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Confused.

thisisntmark

thisisntmark

Seedling
Joined
12 Apr 2013
Messages
14
Location
Perth, Scotland
Hello everyone,

So after a lot of research I'm thinking of buying the 60x45x30cm TMC Signature Aquarium. Anyone have any experience with this setup?

I was thinking of getting the ADA 60P but I think that tank wouldn't be flush with the Signature cabinet? (I've found that a lot of ADA equipment seems overpriced for what it is? As their cabinet stand prices are mental.)

Also, anyone have any idea about what kind of lighting to get? I really have no idea there is so many options.

Honestly I'm no kidding, I'm excited to get started into aquascaping but there is so much information and choice that I feel lost and my brain feels ready to burst. I don't want to spend money on equipment that is rubbish or not the right kind. I'd rather get everything right first time, even if that means buying stuff month after month until I'm all setup. Know what I mean?

I really like the NA stuff but there main site doesn't even seem as if its finished and working properly? I read that freshwatershrimp was their UK supplier but can't find any links to buy it on their site. Bit annoying likes.

Hah I only meant to write a few sentences out asking about TMC and I seem to have got carried away! Sorry about that. Any advice would be welcome, like I said I feel lost at the moment.

Cheers

Mark
 
Well, the TMC tank and cabinets get favourable reviews from many here. ADA stuff is very good but has a brand tax really. NA tanks also get very good reviews.

Think about your budget and think about what sort of aquascape you would like to create. As you are new to aquascaping and plant wrangling, you may want to just grow plants to start off with. Once you learn the basics of maintaining healthy plants, you can start getting into more fancy setups.

Initial outlay will most likely be tank and stand, CO2 unit, some hardscape (don't have to go nuts as you're just starting out), plant substrate of some sort, plant nutrient system, plants and livestock.

Also, another perfectly valid thing to do is find an aquascape that you like and copy it. Imitation is not only the best form of flattery, it will also help you learn as you try to re-create something.
 
Thanks Steve. I'm leaning towards trying an iwagami tank in a 60cm or maybe try a nano one first?

I'm thinking of just getting hard scape material from outside, as I'm only a short walk really from the countryside.

That's good news about freshwatershrimp I'll send them an email.

Cheers

Mark
 
Ed runs freshwater shrimps and is also NA's main man in the UK. He is normally very quick in responding so drop him an email or so...

Iwagumi is a good choice and once you've decided what you want to do I.e. a scape with wood only or wood & rock or just rock then you can start making a list for what you will need.

If you are only starting out then maybe play it safe with something like tropica plant substrate topped with a fine gravel as your foundation. This also ensures that you are not starting off worrying about ammonia spikes with some of the other substrate types. Decent filtration of between 6 to 10 times turnover is recommended with an external filter being easier to maintain without causing unnecessary mess within the tank. As you're near to the countryside, try and emulate a scene that you may like and keep it simple using a smaller plant list. Main thing to remember is that if you use materials that you pick up on your travels then check if it is suitable to use as most things will need sanitising first or may not be suitable for tank use. You could end up introducing pathogens into your tank which may give you no end of problems. A simple thing as introducing a wild fish or wood & pebbles collected from outdoors and not carefully made safe may render the whole thing disastrous. Also remember basic rules of photosynthesis - light, nutrients, co2 to name a few. TMC light tiles are pretty good and a generic bottled co2 tank with a solenoid will make things a little easier but you can use liquid co2 too. You will save a fair few pennies going down the powder mixes for fertilisers. Ukaps sponsors sell all of what you would need so check them out. George Farmer has recently scaped the TMC tank so check out his post in the journals. I have seen NA equipment in the flesh when I met with Ed of freshwater shrimps a few weeks ago and he can hook you up with everything you need except the water and the fauna so the choice is yours to make. The forums here are full of inspiration but if you wanted advice on layouts as you go along then get post pics of your initial dry setup and canvass for thoughts... You will get a fair few ideas thrown your way. Good luck and keep it coming. Be interesting to see what create.
 
Hi Mark and welcome to the forum.
Best piece of advice i can give is decide on your goal, what type of set up do you want? High tech or low tech is the first decision, this can dictate what equipment you need and your budget! TMC signature range are a great set up and seem excellent value, as do the NA tanks too...that will be down to individual preference, but both offer the modern aquascaping look. As mentioned above, George Farmer has a current journal running with the tmc signature tank which has tmc lighting too, as does Ian Holdich, these are linked below:
George's TMC Signature - new pics pg29 | UK Aquatic Plant Society
A New Adventure (flowering moss) | Page 15 | UK Aquatic Plant Society
Other members are starting journals with these set ups too, which can be found in the journals sub forum, but the two linked are now mature and show what can be achieved.
there is a nice example of the Natural Aquario set up here:
'Back in the Saddle' 90cm - New Pics 10/04/2013 | UK Aquatic Plant Society
and the FreshWaterShrimp sponsor forum have many links to NA set ups, equipment etc so have a scout through there too.


thisisntmark said:
Also, anyone have any idea about what kind of lighting to get? I really have no idea there is so many options.
Click to expand...

Personally for me, if i were to start out again the most important piece of equipment to buy is the lighting unit.
Many fall into the trap of believing more is best, what i would say is a versatile unit with dimming control and or height adjustment is best. C02 and fertilisers grow plants, the light intensity simply dictates at what rate they want to try and grow, and often to simplify this relationship, lower lighting is best to give more margin for error regards c02 concentration in particular, especially in high tech systems.
TMC do some great LED systems, but you can also get T5 flourescent dimmable lighting units such as ati sunpower units which could also offer colour rendition versatility with different bulbs, something which the current TMC LED range dont have. LED are cheaper to run and have longer lifespans than flourescent bulbs so this may also be a consideration. Having a dimming function helps you minimise risk and maximise potential as you can start with low intensity lighting, increasing as you learn. They are adaptable to both low tech and high tech set ups and future proof for any changes in direction from or to low/high tech. This is one thing to get right, it will help with any issues you may have simply by being able to control the lighting intensity and as such is a good investment for any planted tank so worth spending good money on imo. Great results can be achieved with most lighting types however, but i feel that dimmable offers the best of both worlds for beginners and more experienced aquascapers alike......it can help simplify everything, including c02 introduction which is the joint biggest obstacle to a successful high tech planted tank.

Once you have decided high or low tech, then you can decide on the rest of your equipment and how to go about achieving your goal.

Cheerio,
Ady.
 
having started from scratch recently here are a few considerations from a noob perspective

read all of Cegs posts about CO2/EI dosing as this really is the key to success

EI DOSING USING DRY SALTS | UK Aquatic Plant Society

CO2 MEASUREMENT USING A DROP CHECKER | UK Aquatic Plant Society

remember CO2 + Flow + Nutrition + controllable lighting = a manageable tank without algae

I would recommend the TMC grobeams/tiles + the controller as this really allows good control of the light.

a good analogy is the light acts as an accelerator on a car the more there is the faster things go.

however if the chassis (flow) and fuel (nutrients + CO2) are not there the car will break down (algae bloom)

when you first start driving you start slow and learn to go faster the same with planted tanks with a dimmable lighting system you have the ability to gradually ramp up the intensity.

However you must have the infrastructure in place from the start as even a car going at 2 miles an hour needs a working chassis and fuel to not break down.

My personal recommendations for the right equipment from the start:

Lights : TMC Gro tile 1500 with the 6 channel controller (allows expansion if you want to up the wattage)
Filter: Ehiem 2178/2180 thermofilter
CO2: JBL proflora m with sera 1000 reactor
 
Hi all,

After much thought. I've decided to buy the ADA 60P.

I figured seeing as its going to take me awhile to get all the equipment. I may as well take my time and be happier with what I buy.

Now on to the questions! :)

Will the Eheim Classic 2213 be ok with this tank?

Will I get the ADA 13mm lily pipes with it?

EDIT: Actually never mind all that. I just can't decide. It's tough.
 
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