Questions About Planted Tanks

[cuticom]

I want to try a planted nano and have been trying to find what substrate would be best. The pictures I've seen are of some type of dark type of soil?

I've been looking at our local pet store and some online sites and I basically have a choice between gravel or coral sand. Would these work? I'd prefer to try the gravel as the sand only comes in 5kg packs and as the tank is 6l, most of it'll go to waste, so it'd basically be a big waste of money.

Also the tanks 6l, or 1.5g The only light I found that fits it is a 13w Jebo clip on light which I found on ebay, so I've bid on it and will hopefully win it, but will that provide enough light for lowlight plants? If not I guess I'll start looking again, but as the tanks an odd shape (its an oval acrylic tank) I'm not sure I'll find much else but desk lamps.

Currently the plan is for the tank to have 13w light, a small mini filter and if I can figure out where I'd get a container small enough a DIY Co2 system. I'm not sure on plants yet as our local pet store only has all the non aquatic plants. With fish i also don't know, probably a female betta though.

Any help would be appreciated, I've never had a planted tank before, but have been reading lots.

Thanks
Emma

 

[cuticom]

Just thought I'd add some stuff

This is the light I'm bidding on
http/cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...em=120077837912

This is the filter I want
http/www.theaquariumshop.com.au/shopexd....Internal+Filter

I had a look at plants on ebay, and I think I'll get java fern and java moss, but not sure what else. I still cant work out substrate though. I "think" if I add liquid fertiliser I can get away with gravel? If so this is the fertiliser I'd get
http/www.theaquariumshop.com.au/shopexd....ley+Sprout+30mL

 

[cuticom]

Anyone? I'm currently still the highest bidder on the light so i should get it at least

 

[Rednuts]

hi
your light should be right for low light plants to mid as you should have 2 watts per gallon and thats what i have on my planted tank

the filter is about right but check the filters at http/www.aquaticlifeaquariums.com.au/ is very good for price and postage

Elite Hush 5 Power Filter, is a hang on and would give you some move room.


substrate i use gravel and never had a problem

co2 you might want to think about using some Seachem Flourish Excel


fertiliser i was using seachem products but found later that me tank dont really need then i used them maybe once a month and after cutting back.

Any as plants they sound right i have blue stric java moss and wistraare something that just a bout to be cut back if you pay for post i will send a heap to you, (you are in australia right pm me )

 

[cuticom]

LOL Yay a fellow aussie giving me aussie sites. Lol thanks for that, will pm you if my serach for plants still turns up nil. With the HOB filter how mcuh noise would it make? It's why I steered clear of them before as this'll be in my bedroom. Also it says it does 240l/h I'm assuming I can change that? LOL it would turn the itty six litre tank into a whirl pool.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Sorry about the lack of replies.

Personally, I am not familiar with the products you have highlighted , but you should have enough light and filtration. I would avoid using the coral sand unless you want a high pH.

6l is seriously small for an aquarium and you will have to be meticulous with maintaining if you add a Betta. I am not even sure if a Betta is suited to your tank. Maybe somebody else could give advice on this.

 

[cuticom]

I'm not entirely sure I'll add a female Betta. I do have my own male Bettas, and I know they wouldnt be happy in the tank because of the water movement it'd have. So I'm still pretty open to what I want to add. I can't add shrimp though, no one sells them. I might add a bumblebee goby, their pretty small, but once again I'm not sure.

I know 6 litres is small, which is why I chose it, the plan being to fool around for a while, and if it dosnt work, move the fish into a properly sized aquarium along with the plants and just break the tank down again. I will ahve a spare quarium to move everything to, as the tadpole season is coming to an end, so I can use the tadpole tank. But I just want to try a six litre aquarium with flora and fauna.


Edit- another fish I was considering was a one or two guppies, they seem to be pretty hardy, if not theres the old standby of white cloud minnows.

 

[cuticom]

LOl I think I need to get a life, rather then spending my last day of freedom before school starts again outside enjoying the sun, I'm inside staring at my computer gurading the ebay auction . I've been looking at fish some more and one or two bumblebee gobies look like an ok choice.

 

[cuticom]

Yay I won it LOL. I got it for $12.10 and $7.50 postage. So all up $19.60 pretty good, I have a vague memory of it seeing it once for $30. So now to buy all the other bits n pieces I need

As for plants I like, I particularly like foxtail, which is the only aquatic plant I think our lfs has LOL. It sells it for $0.80 a bunch
Then Java moss and Java fern and that should do it. Still no idea for flora, have many suggestions though LOL umm bumblebee gobies, guppies, bettas, neon tetras, white cloud mountain minnows and otos (if I can find them).

Now I'm only planning on one or two fish, so please dont think I plan on dumping all that into the tank LOL.

EDIT- Lol am bored so thought I'd list what I'm getting and what I have etc.

I ahve
a 6l tank
An ammonia test kit
A nitrite test
13w clip on light
A GH and KH test kit

I need to get
A plant fertiliser
A nitrate test kit
Stick on Thermometer
Some type of gravel
Pure ammonia to cycle the tank

 

[cuticom]

I apologise for bumping this again but could anyone give me some opinions on the internal filter versus the HOB? also about my fish choices?

 

[lljdma06]

I apologise for bumping this again but could anyone give me some opinions on the internal filter versus the HOB? also about my fish choices?

Your space is limited, so I wouldn't get a internal filter. Opt instead for a HOB, Red Sea makes a nano-sized one, as do a few other brands.

Fish choice is always tough when you are going this small. This is roughly 1.5 gallons, but maybe a gallon with displacement. What is the shape? If it's rectangular, then a betta may work, though I prefer them in a larger tanks. I have one in a 2.5g planted tank. I agree with Dave, however, the tank will have to be meticulously maintained. It'll have to be maintained regardless really. Small tank can be unstable, so water changes are a must. Another option, you can still have a lovely tank with just invertebrates (FW shrimp, etc...). There is, however, no way out of maintaining your tank. I change 30% of the water twice a week (my nanos are lower light and less maintenance). Others here will change 50% every other day, so just to let you know what you'll be getting yourself into.

The substrate should be as fine a grain as possible. You can have a successful tank with sand, but I personally think a small grain gravel (1-3mm) or a small-grain plant substrate is best. I find the root-feeding plants (crypts, etc...) root better that way. If you do choose sand, many here, have a bottom layer of a plant substrate and a top layer of sand.

Good luck to you,

llj

 

[cuticom]

Yes, as I said before I want to try it out and see if it works, I'm not going to just dump fish in and walk away. We don't get Red Sea products here, my problem with a HOB filter is that they make noise and this will be in my bedroom. The intrenal I know for a fact is quiet, as I've used the larger versions of it before. So how much noise does the HOB filter make?

We also don't have freshwater shrimp here.

 

[Dave Spencer]

An internal filter will take up quite a bit of room in such a small tank. Can you get the Eden 501 external in Oz?

 

[cuticom]

No, the only two filters that would suit this size of tank are the HOB and internal, the intrenal is very very small. Can anyone give me astraight answer on how noisy the HOB is? I'm ordering everything to night, right now am siding to the intrenal filter. As I know its current isnt overly strong and its very small, as I've seen it running before. Its the same filter that comes with those weirdly shaped orange pirate tanks.

 

[cuticom]

Just to add I have been doing a LOT of research. I didnt just decide okay I'm ging to do a planted nano and chuck stuff in. I was going to do a marine nano but chose not to for a few ethical reasons, which included not wishing to support the disgrace of a pet shop which was the only place in the area that sold marine supplies.

Anyway I've been looking at many other peoples set ups, ranging from about 1g to 5 g. I've pretty much decided on a female Betta for the flora. But I still might go for a bumblebee goby or a common guppy. For plants its a definate for Java Fern, Java moss and Foxtail. The gravel I'm still not entirely sure. My local LFS sells coloured sand which is safe for freshwater, but I'm not to sure I want hot pink sand in my tank LOL.

The filters pretty much the only thing I'm still undecided on, but think I'll just go with the intrenal even though it does take up space. I fell more comfortable using it instead of the HOB as i ahve no experince with HOB's whatsoever.

I've finalised the list of the other bits and pieces I need, the last thing I need to get is a 7.5w heater. Which I don't know where on earth I'll find. I'm tempted to just put a 25w in, it does fit into the tank at least and has a controlled temperature setting.