Amount of substrate

[Noddy]

Hello I am new to this forum and have a million and one question but will start from step one.
I am currently about to set up a planted show tank for discus (understand the fish part i think if you ever do).
The tank itself is a 190lt fluval corner tank and measures 27in each side and 44 across the front so will only house 4-5 fish.(again there will be water changes etc)
I had a planted tank a few years back and it took daily maintence to keep the fish happy and it looked good so know it can be done better now i have more time
My questions are,
1. how much substate would i need. The plan is to use one of the ADA aqua soil possibly amason and top of with sand of some colour may be a tan colour (fish orange/red).
2. I intend to plant heavily at the back and sides and have plants on the bog wood/mosses and have somesort of carpet/small plants on the front so what plants are best.
3. Will i need to add liquid ferts each day.
4. I have an old red sea CO2 cannister and pump. should I still use it and if so can i make my own powder stuff thing.

Sorry for all the questions on first post but I dont want to buy anything until I sorted things out in my head

 

[ceg4048]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

1. how much substate would i need. The plan is to use one of the ADA aqua soil possibly amason and top of with sand of some colour may be a tan colour (fish orange/red).

This is not a good idea as the sand, being of smaller particle size will drift down through the Amazonia. It would be better to buy the tan coloured Aquasoil such as Malaya. Please also click to see the thread calculating amount of needed substrate

2. I intend to plant heavily at the back and sides and have plants on the bog wood/mosses and have somesort of carpet/small plants on the front so what plants are best.

There is a wide variety to choose from. All you need do is browse the Tank Gallery section or Journal section to see examples of background plants. That way you can determine if you like a particular species or not. No one can tell you what you will like so it's best to research the topic for yourself. You should also study the Tropica Plant Guide to learn more about each species.

3. Will i need to add liquid ferts each day.
4. I have an old red sea CO2 cannister and pump. should I still use it and if so can i make my own powder stuff thing.

You need to decide whether you want a CO2 enriched tank, which requires frequent dosing and maintenance, but which produces rapid plant growth - and can also develop problems rapidly, or whether you prefer a non-CO2 tank which features greater stability and much lower maintenance, but which produces much slower growth. In either case, you would be wise to delay introduction of fish until you have a good grasp of how to grow plants. That makes it easier to solve problems that do develop without having to worry about possibly harming expensive fish.

Sorry for all the questions on first post but I dont want to buy anything until I sorted things out in my head

It is strongly suggested that you go to the Tutorial section of the forum and read the articles there to get a better feel of how things fit together.

Cheers,