New Aquarium Set Up

[novicefishkeeper1987]

Hi I recently set up a new aquarium and added some plants (dont know the names off hand but can check later when I'm at home if it helps- they were ones recommended to me at my lfs). I had a few questions I was hoping someone could help me with....

1) the guy at my lfs recommended using flora-base for the substrate which I have done. Do I need to use fertiliser with this? The guy said no but I'm not so sure? If I do need fertiliser then what do people recommend?

2) also the plants sat in a bucket of water from Sunday (when I brought them) until Thursday (when I planted them) and some of them look like they have little brown hairs on them, any idea why this is? Is it some sort of algae?


3) I read somewhere else on the forum that I shouldn't use an air pump with real plants. I have one connected with an airstone (but I haven't really had on apart from few hours initially) I will disconnect this if its not good for the plants. The poster also mentioned something about the position of the filter, how should it be positioned?

Thanks in advance

 

[novicefishkeeper1987]

Can anyone offer any advice please?

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Always best to get rid of air pumps yes, with ferts we need to know what wattage your lighting is, what size is your tank and as per the filter, is it an external and do you know it's flow rate in litres per hour?

 

[novicefishkeeper1987]

Right so I have an interpet 64 litre tank which comes with funny lighting. The bulbs look like the energy save bulbs you put in your house lights! So the tank has a 15watt daylight bulb one side and a 15watt moonlight bulb the other side. I am planning on getting another daylight bulb and removing moonlight bulb so there is better lighting for plants. So within the next couple of days I will have 2x15watt daylight bulbs.
As for the filter I have an interpet PF2 internal filter which says max flow rate 500litres per hour.
Hope this helps

 

[greenmumma141]

Always best to get rid of air pumps yes, with ferts we need to know what wattage your lighting is, what size is your tank and as per the filter, is it an external and do you know it's flow rate in litres per hour?

so you shouldn't have a bubbler with a lot of plants in your tank???