prn574

I just got a 12G Nano Cube Deluxe and wanted to make a beautiful Amano style Aquascape. This is the equipment that i will be getting shortly from www.DrsfosterSmith.com :

-Carbo-Plus
-15 lbs of Seachem's Flourite
-Seachem Prime Water
-2x 24w 6500 K Compact bulbs (the originals were 10000K/Actinic Blue)
-Flourish Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium.
-50W heater from my old 10G

The Tanks dimension's are 15.8" x 12.8"x 14.8"

The first question i have is: Where can i find some sample diagrams for the natural set up i want to accomplish? All the sites i've seen they have step by step stuff but since all the pictures are from the front only you can't tell how the plants are arranged, are there any good sites or books on the subject?

Second is the carbo-plus going to be enough to provide enough CO2? Does it need a regulator of some kind?

Third is the Flourite going to provide enough substrate? Do i need to by something else for substrate?

And Lastly, what kind of plants would you recommend to this tank's dimensions? I am a big fan of anubias (sp. nana), and cabomba... althought the last one grows out of control sometimes.

I must add that i am a beguinner at this, since most of the fish tanks i kept were fish-only tanks.

Thanks in advance... this forum is probably the best of its kind on the net!!!

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prn574

It has been two days and nobody has replied to any of my questions. If somebody can give me some sites that would offer some answers please let me know

ed seeley

Best bet for ideas on layouts might be an ADA catalogue. I have the 2006 ones and it goes through a number of Amanos designs step by step. Otherwise just try thing out and see how they look. Post on here if you want feedback of wood/rock placements and some ideas with plants, but you're leaivng things rather open at the moment - we have no idea of what kind of style/types of plants/sort of 'scape you want! I don't know of anywhere with plan views and planting plans, but you should be able to get there once you have the plants and hardscape in you hands.

Don't use the Carboplus. Get a pressurised CO2 kit with a canister. It messes with the water chemistry and isn't that cheap to run apparently.

If you want to go Amano style then I'd get Aquasoil. I've used it for the first time in my latest tank and the growth has been amazing. I'd definitely recommend it.

For a small tank, try to get tiny leaved plants. Dwarf hairgrass and glosso for a carpet, small leaved stem plants, Anubias 'Petite' and Narrow leaved Java ferns are some that spring to mind.

erijnal

prn, really the best way to learn is to just keep looking at as many fish tanks as you can just for some basic guidance, and then as you learn to keep plants healthy, you'll be able to practice your hand at aquascaping. I don't think there are many diagrams of plant layouts, especially from a bird's eye view.

For beginner plants, I'd suggest most of the Rotalas, Anubias, and Bacopas. Some won't really be suitable aquascaping for a smaller size tank, but as I mentioned before, it's really best to make sure you can grow the plants before trying your hand at an all-out aquascape that may involve more difficult plants. After all, a well-executed aquascape that is dying won't exactly be uplifting haha

A couple final notes, you might want to send the Carbo-plus back. It has purportedly been related to kH crashes and refill block costs will add up. Also, it might be a good idea to look for a substrate other than fluorite, especially in a small tank. The reason for this is that if you want smaller-sized plants, the substrate should be softer and finer. The fluorite grain size is relatively large and may not be the best choice depending on the plants you choose to grow.

Hope that helps!

prn574

As far of CO2 systems which one would you recommend for such a small tank? (Take in consideration that i am a beginner), all the kits that i found are $120 and up and they don't include the CO2 bottle (which is purchased for $90 separate) since its a small tank i'm not looking to spend a fortune in CO2. I bought the Carbo-plus because it was supposed to be easy to used and a lot of people in the forum use it, right now its sitting unopened in the box waiting to be returned.

erijnal

I think the best way to get acquainted with CO2 is by going DIY first. There's a sticky in either the DIY or Equipment forum above that gives straightforward directions to making one. The only thing that you wouldn't be able to find at your local market would be a CO2 diffuser, but those are not difficult to find, either from other members here, or from one of the forum sponsors

Once you get the hang of DIY CO2 and see how much CO2 output you're getting from it, you'll be able to better judge how you should adjust the CO2 once you upgrade to a pressurized system. Honestly, I think some people go waaay overboard with their pressurized CO2, and when one little thing goes wrong like a filter stops working, the system crashes in a matter of hours. This is just a hunch, but I'm guessing that those cases happen primarily to those who haven't spent enough time getting comfortable with DIY CO2.

The following link will direct you to a write-up I did that wouldn't necessarily save you a lot of bucks, but may be helpful if you are considering space limitations once you start looking to get a pressurized system.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...o2-system.html