Newish member

[Paul Kettless]

Hi I'm Paul, and I thought that I should pop my head back in this room and re-introduce myself as it's been a few years since my last tank, and since I joined this group and posted.

Work and life took me out of the hobby for various reasons and I'm now venturing back. I've ordered myself an Aquascaper 900, and even though I have kept many forms of fish over the years including the salty kind, I have limited experience with plants. I think this scape will start out fairly low tech, but the aim is to understand c02 and add when funds allow for the kit, light upgrade etc.

Think that's it for now, will put some pictures up when the build starts and sure that I will have plenty of questions from you experienced folk.

 

[jaypeecee]

Hi @Paul Kettless

A warm welcome to UKAPS!

My hunch is that you may be wise to start out "fairly low tech". Launching into intense lighting and CO2 injection can prove to be a problem when first starting out with planted tanks.

Good to have you on board.

JPC

 

[AverageWhiteBloke]

Welcome back Paul, in the same boat myself. Recently reappeared after a spell away. I'll second what @jaypeecee said and advise low tech to get the ball rolling, you can always switch up later, far easier to step up than step back down.
Plant choice is the name of the game, research which plants do better in lower lighting and non co2. If you switch to co2 later they will thrive even more.
One thing I wish I had done though is start off with a decent soil substrate if you can and get some floating plants.

 

[Paul Kettless]

Thanks for the welcome, and the tips much appreciated. I've been studying the Tropica list. Living in Suffolk. We have very hard water here so something else that needs considering.

Re soil I'm going for a nature style, and will be using jbl volcano mineral as a base, and tropica soil, with a small area of ada La plata sand. Will also be using some tropica tabs for the root feeders.

 

[Tim Harrison]

Welcome

 

[sparkyweasel]

Welcome!