50G Low Tech Planted

[ChilliPepper]

I may be slightly mental as I am expecting a baby in 5 days time, and this is the second journal I am starting! So don't expect super quick progress on either

Anyway, I have decided to try planted again, now we have moved house.

I am going to dose with EasyCarbo and Profito to try and get the plants going! I have no plans for a plant specific substrate, but we have 'black' more like grey sand in there at the moment. May replace this as think we need a slightly deeper bed. What is the best depth for plants?

So, got some new plants on order: Aponogeton Boivinianus Bulb, Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green, Cryptocoryne Nevellii and Echinodorus Parviflorus. I have Anubias Nana on wood in there currently.
I also have another Crypt, pretty sure it's Wendtii Brown and a Nymphaea Tiger Lotus Red currently in my Betta's tank which I may move over. Bit worried at upsetting the Crypts again though. They have made the move fine, but my Betta keeps nibbling the Nymphaea. It was looking great then he nibbles bits off as he likes to build bubble nests around the floating leaves

I have T5 lighting - 2 x 39w. To be on approx 6 hours a day.

I am suffering from the dreaded BBA at the moment, but have put some Flourish Excel in, and we'll give the plants and wood a good scrub at the weekend water change. Also got some snail eggs on the wood, gonna put the snails in with my Betta.

Filtration is an Eheim 2217+ and Hydor Koralia Nano for extra circulation. Added this back in to help get rid of the algae.

Will get a current tank shot up soon, excuse the papness of it though!

Hoping the plants will come by Saturday, we will get it all planted then and sit back and watch and see how it turns out


Plant Stocking

1 x Aponogeton Boivinianus Bulb
1 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
2 x Cryptocoryne Wendtii Brown
1 x Cryptocoryne Nevellii
1 x Echinodorus Parviflorus
2 x Anubias Nana on wood
1 x Nymphaea Tiger Lotus Red

Fish Stocking

8 x Praecox Rainbowfish
7 x Lacustris Rainbowfish
1 x Keyhole
1 x Apistogramma Agassizi
1 x Laetacara Dorsigera
1 x Bolivian Ram
1 x L075
1 X BN Plec
2 x Amano Shrimp
2 x Zebra Nerite Snails (to be moved)

 

[coldcazzie]

Wow, you are brave - new journals and a new baby too! I have to say I'm hard pressed to decide which I like more: fish or babies... haha

how big is tha tank?

 

[ChilliPepper]

Brave or more likely, mad

It's 190l so 50g

 

[coldcazzie]

Brave or more likely, mad

Yes. Mad could be it

 

[ChilliPepper]

New plants will hopefully arrive tomorrow, so I can get started

 

[ChilliPepper]

My plants came today, along with the EasyLife stuff We got some more sand to add to the existing sand. Can't be doing with the huge job of replacing the substrate entirely, so will just have to do with this. Hopefully there will be enough there to root the plants in properly.

The plants look lush

Quick, stupid, question. They are potted plants... Do I take them out of the pots or leave them in? Also the bulb I bought, does it want to be fully buried or partially?

 

[coldcazzie]

yes take them out of the pots. Bulb depends on what plant it is.

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Yeah you need to take them out of the pots and remove all the felt and wool from the roots, that way you may find you can cover more ground with them and spread them better.

 

[ChilliPepper]

Thanks, just done that before I read this Some silly thing has possessed me to get this tank done today - nesting perhaps lol.

So I've taken them out of the pots and arranged them, also taken the Crypts out of my Betta's tank and the Nymphaea, of which there isn't much left as he keeps nibbling the leaves off as soon as they grow. This bulb is usually pretty good, so I expect it will recover soon. It just has a couple of small leaves on now.

Picked off as much of the snail eggs I can and put the snails in my Betta's tank. Had to put one fake plant back in for the fish for cover as the new plants of course aren't very big yet. Removed the one worse effected by the BBA.

The new bulb is Aponogeton Boivinianus. I have planted it at the back as I have read they grow large, and I planted it submerged, so the crown is out of the sand. Please correct me if wrong as we'll do a water change tomorrow or Monday, and can sort it then.

The new sand is lovely, mixes well with the old stuff. Will keep a look out for a few more bags as will be ideal in my new 6ft when it arrives. They only had one large bag left.

I will take a photo either later on today or tomorrow when the fish have settled down a bit and the tank isn't as cloudy. I have freaked the fish out enough tonight, which I hate to do, but it would have taken hours to catch them all and we haven't got the time. Plus I can't stand on my feet too long. Done too much today as it is, but very pleased I've done what I have

So, if someone could kindly help me with a schedule for the tank. As I said I have Flourish Excel to use up first - how much should I be dosing and how regularly? I will then replace with EasyCarbo. I have Profito to add as food for the plants - how much and how regularly?

Also how long do you think the lights should be on per day? I will buy a timer after the Bank Holiday is over so can have a regular light schedule.

The turnover in the tank is now 10x, so hopefully I can keep this BBA and other algae at bay.

 

[coldcazzie]

I'd start with about 5 hours, then go up from there as for ferts I have no idea lol

 

[ChilliPepper]

This is the tank before, excuse the carpy video and the sound of one of my cats on the scratching post

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUeiAQlmcZg

 

[ChilliPepper]

I'd start with about 5 hours, then go up from there as for ferts I have no idea lol

Thanks

 

[ChilliPepper]

Here's some pics:

Anubias Nana on wood with Crypt Wendtii Green in background

Crypt Wendtii Brown

Cryptocoryne Nevellii

Echinodorus Parviflorus

Anubias Nana on wood, affected by BBA unfortunately, may have to give it a prune

Keyhole:

Full tank shot, bit shaky:

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Looks nice, you going for any other plants?

 

[JenCliBee]

Looking really nice, love the sand... where did you get it from?


Look forward to the pics of it progressing