Fluval ebi help needed

[Deano3]

Hi all i just set up my first planted fluval spec with betta and i also purchsed an ebi recently but not touched it yet, i live in uk and have a few questions

1.firstly should i buy a second light
2.were is best places to buy plants online, fortune in the shops like pets at home etc
3.any recomended plants ? i like Hygrophila Corybosa also any nice easy carpet plants u recoment and should i dry start
4.i need a co2 system any recomendations ? like the paintball canister setups
eventually i will also buy an external filter, main thing i need is a co2 system so any help would be great thanks

thanks dean

 

[Deano3]

also does anyone recoment removing background and using more sylicone as have heard loads of people saying it came off, i like the background and i am keeping it but should i put a lot more sylicone on

thanks dean

 

[Antipofish]

Dont know about the silicone issue, but I think that for Tropica plants, the P@H prices are pretty cheap. With plants, to some degree, you get what you pay for. If you find out what day your local P@H take their plant delivery, you can pick out the best ones that have not had chance to deteriorate in their tanks. Go for potted plants rather than bunched if you can as they come rooted mostly. You can split them and actually end up with quite a lot. Pogostemon Helferi is a nice plant for foreground, has nice texture and should grow reasonably in that tank. You can get an extra light if you wish, but several members on here have had great success with just the one. Maybe swap it for the multi LED TMC light ?

 

[Matt Warner]

I have a fluval flora which uses the same light as the Ebi I think. It is good enough to grow most plants. I left my background on as I quite like it. I haven't had any issues with it coming off. Good online plant stores are the green machine and aqua essentials. I would agree with Antipofish that pogostemon helferi would be a good carpeting plants and tolerates virtually any water conditions. I have also grown hair grass in my flora quite well too. I have now ditched the internal filter and used my old tetra ex700 and glass lily pipes. Any 500g co2 system would be good or a fire extinguisher if you have the space.

 

[Antipofish]

I have a fluval flora which uses the same light as the Ebi I think. It is good enough to grow most plants. I left my background on as I quite like it. I haven't had any issues with it coming off. Good online plant stores are the green machine and aqua essentials. I would agree with Antipofish that pogostemon helferi would be a good carpeting plants and tolerates virtually any water conditions. I have also grown hair grass in my flora quite well too. I have now ditched the internal filter and used my old tetra ex700 and glass lily pipes. Any 500g co2 system would be good or a fire extinguisher if you have the space.

Matty, wow, that filter and lily pipes on the flora tank... sounds fancy, and VERY nice. Can you stick up a pic for us ? Also, my pogostemon is dropping some leaves at the moment (been in tank a few days) is this normal ?

 

[Matt Warner]

Yes mate that's normal I have a few leaves melting but the rest is nice and green. I have found the same with many other plants too as they acclimatise.
I was planning on putting a few pics up soon when it has grown a bit more.

 

[Deano3]

thanks dor help everyone, yeah might do the fire extinguisher co2 but using a smaller canister as dont want massive fire extinguisher, yeah i was thinking maybe upgrade to external enhiem or fluval 106-206 at some point, found a site called plantsalive with all sorts of collections anyone dealt with them ? here is an example http://www.plantsalive.co.uk/Aquarium-P ... od_44.html
wat you guys think

thanks Dean

 

[Antipofish]

thanks dor help everyone, yeah might do the fire extinguisher co2 but using a smaller canister as dont want massive fire extinguisher, yeah i was thinking maybe upgrade to external enhiem or fluval 106-206 at some point, found a site called plantsalive with all sorts of collections anyone dealt with them ? here is an example http://www.plantsalive.co.uk/Aquarium-P ... od_44.html
wat you guys think

thanks Dean

Definitely go for an Eheim mate, fantastic quality IMO. I can give you links to some European sites where you will pay in Euros what you would pay in Sterling here, thus saving you a good 30%

That link wont load, even if I go to their site and find the page. Might just be me. I personally prefer to steer clear of assortments like that. You will get mainly stems and I think you would get better quality if you bought a few pots of plants. I just got 4 pots of Tropica plants and because you split them out, there is enough there to have filled an Ebi ! Get them from Pets at Home, and find out what day they get their delivery so you get the decent ones. Should cost you £11 for three pots. Remember you will be splitting the plants out and they then grow in and get bigger.

Aqua Essentials also do excellent plants, as do The Green Machine. They will also offer you invaluable help and advice

Good luck.

 

[Deano3]

thanks mate yeah fluval and enhime look good loads of ppl seem to have both, will pets at home sell hygrophila corymbosa think they look great in the tanks iv seen, still debating for a carpet plant what you think ? also so when i buy a pot i split the plants into many little ones and allow to grow is that correct

thanks again

 

[Antipofish]

thanks mate yeah fluval and enhime look good loads of ppl seem to have both, will pets at home sell hygrophila corymbosa think they look great in the tanks iv seen, still debating for a carpet plant what you think ? also so when i buy a pot i split the plants into many little ones and allow to grow is that correct

thanks again

MY P@H sells Hygro Corymbosa yes. They all order from Tropica so yours should be able to get it too. Yes, when you get a pot you carefully remove the rock wool and split out the plants into separate stems I thing that if you go on the TGM website they have an instructional video on what to do Carpet plants ... I like Pogostemon Helferi and think it should be quite an easy plant, but you could also consider Glossostigma Elatinoides, which I think is a very beautiful plant. I will be trying some in my tank

 

[Deano3]

i like the Glossostigma Elatinoides so think i will go for that thanks and i will defo get the hygro corymbosa is this an easy plant to start with ? hear its fast growing but looks great i think, any other plant recomendations ?

also is there a certain order i should follow like but in substrate then plant then water or some water then plants etc ?

thanks dean