First attempt at a planted tank - fingers crossed

[Dexie]

Hi

I've kept fish for the best part of 20 years on and off, but have never a planted tank until now.

So this is my first attempt at a planted tank and my first journal.

So this 180l tank has been sat empty on my bedroom floor for a while waiting for my husband to build a stand

bless him he's now finished the stand and I'm good to go

I've used Aquabasis plus and manado for the substrate, and found a nice piece of driftwood. I have a fluval U4 at the moment, but will be getting additional filtration soon, and have 2x T8 25w lamps. I will be using easycarbo daily and am awaiting for the delivery of EI salts. In the meantime I'll use easylife Profito as I have that in.

I ordered some plants online and the planted them today (expect for a couple that are to follow ). It's by no means comparable to the fantastic scapes in some of the journal on this forum, but I'm happy for the result.

Apologies for the quality of the photos, water needs to settle after all the planting

I'll take some more pics as it settles.

The filter was seeded with mature media from my 60l tank and my neighbours 240l tank, so I'm hoping to get a few tetras/harlequins in soon and then in a time to get some angels for it.

Anyway I'm sure I will have lots and lots to learn so will be asking lots and lots of questions the plants settle in.

All comments, criticism (be gentle lol) and advise welcome

Fiona

Fiona

 

[John S]

Hi Fiona, what plants have you got in there?

 

[meejo]

I love the colour of that substrate!

 

[Dexie]

Hi

Hi Fiona, what plants have you got in there?

I should have thought to list the plants lol
Elodea Densa
Aponogeton Crispus
Eleocharis Parvulus (dwarf hairgrass)
Amazon Sword
Bacopa Monnerii
Twisted Vallisneria
Sagittaria Natans
Rotalla Indica
Hygrophilia Polysperma
Cabomba Carolinana
Ludwigia Mullertii
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Java Moss
Peacock Mos
Cryptocoryne Ciliata
Cryptocoryne Pondederifolia
Hydrocotyle Leucocephala
Marsilea Quadrifolia

I waiting on a back order for
Aubias Nana
Nymphea Maculata

I love the colour of that substrate!

Me too, I think it really sets of the plants

 

[Nathaniel Whiteside]

Hey Fiona,

Glad to see you finally got your stand set up and you have made your first steps into a planted aquarium.

I like the shape of the wood, and positioning is quite nice too. Did you support the substrate to the right at all? to give it that gradual slope? If not it could possibly flatten out over time.
I love the Marsilea, I don't know why exactly but I do just love its shape and leggy growth, accompanied by the 'clover' on top. Very nice.

I imagine this will be a great opportunity to witness first hand the effects of nurient/co2(EasyCarbo) uptake and how to manage that, don't let it get the better of you, it takes time.

Good luck with future developments, Cracking start

 

[ddam19]

Go start so far, will look nice once everything settles in.

 

[Dexie]

It's been a couple of weeks since I've planted the tank and so far so I think things are going ok considering I'm in charge.

I added a few more plants

Amazon swords
Hydrocotyle
Sagittaria
Anubias Nana

I've experienced some crypt melt (as expected) but not too much, I removed the affected leaves and I now have some new leaves growing. Some of the amazon sword plant leaves have gone transparent around the edges. I'm not sure if this is just because they need to settle, or whether there is a deficiency of some sort. I've started EI dosing so if there is a deficiency hopefully it will sort it self out. The Vallis is not brilliant, but I remember seeing a post saying it doesn't like easycarbo, so I kind of expected it wouldn't do well, but it came as part of a package plant deal and figured that the majority of plants in the package were the ones I wanted anyway, so I'll give it ago and see what happens.

On a positive note I'm seeing new growth on some of the stems and on the Marsilea.

Attaching the Anubias to the bogwood proved too much for someone like me with too many thumbs and not enough fingers - it wasn't until I place the wood back into the tank that I reaslised that I'd attached the plant with all the leaves facing the rear of the tank - I've got some superglue now, and will at some point try again and see if I can get it right .

I'm not sure at what point I should start to trim the stems, they have only just started to sprout new leaves at the top, and I don't want to do anything to discourage growth, but I want to encourage them to bush rather then let them get leggy.


As you can see I now have some rosy danios and harlequins in the tank, and have some baby Blue Smokie Angels in the quarantine tank waiting to join them in a couple of weeks.

 

[tim]

looks good dexie with the anubias you could just tie it to a small rock and place it where you want it if you cut the stems now and replant the tops each cut stem should produce two new shoots and the tops will root so twice as many plants

 

[Dexie]

Thanks Tim

Problem is I want the Anubias where it is, but facing the other way lol