advice on a new planted tank setup

Hi guys,

I'm looking for advice on setting up a planted tank (again). Basically
I have a rio125, I have 2 marine glow tubes already (as its a marine
tank at the mo) can I use these and combine them with say 2 other tubes
with a smaller photoperiod do you think?

I'm planning to use one of those cheap hagen CO2 yeast kit things as I
sold my old CO2 unit.

For substrate I am thinking of a layer of flourite beneath gravel,
Amano-esq. What I want to do is create a lawn effect hopefully with e
tennelus if I can get hold of them or maybe g elantnoides although I've
had trouble with them in the past. I've tried liliopsis but never been
able to get it to grow. The rest of the tank will probably just be
rocks, java moss/ferns and vallis. Also I want to use either RO water
or filtered tapwater by an API filter or suchlike.

Do you have any thoughts on this, advice etc? I've kept planted tanks
before but never tried it with this amount of light. My last tank did
have quite a good growth of tennelus but I'm ashamed to admit I gave up
because I couldn't get my tank to look anywhere near as good as an
Amano tank.

So any advice would be spiffing. Cheers.


--
neilw
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Mr. Amano has the time, resources, and everything in his power to make a
tank look good for his pictures and books. So dont be frustrated by looking
at his tanks and thinking that because you cant make that you have to
destroy your tank. If I had the money, time and pictures I would make those
tanks also. Patience is the key, money well.....I have none and time,
well.........I have none either.............consider a low tech, high stock
tank with easy plants then move a bit to more complicated stuff, thats my
advice.

take care.



"neilw" wrote in message
...

Hi guys,

I'm looking for advice on setting up a planted tank (again). Basically
I have a rio125, I have 2 marine glow tubes already (as its a marine
tank at the mo) can I use these and combine them with say 2 other tubes
with a smaller photoperiod do you think?

I'm planning to use one of those cheap hagen CO2 yeast kit things as I
sold my old CO2 unit.

For substrate I am thinking of a layer of flourite beneath gravel,
Amano-esq. What I want to do is create a lawn effect hopefully with e
tennelus if I can get hold of them or maybe g elantnoides although I've
had trouble with them in the past. I've tried liliopsis but never been
able to get it to grow. The rest of the tank will probably just be
rocks, java moss/ferns and vallis. Also I want to use either RO water
or filtered tapwater by an API filter or suchlike.

Do you have any thoughts on this, advice etc? I've kept planted tanks
before but never tried it with this amount of light. My last tank did
have quite a good growth of tennelus but I'm ashamed to admit I gave up
because I couldn't get my tank to look anywhere near as good as an
Amano tank.

So any advice would be spiffing. Cheers.


--
neilw
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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thanks Carlos, sound advice there. Yeah he has a lot of skills, probably
doesn't get out much, but then again if I had tanks like his I wouldn't
either. I've been trying to keep a planted tank for years thats like
Amanos. I can do a fairly good design and things grow to a certain
point, but it seems my tanks have a half life of about 2-3 months, then
algae breaks out and all hell breaks loose. At that point I feel like
giving up! But the code must be cracked


Carlos wrote:
*Mr. Amano has the time, resources, and everything in his power to
make a
tank look good for his pictures and books. So dont be frustrated by
looking
at his tanks and thinking that because you cant make that you have
to
destroy your tank. If I had the money, time and pictures I would
make those
tanks also. Patience is the key, money well.....I have none and
time,
well.........I have none either.............consider a low tech, high
stock
tank with easy plants then move a bit to more complicated stuff,
thats my
advice.

take care.



"neilw" wrote in message
...

Hi guys,

I'm looking for advice on setting up a planted tank (again).
Basically
I have a rio125, I have 2 marine glow tubes already (as its a
marine
tank at the mo) can I use these and combine them with say 2 other
tubes
with a smaller photoperiod do you think?

I'm planning to use one of those cheap hagen CO2 yeast kit things
as I
sold my old CO2 unit.

For substrate I am thinking of a layer of flourite beneath gravel,
Amano-esq. What I want to do is create a lawn effect hopefully with
e
tennelus if I can get hold of them or maybe g elantnoides although
I've
had trouble with them in the past. I've tried liliopsis but never
been
able to get it to grow. The rest of the tank will probably just be
rocks, java moss/ferns and vallis. Also I want to use either RO
water
or filtered tapwater by an API filter or suchlike.

Do you have any thoughts on this, advice etc? I've kept planted
tanks
before but never tried it with this amount of light. My last tank
did
have quite a good growth of tennelus but I'm ashamed to admit I
gave up
because I couldn't get my tank to look anywhere near as good as an
Amano tank.

So any advice would be spiffing. Cheers.


--
neilw

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--
neilw
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Neilw,

I have a planted tank and I am no Mr Amano. Believe me that I have no skill
with my plants, they just grow. Just five days ago I installed a DIY CO2
system, and I had that tank for almost two years now running wild, with
almost no supervision. I did no tests, none what so ever, up to now, that I
bought a few kits (ph, amonia, nitrite, nitrate, kh/gh) but my tank, fish
and plants are ok.

I do the following maybe here somewhere is the key to your dilema: every
weekend: i do a 10-20% water change r/o water, i add fertilizers (iron,
micro, iron tablets), check on the filters (2) magnum and aquaclear

my watts per gallon: 4 watts/gal
i keep a log of everything i do in the tank
since the begining the tank has been planted full capacity, and with fish,
since the first few days that i set it up, 3 discus, 10 neon fish, and 6
blood hearts (the blood hearts died, i just have 2 now, and the neons have
been disapearing), big algae eater, he looks like a small pig :-) , and i
added later 2 dwarf gouramis,
my plants are pistia ricia (like 20 or so), amazon swords (4), onion plants
(2), cryptos several varieties (5), valisneria americana (many around the
tank), cardamine (bunch, just bought it) and a small anubias hastifolia, i
think thats it.
tank - 55 gals (maybe all glass dont know)

i had to throw everything in the tank and start full with fish and plants
because two years ago i was moving so i had no time to adjust the water with
bacteria, break even point of amonia, nitrites, none of that, just throw
everything in and keep running :-)

water parameters
amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 20
ph 7
co2 12 ppm
gh/kh - 3

maybe the key is having not to think so much about it, i just completly
ignore my aquarium for weeks, only feed the fish and do water changes but
now and then i go back and have a look and do a few trimmings here and there
and thats it. its a hobby to relax.

enjoy the hobby, and hopes this helps.


"neilw" wrote in message
...

thanks Carlos, sound advice there. Yeah he has a lot of skills, probably
doesn't get out much, but then again if I had tanks like his I wouldn't
either. I've been trying to keep a planted tank for years thats like
Amanos. I can do a fairly good design and things grow to a certain
point, but it seems my tanks have a half life of about 2-3 months, then
algae breaks out and all hell breaks loose. At that point I feel like
giving up! But the code must be cracked


Carlos wrote:
*Mr. Amano has the time, resources, and everything in his power to
make a
tank look good for his pictures and books. So dont be frustrated by
looking
at his tanks and thinking that because you cant make that you have
to
destroy your tank. If I had the money, time and pictures I would
make those
tanks also. Patience is the key, money well.....I have none and
time,
well.........I have none either.............consider a low tech, high
stock
tank with easy plants then move a bit to more complicated stuff,
thats my
advice.

take care.



"neilw" wrote in message
...

Hi guys,

I'm looking for advice on setting up a planted tank (again).
Basically
I have a rio125, I have 2 marine glow tubes already (as its a
marine
tank at the mo) can I use these and combine them with say 2 other
tubes
with a smaller photoperiod do you think?

I'm planning to use one of those cheap hagen CO2 yeast kit things
as I
sold my old CO2 unit.

For substrate I am thinking of a layer of flourite beneath gravel,
Amano-esq. What I want to do is create a lawn effect hopefully with
e
tennelus if I can get hold of them or maybe g elantnoides although
I've
had trouble with them in the past. I've tried liliopsis but never
been
able to get it to grow. The rest of the tank will probably just be
rocks, java moss/ferns and vallis. Also I want to use either RO
water
or filtered tapwater by an API filter or suchlike.

Do you have any thoughts on this, advice etc? I've kept planted
tanks
before but never tried it with this amount of light. My last tank
did
have quite a good growth of tennelus but I'm ashamed to admit I
gave up
because I couldn't get my tank to look anywhere near as good as an
Amano tank.

So any advice would be spiffing. Cheers.


--
neilw

------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk



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--
neilw
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Nice one cheers for that advice.


--
neilw
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk



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