Plant Plans

[Cillana]

I think I know what I am going to put in my new 55 gallon planted tank. This is my first planted tank. I was going to order my plants from AquaBotanic but then I found Arizona Aquatic Gardens (www.azgardens.com). It is cheaper and sounds better to me. Has anyone here ever bought from them?

I already have:
1 12" piece of driftwood
2 cabomba
3 small-leaved philadendrin/pothos

Here is what I think I'm going to buy:
1 15"-20" piece of driftwood
1 red rubin sword
2 anubias nana
3 lilaeopsis/micro sword
4 moneywort/bacopa monnieri
10 contortion val
10 red wendtii crypt
10 willisii crypt

At AquaBotanic this list would cost me over $110. At Arizona Aquatic Gardens it will cost me less than $60.

What do you think of my plant choices? BTW, I have small gravel with vermiculite underneath as my substrate.

[clothahump]

Looks like a good list, have a look at www.tropica.dk good site for plant information. 8)

[Matt Nace]

Make sure you have some Root tabs plus Iron. Maybe some regular root tabs or Jobe sticks. Cloth has a different idea (instead of the Jobes) which I will let him explain. (I cant comment on it, I never tried it)

You using Co2?
Get timers for the lights!!
What are you using for filtration/current?
You might want to get a phos zorb if your tap water has Phosphates(most have some)

Plants seam fine. Micro sword for the lawn effect?

What occupants in the tank are you thinking of?

[Cillana]

I really haven't done much research about fertilizers yet. Can you save me the trouble and tell me what I need to know? I saw some sticks awhile back at my lfs, but didn't see any last time I was there. I might have to order some fertilizers when I get my plants.

I did a fishless cycling that took two weeks before I added any fish. My plan was to take all the fish from my 20 and 10 gallon and put them in the 55 and get a few other things. So far I moved these fish into the 55:

5 peppered corydoras
1 khuli loach
4 platies
5 black skirt tetras
2 silvertip tetras

They've been there for a week now. I still have to move:

1 pearl gourami
3 peppered corydoras
4 cherry barbs

I want to also buy:

2 pearl gouramis
4 otos
3 khuli loaches

I have some baby platies and cherry barbs too. I want to keep a couple female platies because I have 2 females and 2 males now. The cherry barbs are 8 that I decided to keep out of 85 total. I'm not sure if I can put all of them in the 55. I may sell a few more or put a few in the 20 when I set it back up this summer with live plants and probably rams, harlequin rasboras, otos, and panda cories.

I have two power filters on the 55 that combine to pump the entire tank 8 times an hour.

I wasn't planning on making an entire thick lawn with the micro swords. I wanted to have a few thin areas here and there for the bottom feeders to hide in. I saw it in somebody's tank and liked it.

I'm going to try it without CO2. I don't really want to mess with it but if I decide to I will definitely do it the cheap DIY way. My parents are into making homemade beer and wine so I have a good source info and supplies.

I'm planning on getting a timer for my lights. I haven't had time to look yet. If I turn the lights on before I go to school and then turn them off before I go to bed (I feed and watch my fish in the evening mostly) it will be too much light.

Sorry for the long post.

[Matt Nace]

I use Leaf Zone fertilizer. There are so many out there. They mostly have the same ingredients and the % of each will vary. So just make a choice.

I think you should get "Root Tabs +Iron", for plants that need the most Iron to go along with the vermiculite you have. I place 99cent root tabs in as well every other week.

You do have 160 watts of light right?
What bulbs did you go with?

[Cillana]

I will have 160 watts as soon as I get a chance to buy the bulbs. I was going to go to home depot yesterday but super walmart was so crowded that by the time I got finished there, it was time to go home. I'll try tomorrow.

I'm not quite done with my canopy yet, I still need to put the molding on, paint it, and put the light fixture in.

I'm going with two GE Daylight bulbs and two GE Sunshine bulbs (if I find them).

[clothahump]

The alternative plant tabs Male Ruby Barb is referring to is to use rabbit droppings.
Push into substrate at base of plants every 2 to 3 months.
What are Jobes? 8)

[Cillana]

hee, hee, hee...  ;D

My friend has a rabbit. Maybe I should try that.

[Matt Nace]

Jobes are ferts used for common house plants, or trees. They have varrying Nitrate,potash,and Phosphoric acid. They have small ones, and huge ones. Just another alternative to Aquarium tabs, or Rabbit crap...er a poo. 8)

[Bettaman shane]

I tried the rabbit droppings thing for the frst time in my aquarium. it turned the water brown. May be i shouldn't have used wild rabbit poop