New with plants. - Aquascaping

Josea · 03-06-2007, 06:27 PM

Hi everyone. I'm really new with plants and not very good at aquascaping. Looking for suggestions, comments, critique from all of you aquascapers. The 1st pic is my 5 gal. pool filter sand substrate, only residents platys and snails. 2nd pic is my 20 gal. long it's residents are 7 orange von rio tetras, 2 gold rams, 2 honey goramis, and a rubberlip pleco and snails, 3rd pic 72 gal. bowfront 7 discus, 18 rummys, 1 gold ram and snails, 4th pic is anubia in 20 gal. long, 5th pic this I just did, it has playsand substrate and 6 silver angels and 1 penguin tetra and snails. Should I mix anything like flourite, laterite or any of the ites with the sand? Thank you so much for help, comments, critiques and suggestions. Jo

Josea · 03-07-2007, 12:13 PM

Hi I was just wondering did I do this wrong? I can't believe no one has said anything. If I've done something wrong, let me know

Dave Spencer · 03-07-2007, 12:19 PM

Is it your intention to get serious about growing plants in any of these tanks? Is that the type of advice you are after?

Regards, Dave.

Josea · 03-07-2007, 03:11 PM

yes and advice on aquascaping. I'm new to plants and aquascaping. I've seen really beautiful tanks on here. Looking for help and direction. Thank you for responding.

Genin · 03-07-2007, 06:06 PM

if you go with co2, the first thing you will want to do is get rid of the bubblers to prevent outgassing. if you want more specific help people will want to know your complete tank stats, ie. lighting, ferts, co2, substrate, plants, livestock, etc.

Kelley · 03-07-2007, 08:01 PM

Hello Josea and welcome to APC! I think that step one in becoming an aquascaper is learning to grow full-lush plants. Can you tell us about the lights and ferts that you are using? do you inject CO2?

You've got the makings of a lush jungle in there, but only if your set up will grow them! You'll find that you won't even need those printed backgrounds, if your plants are really growing!

ryzilla · 03-07-2007, 09:23 PM

loose the bubbler, change the backround of your tank to all black, remove the corkscrew vals(they look unnatural), and add LOTS of fast growing stems such as hygro to start your tank. Tell us all of the specs of your tanks from lighting to substrate and everything inbetween. It is important to do it right from the begining to avoid the hasle of changing things later on, ie your substrate. The more fast growing stems you start with the better you will have at fighting off your initial algae battle, and believe me it becomes a war. A war I am still fighting a year and a half in the making. My current battle is fuzz algae (ahhhhhhh)...

Josea · 03-13-2007, 11:19 AM

Hey Everyone sorry took so long to get back to this, life ya know? Anyway I've taken out the bubblers, I have playsand substrate,emperor 400 powerfilter, heater, and real pcs of wood, I'm not sure of all the names of plants, but I'll try I know I have crypts, corkscrew vals(which I love just got more yesterday) italian vals,hygrophila difformis, ludwigia palustris,java moss and there are a couple of java fern pcs, java moss and some kind of sword (paddle) or something,apontegon bulb and i have no clue what this one thing is and another is red Alternanthera, also temple plant,najas grass, pearl weed,
My ph is 7, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, and nitrate 0. Right now i just have 2 came with the tank strip lights with zoo med flora sun bulbs in them. I intend to get a shop light from lowes and do the 6500k daylight bulbs. Also this is info on the 55 gallon. I have decided maybe I should focus on one tank instead of all 4. Also wanted to know about the black background, are you suggesting paint if so what kind? Here is a new pic since I got new plants, and have taken some things out that were in other pic. Also I don't want co2. I also have 9 angelfish in the tank, 1 horseface loach and 1 penguin tetra. Also use flourish fertilizer liquid and tabs under vals. If you need anymore info let me know. Thank you for the welcome and help. ; ~ )