Advice On Planted Tank

[jameshughes1989]

Hi guys, in the near future im going to have a complete rescape of my 2ft cube and Ive decided I want to plant it up. Its 165 litres or so, and its going to be a nice peaceful community type setup.

Just after some ideas and advice really. Im thinking of using sand, do I need say a fertilised substrate or can I get away with root tabs underneath?

Im thinking, ill deck it with lots of dritwood, and plants like java fern, vallis and maybe some anubias nana. How does this sound?

As for ferts, im thinking TPN is meant to be the best. I was also thinking of using easylife liquid carbon (I dont want to go for a full pressurised setup), is this ok? and what is the easylife Profito like compared to TPN?

So to conclude

2ft Cube (165 litres)

-Sand and Root tabs
-Driftwood
-Java Fern, Vallis, anubias nana ( also got some java moss)
-Easylife Liquid Carbo
-TPN or Profito???
-Lighting will prob be t5 ( around 1-1.5 wpg, is this ok?)

Also, can someone recommend a carpeting plant that would do well in these conditons please.

How does this sound? Thanks for any advice, and sorry its sooooo long winded. Any other information needed, just ask.

Cheers

 

[RadaR]

All sounds good.
You don't need a planted substrate however it helps if you forget to dose or if your dosing isn't enough in the water column. Tropica make some good capsules to place under gravel/sand.
Profito is as good as Tropica Plant Nutrtion. The + version of TPN contains macro nutrients though, which is a bonus
Vallis doesn't like Easycarbo all that much in my experience, others have had no problem though. There are alternatives to Vallis though, such as cyperus helferi.
Maximum of 1WPG t5 if you don't want to add CO2.
Marsilea Crenata is a good carpet plant for lowtech tanks.

 

[jameshughes1989]

All sounds good.
You don't need a planted substrate however it helps if you forget to dose or if your dosing isn't enough in the water column. Tropica make some good capsules to place under gravel/sand.
Profito is as good as Tropica Plant Nutrtion. The + version of TPN contains macro nutrients though, which is a bonus
Vallis doesn't like Easycarbo all that much in my experience, others have had no problem though. There are alternatives to Vallis though, such as cyperus helferi.
Maximum of 1WPG t5 if you don't want to add CO2.
Marsilea Crenata is a good carpet plant for lowtech tanks.

Oh ok, I read somewhere that certain plants take most nutrients through the substrate and their roots rather than in the water column.
I think ill go with the TPN+ then, as I was under the impression that macro nutrients were very important.

Ill see how the vallis goes when I set it up, if it doesnt do too good, ill then start to look at some alternatives.

I just had a quick look at the other plants you stated. I like the look of both of them, especially the Marsilea Crenata. The cyperus helferi is listed as a hard to care for plant, so I may avoid that for the time being, just until I get confident and then maybe adventerous

How much light would you say then, like 0.9 wpg? for example?

Thanks for getting back to me!

 

[RadaR]

Oh ok, I read somewhere that certain plants take most nutrients through the substrate and their roots rather than in the water column.

Unfortunatly that's a myth. Plants are just as capeable at absorbing nutrients through their leaves as they are through their roots. Eventually we'll stamp this myth out

How much light would you say then, like 0.9 wpg? for example?

Yeah that's fine. I'd got for 1x36W t5.

 

[jameshughes1989]

Well, everyday is a school day and all that

The problem is, there is so many myths, its hard to tell the difference if your inexperienced. Thanks for your help, ill start looking at what kind of lights ill go for now.

If anyone else has any input still, I'd always appreciate it

 

[Nick16]

despite no plant being a root feeder only, Echinodorus sp and Cryptocoryne Sp are large root feeders. that has been proven. That doesnt mean you should forget dosing the water coloumn. they just do well with a root tab under them. it often helps to bring out some of the reds and browns.

plus, just look at the size of the root network of a medium size cryptocoryne compared with something like hygrophilia.

Dosing the water column id more important that root nutrition, but i always use a nutritious substrate to reduce the problem when i forget to dose.

 

[RadaR]

despite no plant being a root feeder only, Echinodorus sp and Cryptocoryne Sp are large root feeders. that has been proven.

Nick, do you have a link I can look at?

 

[reignofcheese]

For the record I have a 20 gallon long heavily planted tank with a fine sand substrate and my plants are doing well - they include vallisneria, java fern, amazon sword, anubias, and some bushy, weedy stem plant I don't know the name of, but it grows like mad... makes the valls look slow! I've got new leaves growing on all the plants and runners are having no problem sprouting up through the sand. The anubias is not planted in the sand, everything else is.

Anyway, I can vouch for sand as a workable substrate, even if it probably is not the best (just 'cause my plants are doing well, doesn't mean they can't be doing even better)

Of course, I wouldn't want to steer you wrong - what works for one may not work for another and every setup is different - mine is as follows:

2x28 watt T5 lighting
Co2 injected (biological reactor) keeping levels at 20-15.
Fine sand substrate

I use a combination of liquid flourish and root tabs - I use less than the recommended amount of both because the root tabs do end up releasing a lot of their nutrition through the sand and into the water column.


**
Oh yeah, I don't recommend going with carpet grass - they need more light, and in turn, co2 to really do well. If you are lucky you will get it to survive, but with current conditions it will be slow, the leaves will likely yellow, and growth will be more upwards than carpet-like.

 

[ian]

i use aquabasis plus capped with sand and gravel, its also quite cheap @ £12 a bag and that'll do 200l. I wouldn't go back not to using nutrient rich substrate. You might aswell use this as it cheaper than root tabs.

 

[jameshughes1989]

Thanks for the replies. So a carpet is a no no in a low tech tank? Surely there must be some low demanding plant.

Ill think about the nutrient rich substrate. I might go for one, just for peace of mind. I guess it cant do any harm!

 

[RadaR]

Thanks for the replies. So a carpet is a no no in a low tech tank? Surely there must be some low demanding plant.

You can have carpets in low tech tanks.
I've already mentioned Marsilea Crenata. Hairgrass is fine as well. There are two species of sagittaria you can use. Carpets just take longer in lowtech tanks. Make sure they have no deficienies and you'll do fine.

 

[jameshughes1989]

Thanks for the replies. So a carpet is a no no in a low tech tank? Surely there must be some low demanding plant.

You can have carpets in low tech tanks.
I've already mentioned Marsilea Crenata. Hairgrass is fine as well. There are two species of sagittaria you can use. Carpets just take longer in lowtech tanks. Make sure they have no deficienies and you'll do fine.

Okay cheers m8, I think ill try the Marsila Crenata that you said and see how I go. I have plants in my tank at the moment but I want to do a propa job (low tech).

Ill start a journal when it really kicks off, im sure there will be loads of questions

Thanks again!

 

[jameshughes1989]

Ok guys, need some more advice, basically im stuck on lighting. We've decided 0.9-1.0 wpg would be best but anyone know a suitable starter for my tank. Its just shy of a 2foot tank, and cant find any suitable. Maybe im just being a numnuts but im confused

Also, has anyone used grobeams? how are they in comparisions to t5's? annd I take it a grobeam and a marine white 500 are the same thing? TIA

 

[RadaR]

39W t5s are about 85cm, doh. The 24W t5s are 55cm. So, the 24W might be better. To power the 24W t5 bulb, have a look for a "24W HAGEN GLO T5 HO light starter". If you want to use 2x24w then you can get a dual light starter.
Which grobeam? The tile or the 500 light strip? The tiles are apparently the equivilent of a metal halide. The lighting strips are like a t5 bulb. I don't know the details though, can anyone else chip in?

 

[jameshughes1989]

39W t5s are about 85cm, doh. The 24W t5s are 55cm. So, the 24W might be better. To power the 24W t5 bulb, have a look for a "24W HAGEN GLO T5 HO light starter". If you want to use 2x24w then you can get a dual light starter.
Which grobeam? The tile or the 500 light strip? The tiles are apparently the equivilent of a metal halide. The lighting strips are like a t5 bulb. I don't know the details though, can anyone else chip in?

Thanks ill have a look at that starter. Like you say, the sizes were the problem but that sounds about right.

In regards to the grobeam, its the strips I was referring to, was just wondering if anyone had experience with them?