Its A Matter Of Taste....

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Squid

grumpy old man!
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Right.. i've almost decided on the tank.. read up on the fishless cycle, getting an idea on the fishies.. so that leaves the decor and a few other bits.. so.. what do people go for then.

Im thinking about real plants, as they do look nice... but I have no idea what is good and bad, or is it just a matter of what you like the look of..?

I quite like the big old lumps of woo in there.. anything to watch out for?

the grumpy looking sucky fella likes the shade (inheriting this fishy) and the pentazona barbs like the shade too, so need to bare that in mind..

Thinking of sand for the bottom as I like the look of that too.. give it a little hoover now and then..

any other suggestions.. going easy on the tacky stuff i think.. havent quite been sold ont the mini towns with flashing lights yet.. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Squid..
 
I have read that some plecs like a bit of driftwood. I think there is something in it don't know if it is for all plecs or just certain ones
 
Right.. i've almost decided on the tank.. read up on the fishless cycle, getting an idea on the fishies.. so that leaves the decor and a few other bits.. so.. what do people go for then.

Im thinking about real plants, as they do look nice... but I have no idea what is good and bad, or is it just a matter of what you like the look of..?

I quite like the big old lumps of woo in there.. anything to watch out for?

the grumpy looking sucky fella likes the shade (inheriting this fishy) and the pentazona barbs like the shade too, so need to bare that in mind..

Thinking of sand for the bottom as I like the look of that too.. give it a little hoover now and then..

any other suggestions.. going easy on the tacky stuff i think.. havent quite been sold ont the mini towns with flashing lights yet.. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Squid..
The main thing to look out for when going for real plants is the amount of lighting available. Aim for around 2W/gallon. If you are a beginner with plants go for easy to grow ones like Egeria Densa, Hornwort, Vallisneria, Cryptocorynes, Anubias, Java fern. The choice I have given is a mix of foreground, midground, background plants and floating varieties. These will grow well in sand.

Lumps of wood can give off tanin, which colors the water. It is not harmful to the fish but some fishkeepers dont like the water coloration. Tanin also lowers the PH of the water.

Hope this helps.
 
I agree with Dubby. If you have around 2 watts per gallon of light you'll be able to keep a lot of plant types. They wont grow very fast without fertilizing but they will remain healthy with enough light. I'd also invest in a light timer that automaticlly turns your lights on and off. you can pick up a regualr wall timer for a few dollars/pounds, and set it so that it turns on the lights for 10-12 hours in a day. helps keep your plants on a regular schedule and you dont have to remember to turn them on then ;)

as for the sand, make sure you keep it to not much more than 1.5 inches thick. when you start getting to depths of 2 inches and higher you run the risk of developing bacteria colonies which create toxic chemicals to fish that if disturbed by a nosy fish could kill him/her. lots of people use it and it looks great, just mind your depth and you'll be fine :) :thumbs:
 

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