Simon's Planted Tank Journal

[simonbrown403]

Juat a quick question, can some one recomend a 25wat T5 tube for a planted tank as i am unsure which to to buy.

Thanks in advance

Simon.

 

[RYO]

I know arcadia do a 24w T5 Plant Pro Lamp
http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z377148.asp

 

[simonbrown403]

I know arcadia do a 24w T5 Plant Pro Lamp
http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z377148.asp

thanks RYO

Dont seam to have time to do much these days , so sod it i've justed ordered the items below from aqua essentials. dont know how long it will take for then to come though

JBL ProTemp Basis (120 litre tanks)
Mono Potassium Phosphate - 250g
Potassium Nitrate - 250g

Any luck i should be able to put my tank togeter next week.

Any one anytips for when i start to put my tank together

 

[simonbrown403]

I'm worried about there not being enough light in my tank so i've squeezed a 18wat tube in, giving me 3wats per gal instead of 2.2wats, here's a link ti the diy section

I got my delivery form aqua essentials this morning yipe one step closer

First the heater cable and transformer

Next the tetra plant substrate, on the gravel i've sprinkled some carbon and detritus from another tank to get the gravel colonized faster.

Now the washer black gravel.

 

[Bloo]

haha Simon - you and I are running more or less on par. I just did my tank-rehaul with cable, laterite and quartz this weekend too. But my camera's battery is all gone (are recharging at the mo) and I don't have time to write it all up tonight. But looks like we are developing at more or less the same rate at the mo

 

[simonbrown403]

lol you will get there before me probably bloozoo2.

I carnt make my mind on plants and aquarscapeing, browsing the net for ideas as we speek.

I'm popping to lfs tomorrow for a phosphate test kit and some other bits 'n' bobs, might have a look and see what plans they have

PS look forward to seeing yours when you get chance to post it.

 

[Bloo]

lol you will get there before me probably bloozoo2 lol, i carnt make my mind up what plants to buy and how to aquarscape it, aquascapers block.

Browsing the net for ideas as we speek look forward to seeing yours when you get chance to post it.

Uh we're definitely coming along very nicely then ! We are in exactly the same boat by the sounds of it
Good luck !

 

[lljdma06]

lol you will get there before me probably bloozoo2 lol, i carnt make my mind up what plants to buy and how to aquarscape it, aquascapers block.

Browsing the net for ideas as we speek look forward to seeing yours when you get chance to post it.

Uh we're definitely coming along very nicely then ! We are in exactly the same boat by the sounds of it
Good luck !

Simon and Bloozoo, don't worry, I'm sure both of your tanks will look awesome once they're done. That your taking so much time means they're thought out and are going to have a lot less problems in the long run. Your threads are actually very educational, as it shows the entire process.

Have you thought about plants from a particular region? Just trying to help with aquascaper's block.

 

[Dubby]

lol you will get there before me probably bloozoo2.

I carnt make my mind on plants and aquarscapeing, browsing the net for ideas as we speek.

I'm popping to lfs tomorrow for a phosphate test kit and some other bits 'n' bobs, might have a look and see what plans they have

PS look forward to seeing yours when you get chance to post it.

Thats an excellent set of pics.........Are you going the Amano route for aquascaping or the Dutch form?

 

[simonbrown403]

"lljdma06... Have you thought about plants from a particular region? Just trying to help with aquascaper's block."

I've always liked the amazon, but i've see to much of it with my discus, plus i,m after doing a large amazon planted tank next year.
I want to do something different.

I,m open to suggestions

"Dubby... Thats an excellent set of pics.........Are you going the Amano route for aquascaping or the Dutch form?"

I like amano's tanks, not sure about the dutch style, have you any pics.

 

[kamel_007]

hi man,

if u looking for magnetic valve for CO2..

Here you go from the same site that i got my order,, anyway this's my next step too,

i don't like to run my CO2 cylinder 24/7.. it's now..

the prise is 39.98 EURO

 

[Dubby]

"Dubby... Thats an excellent set of pics.........Are you going the Amano route for aquascaping or the Dutch form?"

I like amano's tanks, not sure about the dutch style, have you any pics.

Take a look at http/www.aquabotanic.com/dutchsecrets.htm
and one more by one of the authors.....

http/www.ntnu.no/~foksen/Aquascaping.htm

 

[simonbrown403]

Thanks dubby wasn't sure what dutch style was.

I've got a plan i wouldn't say it was dutch or amano though, probably no style lol

I've a short list of plants, and a rough idea of what i want to do, but like with everything it will probably take on a life of its own and evolve.

I'm thinking

foreground....Riccia fluitians and Glosssligma Elalinoldes

mid..............Micranthemum umbrosum and Echinodorus tenelleus

background...Nicrosorium Pleropus and something else that has thin leafs that look a little like targon leafs, that i haven't found the name of.

To start the tank off i'm going to use my abundant supply of hygrophilia and vallis

 

[simonbrown403]

Got a few plants today while i was out and about, i could't resist the temptation to put some in ,
i've also put some hygrophilia polysperma from my other tank.

I've started my ferts off slowly according to the test kit i'm somewhere between 0 and 5ppm of nitrate and the phosphate is about under 1ppm.
The co2 is low 7 to 8ppm, but it's increasing slowly, i,m having a KH problem, i'm using bicarb to bring it up..

So off i go lol stay tuned this will probably go horribly wrong.

Dry ferts mixes

 

[Dubby]

Thats looking good The Amano style would be to have the wood 1/3 the way from the right and probably having two more forming a triangle?

Where do you buy your plants from? I find its much cheaper online.