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Johns Fluval Spec 19 Litre Planted Tank

Joined
4 Jul 2012
Messages
133
Location
scunthorpe
So Ive just got a white fluval spec 19 litre tank and must say I'm quite impressed with it
Going for medium difficulty plants as I don't think the light is quite powerful enough for advanced plants.
Still in the planning stage as to how I want it to look and what plants.
Fish I'm torn between a male Betta or a small shoal of Harlequin Rasboras, personally I think the copper colour really contrasts with the greenery.
I'm going to use Tropica Aquarium Soil as the base and have also ordered a Tropica Plant Growth System Nano CO2, this is the first time using Tropica stuff so if anybody has any experience with Tropica stuff good or bad then let me know.
No time to set it up yet as had a bit of a household emergency to sort out but will be setting it up probably in the course of next week.
The plants I have decided to go for are as follows,

Alternanthera Reinecki
Staurogyne Repens
Eleocharis Acicularis
Helanthium Vesuvius
Pogostemon Erectus
Hygrophila Pinnatifidia
Vesicularia Ferriei 'Weeping'.

Still trying to find a piece of wood to my liking, Lfs hasn't got much in and online you usually cant pick or see the piece you are getting, so if anybody has a piece of wood in the 15-30cm range they are selling give me a shout.
Ive narrowed the ferts to either Tropica Premium or Easy-Life Profito, Any negatives on either of them?

I will update with photos and stuff as and when things of interest happen.
 
So Ive just got a white fluval spec 19 litre tank and must say I'm quite impressed with it
Going for medium difficulty plants as I don't think the light is quite powerful enough for advanced plants.
Still in the planning stage as to how I want it to look and what plants.
Fish I'm torn between a male Betta or a small shoal of Harlequin Rasboras, personally I think the copper colour really contrasts with the greenery.
I'm going to use Tropica Aquarium Soil as the base and have also ordered a Tropica Plant Growth System Nano CO2, this is the first time using Tropica stuff so if anybody has any experience with Tropica stuff good or bad then let me know.
No time to set it up yet as had a bit of a household emergency to sort out but will be setting it up probably in the course of next week.
The plants I have decided to go for are as follows,

Alternanthera Reinecki
Staurogyne Repens
Eleocharis Acicularis
Helanthium Vesuvius
Pogostemon Erectus
Hygrophila Pinnatifidia
Vesicularia Ferriei 'Weeping'.

Still trying to find a piece of wood to my liking, Lfs hasn't got much in and online you usually cant pick or see the piece you are getting, so if anybody has a piece of wood in the 15-30cm range they are selling give me a shout.
Ive narrowed the ferts to either Tropica Premium or Easy-Life Profito, Any negatives on either of them?

I will update with photos and stuff as and when things of interest happen.

Is it the injected co2 Tropica set with regulator, the one with disposable 95g cylinder?

If so, I'm also tempted by it, eager to hear reviews
 
Is it the injected co2 Tropica set with regulator, the one with disposable 95g cylinder?

If so, I'm also tempted by it, eager to hear reviews
Yeah that's the one I was going for but had a change of heart and now and going for a refillable cylinder as although in a 19 litre tank it wont use that much it will be cheaper in the long run plus it gives me options on my other tanks in the future.
 
Snap :) I’ll be eagerly watching to see what you do with yours!
 
This will be my first attempt, my other tanks have just got a few bogwoods with plants on them thrown in just to give it some green and more natural for the fish.
If this goes ok then I might consider doing my other tanks, juwel rio 240 community and a custom built 6x2x2 Discus tank.
 
A refillable co2 set would definitely save ya a lot of money in the long run. Might want to check if there anyone selling co2 set?

Got mine from a FB group. It's 80 Singapore dollar for a 4-5 litre tank. With a solenoid and bubble counter.

A brand new set would set be back twice or more.

All the best!
 
Plants and soil should be here either Thursday or Friday, gone for Tropica 1-2-Grow plants as I would love to see it grow from small plants to its full size, also am I right it will be less pruning in the initial stages?
 
Forgot to ask is there any drawbacks to using 1-2 grow plants rather than potted?
 
Also does anybody know where I can get some small bogwood I can actually see from as lfs has a poor choice and online it seems you only get a generic size piece, I want a piece I can actually see.
 
Got some goodies today from the postman
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Cant wait until the weekend when I can finally start on the tank
 
Also does anybody know where I can get some small bogwood I can actually see from as lfs has a poor choice and online it seems you only get a generic size piece, I want a piece I can actually see.

Have a look at the green machine's selection of bogwood (https://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/category/decor-materials-hardscape/tropical-bogwood/) they seem to post individual pieces you can choose from, bonus is they have a sale on at the moment.

I can vouch for tropica's aquarium soil, I currently use it in all my tanks including my fluval spec 5 (my profile picture), in the spec I use the soil powder and have had some good growth. Excited to see how yours does in the coming months!
 
Soil is in and hardscape is done, but before I start on the plants can you experts give me some critical advice on the layout and also is the soil too deep
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I would create a triangle hardscape, so I would put all the stones in the back left corner and the wood on top - or between the stones, or something ; you should try several arrangements - but no matter the arrangement, the wood should have the long branches coming from left to right, in a downward manner; I don't know if I've made myself clear ; and likewise , the soil should be higher in the back left corner and thinner in the front right one
 
I agree with those above, have a play around with those suggestions and see which you prefer.

I would suggest lowering the soil slightly in the front area and sloping up higher towards the back, by doing so you'll create a greater perception of depth within the tank, this will also give you better support for your hardscape and help with defining your planting areas. More importantly go with what you like the look of, after all you'll be the main audience!
 
Thanks for the advice guys.
After much debate and playing around i've now settled on the hardscape and plants are in, although I must confess if I ever set up another tank I will not be using tissue culture plants as way to fiddly and seem to stick to the tweezers when pulling them out, not impressed at all with them but I persevered.
Anyway this is where I'm up to.
IMAG0624.jpg
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I'm no David Bailey and the pics don't do it justice but I'm not trying to win any competitions
Forget the mess around the tank, that's going to get sorted.
I'm going to set the tank for 6 hour light period with co2 at 30 bubbles per minute, Tropica recommend no ferts added for 2-4 weeks, is this right?
Am I doing everything right or is there other things I should/shouldn't be doing?
 
Follow the Tropica start up guide and everything should be alright
BTW, regarding the tissue cultured plants , it's easier to remove them from the pots using bare hands, then wash away the jelly and then divide them in small portions using the fingers, or scissors; actually , seeing the number of pots you've ordered and the size of your tank, the entire substrate should have been green
 
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