If You Had One Piece Of Advice It Would Be.......

[Alps]

I'm getting lots of stem plants and some crypts to start out in a 10g before going to a 20 and was wondering what is the single most important thing you learned with your first planted tank.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

I would say you learn how to create ballance in your aquarium, with out this you have cha'os!!

 

[craynerd]

Pressurised CO2 is the way to go.
With high CO2, 30-40ppm at a constant rate I removed nearly all my algae issues.

Chris

 

[Waterloo Kid]

Read.
Then read.
Then read more.

WK

 

[Qays]

Algae smells.

 

[Chris_Wood]

Patience!

CW

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Read.
Then read.
Then read more.

This is a MUST, learn from all your mistakes, and from other peoples mistakes, and acept any advice but dont take it as gospel

 

[Themuleous]

In order of importance

i) Read
ii) More reading
iii) ask sensible, thought through questions
iv) more reading
v) get a decent plant substrate and easy plants (dont try and run before you can walk i.e. lace plants and glosso carpets!)
vi) Get CO2 (whether its yeast or pressurised, get something!)
vii) Then think about upping the lighting, but only after you've READ more on what that involves.

Sam

 

[George Farmer]

Single most important thing - read the pinned threads. If I had access to these before I had started I would have saved myself a lot of time and money.

With the amount of knowledge out there on the net (don't believe everything you read though) there's no real excuse not to have success.

On the flip side learning by our own mistakes makes the whole process somewhat more satisfying. I wouldn't know half the things I know now by not making the errors myself.

 

[Themuleous]

I wouldn't know half the things I know now by not making the errors myself.

Yes definately! (Says he looking at the green mess that is his nano! )

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I would say there are two things of equal importance. First, start off simple with lower light stuff and work your way up the plant learning curve. Second, find a good fish and/or plant chat room. While forums can be very helpful, there is no substitute for the give and take of a live talk with experienced plant folks.

Every tank is different and unique in some way due to water params, maint habits, budget, etc etc. So making your tank work is more than just book learning, it involves trial and error.

 

[Alps]

Thank you all for the replies. I hope I am ready, just got test kits and all today and have just finished testing parameters.

TwoTankAmin: This is my encyclopedia. Along with some Amano books for inspiration.

Anyone else learn something no one could have taught them?

 

[Themuleous]

Hell yeh! That I've got very little artistic flare!

 

[jarmado]

don't believe everything you read here.

 

[Themuleous]

don't believe everything you read here.