stop eating algae! And they are very hard to catch,, I finally caught my last one when I tore down one of my tanks. I fed it to my Largemouth Bass and was happy to watch it go:croc: ha!:badgrin: :badgrin:  ), but you can keep it, if you want! 
Anyway....good luck,


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

well whats better at eating algae? like i said im pretty new. and i'll work on un-bunching the stem plants... then maybe rearranging the tank like you suggested or something similar.

Marco


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

*Update!*

ok here are the "final" layout pics... the anubis nana is still attached to the wood i had it attached to in front of the two big pieces ... but now it's balanced on the left piece of driftwood till i have time to tie it to the big piece


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

last pic


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

no thoughts on the final layout?

also just got my glass diffusor for my co2... having to upgrade a few components since i need the pressure to actually get to the diffusor lol

lots of leaks that i didn't know i had when i was just airstoning it into the filter.

hopefully tonight i will have it licked.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

Marcom, I like this layout better and your stem plants will grow much better now that they're seperated. Do you plan on having a foreground plant?


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

yes just not sure what yet... and have decided that i will see how my plants do for a bit before investing in more plants. but i am open for suggestions


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

no one has suggestions on what i could use as a good foreground plant?


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

so what happened to all my pictures?
if i cleared out my uploads to make room for more does that eliminate the ones from here?


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## Hurriken (Oct 15, 2006)

Yes, the pictures don't upload to this site. They are linked to the host that you used such as Photobucket.


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## Marcom1234 (Aug 16, 2006)

i didn't use a host at all. i just uploaded them here. hmmmm that kinda sucks lol
oh well i guess live and learn


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