My first planted tank (ADA 60p high tech)

[refrigerator]

Hi folks! After discovering aquascaping 15 years ago when I was a kid, I've finally gotten round to setting up my own planted tank 😄 Will post updates in this thread + update this post with new pics as things develop. Feedback would be much appreciated 🙏

Current stage: Hardscaping

Equipment

• Tank: ADA 60p
• Filter: Oase Biomaster 250 Thermo
  • I bought 4L of Seachem Matrix but have decided to stick to the default media in the Oase after much deliberation 😂
• Some CO2 kit I got from GreenAqua
• Chihiros WRGB 2 45cm light
• Oase CrystalSkim 350 surface skimmer

Plants

• I've ordered a bunch, will update this once they arrive

Critters

• TBD but I'm thinking a school of red/orange tetras and some little red shrimps

Progress

Day 1: equipment finally arrived

Day 4: hardscape placed, still need to glue it together but I think I'm happy with it. It's lava rock + mangrove wood with ADA Amazonia aqua soil. Plants should arrive in 2 days then I'll be able to place them and start cycling

Thoughts/questions:

1. One of the challenges is that the tank is going to be visible from 3 sides (2 big + 1 small) as a quasi-room-divider, so I can't have a real "background" or put too much scape in there. I'm worried that maybe the scape is too minimal, but it feels like it's easier to start simple and add more vs start with too much and try to remove stuff if I'm not happy with it
2. I'm very surprised there isn't a consensus on which filter media to use haha, lots of people out there still shilling Matrix, others following aquariumscience.org (myself included), etc.
3. Does it matter where the skimmer is placed relative to the filter inlet/lily pipe?

 

[Imran #786]

Looking sweet... u could a little more elevation at the back and a little more stone.
Just a thought 🤷‍♂️

 

[richardcunliffe]

scape is too minimal

Really depends on what look you're after and what your plant choices are. If you have stems then this will get swallowed up. If you do go bigger then just consider what the flow around the tank is. Probably have inlet on one side and outlet on the other of the central island.
Looks like it's going to be a nice set up. The room looks great, nice rug!

 

[Mike Singh]

Interesting project. Plant heavy from the beginning.