Setting up a planted tank
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:05 am
It's been several years since I've had any tanks set up, and the urge suddenly hit me a few days ago, and I drunkenly purchased a filter off ebay, so I guess I'm setting up a fish tank now.
I've always had Puffers pretty much since I first started keeping fish, but my husband has always wanted a "more interesting tank" (as he calls it) with plants and schools of little fish moving around. So I am setting up my very first planted tank.
I could use a bit of insight/opinions on some of the equipment I'm thinking of purchasing. And also any help with my stock list/plant list, etc.
Tank: 29 Gallon
Filter: I have a bunch of HOB filters sitting brand new in boxes in the basement, but I had heard some good things regarding the SunSun canister filters and for $25 decided it was worth a shot as I would rather have a canister filter than a big thing on the back. But worst case scenario I can switch it out.
Lighting: https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Ray2-Aqua ... op?ie=UTF8
I've been looking at a lot of lights and ended up wanting to stick with LED and with a budget of under $100, so this is where I ended up. But I'm almost afraid it'll be too bright after reading the comments on the amazon page, and there was some concern over it not having a full color spectrum of light.
CO2: Two full days of reading a thousand articles and forum posts and I ended up here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-di ... ?_k=hj59ia
We purchased all the parts today off amazon. My husband is building it for me because even after two days of researching I still do not understand CO2 at all... Any tips or insight here would be very appreciated...
Substrate: currently trying to decide between CaribSea Eco-Complete and Flourite Black Sand. Would either of these be okay on their own? would I need to layer it with soil or something? The "look" I'm going for in the tank is black substrate and black rocks in a pile with plants (baby tears maybe?) growing out of them.
Plants: I'd like a carpet of dwarf hair grass, is there anything special I need to do to plant it/get it to grow and spread? Then I'm looking at something like Jungle Val in the back and something like baby tears in my rock pile.
Fish: 6x Celestial Pearl Danios, 4x Cherry Shrimp, 1x German Blue Ram, and.. something else? I haven't exactly decided.
Opinions? Anything obvious I have overlooked? Tips?
I've always had Puffers pretty much since I first started keeping fish, but my husband has always wanted a "more interesting tank" (as he calls it) with plants and schools of little fish moving around. So I am setting up my very first planted tank.
I could use a bit of insight/opinions on some of the equipment I'm thinking of purchasing. And also any help with my stock list/plant list, etc.
Tank: 29 Gallon
Filter: I have a bunch of HOB filters sitting brand new in boxes in the basement, but I had heard some good things regarding the SunSun canister filters and for $25 decided it was worth a shot as I would rather have a canister filter than a big thing on the back. But worst case scenario I can switch it out.
Lighting: https://www.amazon.com/Finnex-Ray2-Aqua ... op?ie=UTF8
I've been looking at a lot of lights and ended up wanting to stick with LED and with a budget of under $100, so this is where I ended up. But I'm almost afraid it'll be too bright after reading the comments on the amazon page, and there was some concern over it not having a full color spectrum of light.
CO2: Two full days of reading a thousand articles and forum posts and I ended up here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-di ... ?_k=hj59ia
We purchased all the parts today off amazon. My husband is building it for me because even after two days of researching I still do not understand CO2 at all... Any tips or insight here would be very appreciated...
Substrate: currently trying to decide between CaribSea Eco-Complete and Flourite Black Sand. Would either of these be okay on their own? would I need to layer it with soil or something? The "look" I'm going for in the tank is black substrate and black rocks in a pile with plants (baby tears maybe?) growing out of them.
Plants: I'd like a carpet of dwarf hair grass, is there anything special I need to do to plant it/get it to grow and spread? Then I'm looking at something like Jungle Val in the back and something like baby tears in my rock pile.
Fish: 6x Celestial Pearl Danios, 4x Cherry Shrimp, 1x German Blue Ram, and.. something else? I haven't exactly decided.
Opinions? Anything obvious I have overlooked? Tips?