Hi everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster here 
Right, here's the score ......
After reading these threads, looking at the DIY projects detailed here I've caught the bug again, and decided to go for it.
I got my tank down from the loft a couple of weeks ago, and slowly started to buy things to get myself ready for a planted tank. I 'did' decide that I was just going to go for a very low tech set-up, dead simple plants, couple of fish ..... but I then though what's the point, if I'm going to do this then I'm going to try and have a 1/2 decent stab at it.
This is what I've got at the moment (I'll try and incude piccies as I go along) :
Tank (inches) : 30(L) x 15(H) x 12(W) - think that this is a 20Gl (please correct me if I'm wrong)
Filter: Internal, Fluval 4 type
Lighting: (Just bought myself these)
Ultraseal Twin Controller 25/30w
With 1 x Grolux Tube 25watt 750mm for one side, and 1 x Original Tropical 25watt 750mm
That'll give me 50watts of light in my 20 gallon giving me 2.5w / gallon - that's good for a planted tank yeah ??
I've been reading about Co2 and getting a little confused, was going to go with a DIY Jobbie with a Coke botte, some tubing, and some yeast etc... but though for a few extra pounds I'd get something a little more 'professional'. Couldn't really go with a presurized set up as that's just well expensive, so I eventually opted for this:
NUTRAFIN CO2 NAT PLANT SYSTEM
I've heard so pretty good reports of this C02 producer both online and from Practical Fishkeeper.
Errrrmmm what else:
Substrate: 2-3 mm stones (piccie below), but I'm planning on adding some pool filter sand to them hopefully to get better rootings.
... and yes before you ask the plant in the background is an old plastic one, just wanted to get an idea of things
This is not what the tank looks like now, just what it DID when I was messing aound. This is only the stones, no pool fliter sand present. At the moment it ranges from 1" deep at front, to about 1.5~2.0" at the back. I'm thinking that it needs to be a bit deeper. Minimum of 2" I've read somewhere.
I did buy a pack of plants from some online place which consisted of
5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Sagittaria Subulata
But to be honest I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I ordered these the other week, and most of them have just died as I'm guessing that there is not enough light (currently only using 1 x 15w that I had kicking around), but they were only £7.25 so that's not an issue. Some of them are nice, so I'll be finding out what they are and getting them again, but making sure I've got everything up and running first.
So ...........
Can anyone think of anything else that I'll need. Any tips of plants that I should get (I have got a list made up from ideas that I've seen thrown around by people).
Too much light, not enough light, anything ANYTHING that you think will help me. I've got some bog wood, some slates, some pebbles. Obviously I'm not going to chuck everything in, what would you suggest.
FYI - on the fish side of things I'm not going for anything too special, just some neons, couple of guppies, some platties - simple old community fish.
Once I get started I'll get some piccies posted up.
Thanks for any advice that you guys (and Galls) can give me. It's something that I really want to do, and it's something that I'd like to try and get right (my toddler son just LOVES fish so really he's a good excuse to give the Mrs for getting it set up agian), but it's something that I could quite easily see myself cocking up big time, and putting it all back up in the loft again for another 4 years, but I really really don't want to do that.
Right, here's the score ......
After reading these threads, looking at the DIY projects detailed here I've caught the bug again, and decided to go for it.
I got my tank down from the loft a couple of weeks ago, and slowly started to buy things to get myself ready for a planted tank. I 'did' decide that I was just going to go for a very low tech set-up, dead simple plants, couple of fish ..... but I then though what's the point, if I'm going to do this then I'm going to try and have a 1/2 decent stab at it.
This is what I've got at the moment (I'll try and incude piccies as I go along) :
Tank (inches) : 30(L) x 15(H) x 12(W) - think that this is a 20Gl (please correct me if I'm wrong)
Filter: Internal, Fluval 4 type
Lighting: (Just bought myself these)
Ultraseal Twin Controller 25/30w
With 1 x Grolux Tube 25watt 750mm for one side, and 1 x Original Tropical 25watt 750mm
That'll give me 50watts of light in my 20 gallon giving me 2.5w / gallon - that's good for a planted tank yeah ??
I've been reading about Co2 and getting a little confused, was going to go with a DIY Jobbie with a Coke botte, some tubing, and some yeast etc... but though for a few extra pounds I'd get something a little more 'professional'. Couldn't really go with a presurized set up as that's just well expensive, so I eventually opted for this:
NUTRAFIN CO2 NAT PLANT SYSTEM
I've heard so pretty good reports of this C02 producer both online and from Practical Fishkeeper.
Errrrmmm what else:
Substrate: 2-3 mm stones (piccie below), but I'm planning on adding some pool filter sand to them hopefully to get better rootings.
... and yes before you ask the plant in the background is an old plastic one, just wanted to get an idea of things
This is not what the tank looks like now, just what it DID when I was messing aound. This is only the stones, no pool fliter sand present. At the moment it ranges from 1" deep at front, to about 1.5~2.0" at the back. I'm thinking that it needs to be a bit deeper. Minimum of 2" I've read somewhere.
I did buy a pack of plants from some online place which consisted of
5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Sagittaria Subulata
But to be honest I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I ordered these the other week, and most of them have just died as I'm guessing that there is not enough light (currently only using 1 x 15w that I had kicking around), but they were only £7.25 so that's not an issue. Some of them are nice, so I'll be finding out what they are and getting them again, but making sure I've got everything up and running first.
So ...........
Can anyone think of anything else that I'll need. Any tips of plants that I should get (I have got a list made up from ideas that I've seen thrown around by people).
Too much light, not enough light, anything ANYTHING that you think will help me. I've got some bog wood, some slates, some pebbles. Obviously I'm not going to chuck everything in, what would you suggest.
FYI - on the fish side of things I'm not going for anything too special, just some neons, couple of guppies, some platties - simple old community fish.
Once I get started I'll get some piccies posted up.
Thanks for any advice that you guys (and Galls) can give me. It's something that I really want to do, and it's something that I'd like to try and get right (my toddler son just LOVES fish so really he's a good excuse to give the Mrs for getting it set up agian), but it's something that I could quite easily see myself cocking up big time, and putting it all back up in the loft again for another 4 years, but I really really don't want to do that.
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