Rekord 70

[nathan01]

I am currently using a juwel rekord 70 with original lights etc.The tank has a few fish in it and only 2 plants.I'm planning to change it in anyway possible with little amount of cost.

Any ideas? maybe something down the planted tank route but don't know much about Co2 and are they needed (could this also be why my plants always go brown and die?)

 

[nathan01]

Anyone?

 

[Themuleous]

Calm down boyo! You only gave us half an hour we do have lives outside TFF, well some of use anyway!

I think your questions are to vague, I suggest you read the pinned threads, they'll give you lots of very useful advice and ideas.

Sam

 

[nathan01]

Okay, is a Co2 nessesory if im only planning to have say 10 plants in a 70L tank, and would i have to upgrade my lights which is a Arcadia freshwater T8 bulb (juwel Hood and tank)

Thanks

 

[Biulu]

It really all depends on what you want. I have a 60 litre low-tech, low light tank with 1 15W tube. I have amazon swords, vallisneria and anubias in my tank, and they are all doing ok. Of course you are limited in your plant choice, but it has the advantage of being low maintenance too.

 

[joecoral]

if you just want a tank with a few live plants in it then CO2 is not neccessary. it's only when you decide you want to concentrate on growing the plants and have a "planted tank" that CO2 is needed, if that is what you are asking?

 

[nathan01]

if you just want a tank with a few live plants in it then CO2 is not neccessary. it's only when you decide you want to concentrate on growing the plants and have a "planted tank" that CO2 is needed, if that is what you are asking?

Yeah, i only want a few plants to like cover the whole back and the filter area.Silly question: could you look at my signature and tell me weather any of theses fish are not suitable for a low tech tank at all?

Thanks

 

[nry]

Fish should be OK in low or high tech. Plenty of plants will grow in low light conditions, there is no need to look at improved lighting, CO2 etc etc unless you want to be able to grow anything. Choose the right plants and there should be little problem - the lighting in your tank at present is, if it is the same 15watt tube that is also in the Rekord60, will not provide you with much to grow anything beyond low light plants at present although many stem plants etc will grow, just not too well. Java ferns, moss, anubias are some examples of low light plants - I think there is a sticky on this forum with some other suggestions though I may be wrong!

 

[nathan01]

ok i will go to my LFS today to get some aquarium silicone as i need to remove the filter and maake the front of the tank become the back because it has loads of scratches on it.nry, did you keep your filter in?

 

[nry]

I hae my filter in at present but have just ordered a Tetratec EX600 from ZooPlus.co.uk for only £42 delivered which is superb. I am re-vamping the tank in the next month or so and will strip out the Juwel filter, stick the sponge media in the TetraTec in replacement of the carbon that I will take out of the TetraTec.

No need to remove the filter unless you are bothered about it - it is certainly not worth replacing it with another internal as the Juwel filters are pretty high capacity, the media won't even fit into a Fluval 3+ which is rated way beyond our tanks. You'd also need to think about the heater as you need clips etc to mount it onto the aquarium glass.

 

[nathan01]

Im just going to keep it and change it around like i said before.I have actually got suction cups for the heater as i needed to buy a new one as the old one went dodgy for some reason, its another juwel asnyway, so thats done it.I hav'nt room for a external so i'll just keep with the juwel one.

Did you put a air stone in your tank, i have got one already would this help the plants in any way?

 

[nathan01]

I understand that plants need food,i havnt been feedint my old plants as im not into the planted tank yet, what food is the best.I have small black stones as my substrate about 1" deep or so, what else could i use to anchor the plants down, previously i use to use those lead weighhts be they end up floating to the top the next morning

 

[nry]

1" is a bit low, 1.5-2" is better but never mind - once the roots are established the plants should stay down OK themselves. I always push a good length of stem below the substrate unless there are loads of roots already - for non-rooted stems I would put 2-3" below the substrate, more if they are really persistent floaters! Put pebbles around the base if need be for a while too - there is a method for planting stem plants which I think is often forgotten - instead of planting them vertically (as seems natural) you lay the stem horizizontally on the substrate and weigh it down with pebbles. Side shoots should develop along the stem length, which can be further encouraged by nipping/cutting off the top leaf rosette. Roots will develop along the entire stem and you can end up with loads of shoots up from a single stem. Used this years ago but now plants are cheap enough you don't often need to consider it.

Airstones drive off CO2, even without adding CO2 they will drive off the minimal amounts present, not a good idea and are of no use if you are not overstocked and/or your filter is moving enough water around.

For feeding low light tanks, I'd personally consider Tropica Plant Nutrition Plus, it has N P and K in but at fairly low levels. If you have a high fish load then you may get away with the 'normal' Tropica Plant Nutrition - do you know what your average nitrAte levels are for the tank?

 

[nathan01]

No i hav'nt tested the water for a while, im going to my LFS today to get some silicone so i will see what else i can get aswell i will didtch the air stone once i re-vamp my tank but will use it in the holidng tank whilst the silicone cures.

 

[George Farmer]

Okay, is a Co2 nessesory if im only planning to have say 10 plants in a 70L tank, and would i have to upgrade my lights which is a Arcadia freshwater T8 bulb (juwel Hood and tank)

Thanks

No.