First Planted Tank

maddog10 · Post by **maddog10** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:41 pm

Starting a new 50 gallon (36x18x18) planted tank (basically, my first EVER planted tank). Since I am a cichlid guy, I am setting this tank up for a group of Pelvicachromis taeniatus. There will be at least 1 (probably 2) large piece of Malaysian driftwood. Having never seriously attempted LIVE plants I am looking for something easy, until I learn the ropes.

This is what I am thinking right now:
Up front - a little lawn of Echinodorus tenellus
In the back - mostly Hygophilia difformis with 1 or 2 groups of Rotala rotundifolia for contrast
In the middle - Some Anubias barteri "Coffeefolia" and Cryptocoryne wendtii "Broad Leaf"

Filtration will be a Fluval 305 and I have a single tube 36" fluorescent light (what bulb should I use?). I can get another light if need be.

Once you guys stop laughing, I would appreciate any advice. I may get these plants with the group order, but I do not know how many of each I would need. I am at the bottom of the learning curve.

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:36 pm

E. tennelus for the foreground is a good choice for your first planted tank.
I'd use several c. wendtii for the midground as well as the Hygro difformis
for the midground. Maybe some java fern tied to the driftwood. A small group
of Anubias tied to small stones can be piled up next to the driftwood for a nice
sloped effect.
Go with something like Hygro. corymbosa for the background. Rotala rotudafolia
is also a good choice for the background.
Scales has some of those plants in stock. Maybe some hygro. polysperma if you
can still find it somewhere. Those are all good low tech, easy plants that do
not require too much light. That said - you need more light than a standard
36" flourecent fixture. Two of those T-5 double bulb fixtures by Coralife would
be a good choice.

You need CO2 - be it DIY or pressurised - you need it.
Like anything else - doing it right the first time around saves you money
and headaches.

BTW, what substrate are you planning to use?

maddog10 · Post by **maddog10** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:10 pm

Substrate is Florite (I had 2 bags laying around - need 1 more bag).

Thought I would need more light. Any special bulb you would recommend, or just use the standard bulbs for now.

ingg · Post by **ingg** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:35 pm

Coralife freshwater T5 series come with good bulbs for a planted tank start, no need ot switch them out.

I'll probably be able to trim some more Corymbosa at the January meeting. I don't think many keep it anymore, and the stores can't sell it, so I may be one of the only keepers of this plant around, hehe. Come to think of it, I've got plety of Polysperma, too, though only acouple of stems of the pink 'rosanervig' type.

If you aren't in a hurry, ask around in the club for rotalas - I know I regularly trash or trade in rotala sp. 'pink', and have some that is relatively algae free. Folks also keep colorata, rotundifloria, etc., easy to find for the meeting if you ask for it to be brought.

I'll be at next weekend's CCA meeting hawking mossy rock, will you be set up and ready by then?

maddog10 · Post by **maddog10** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:53 pm

Dave,
Probably wont be ready by Saturday. I will ask around to see what i can get for the GWAPA meeting, still going to try and make it. I have never actually planted plants before, so I will be looking for advice on that as well (such as spacing between plants)

Post by **krisw** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:35 pm

Mike, January should be the perfect time to learn how to plant a tank. We'll be planting Dave's 180g some start to finish, so you'll have plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Of course, in a 50G, you'll actually be able to reach the back of the tank without a step stool.

And, I definitely second/third the advice that you need more light. CO2 is the highly preferred method, but if you really want to shy away from that, you can get by okay using Seachem Excel for your plant's carbon source. Of course, on a 50G, you'll probably be at the cost of a pressurized CO2 system before too long dosing Excel.

And, just from your up-front plant selection, I'd say that you know more about planted tanks than you're giving yourself credit for.

Jeff120 · Post by **Jeff120** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:13 pm

As far as light bulb anything in the 5,000-10,000K is good for plants, between that range will work, after that its just personal preference. One end is more yellow the other is more blue

maddog10 · Post by **maddog10** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:31 pm

One more really good reason to make it to the meeting. I had a CO2 system that I sold to Francine, I was using it to adjust pH in one of my cichlid tanks. I am sure I will get another one. I was going to use Excel to start with as I am sure at some point I will be planting one of my large tanks and the pressurized system would be used on it.

I looked at a lot of photos of planted tanks and noted what I liked. Then I narrowed the field down to plants that were easier to keep.

Is it possible to select plants that just flat out can not be kept together?

Ghazanfar Ghori · Post by **Ghazanfar Ghori** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:30 pm

There are only a hanful of plants that cannot be kept together - there
are a few plants that absolutly require soft water - and some on the
opposite end of the spectrum. But 95% of the plants out there today
should do well together without any problems. We're lucky to have good
water in our area for most plants. Which reminds me - whats your water
GH / KH / pH out there?

maddog10 · Post by **maddog10** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:56 pm

I am on well water.
pH is high - usually 8.4
KH was just over 100 ppm (haven't checked for awhile)
GH was 180 last time I checked (been awhile)

First Planted Tank

First Planted Tank

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