New Tank Setup Guide - Parts 1 and 2 - Page 2 - New to Planted Aquariums

Jimbo205 · 08-28-2006, 05:34 PM

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My guess would be to say, no, as far as 'densely planted' goes. A couple of such packages would be much more likely to fit that bill, imo.

Um... so you are talking some package from somewhere for at the very least 40 dollars, correct? (plants only, not including tank, lights or any other equipment to start)
More importantly, when scanning the vendors on APC which is the minimum package (# of plants and $ amount) that you are talking about for someone to start from scratch.
Sorry for trying to be so specific, but in retrospect I am trying to figure out if I had to start all over again from the beginning (scratch) and start all over, if I would actually be able to do it considering how little funds I had back then.

Would you recommend to flat broke college students / similar flat broke hobbyists to start out with Nanos and slowly build up their plant collection until they had enough for a larger tank?

Bert H · 08-29-2006, 05:15 AM

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Um... so you are talking some package from somewhere for at the very least 40 dollars, correct?

I really have no idea what vendors are selling or for how much.

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More importantly, when scanning the vendors on APC which is the minimum package (# of plants and $ amount) that you are talking about for someone to start from scratch.
Sorry for trying to be so specific, but in retrospect I am trying to figure out if I had to start all over again from the beginning (scratch) and start all over, if I would actually be able to do it considering how little funds I had back then.

I've never really stopped to consider 'how many' stems to put into a tank to consider it light/medium/heavy. It really depends on the plants - typically you would plant the stems so that the distance between two stems equals twice the lenghth of the leaves (to minimize shading).

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Would you recommend to flat broke college students / similar flat broke hobbyists to start out with Nanos and slowly build up their plant collection until they had enough for a larger tank?

Here's several options/possibilities. Get the tank you want/can afford, check out your lfs's - a lot of them carry hornwort, Ludwigia repens, wisteria, etc. See what they charge, compare to vendors, imo, our vendors quality is usually better than the lfs's. Keep your eyes open on the for sale forum for good deals or place a 'wanted to buy' ad in the forum. A lot of us throw out a bunch of plants on a regular basis because our local stores don't want them and selling them can be a hassle sometimes. Go with whatever you can afford and make it work for you. If you only have a few plants, make sure you keep your light reasonable. Make sure your CO2/Excel is adequate and your plants needs are met. Your plants will grow and your density will increase by virtue of that. Enjoy the journey.

xavierj123 · 10-19-2008, 10:43 PM

Thanks Bert for taking the time and trouble to provide this very helpful information. I especially like your pictures of planted tanks. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well done!

CTD · 11-15-2008, 11:41 PM

gasteriaphile · 11-27-2008, 05:41 PM

So...is the upshot of this that one cannot have a lightly planted tank? I know that Walstad likes to constantly emphasize how plants can outcompete algae. But if I have to have wall-to-wall plants just in order to stop algae, that sort of limits my aquascaping. The image of a tank that got me interested in this hobby were Takashi's. Some of his tanks are very minimalist, but are they all "for show" and not really balanced and sustainable tanks without alot of gimmicks and gadgetry?

gasteriaphile · 12-05-2008, 03:55 PM

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Next make sure your carbon source is good, either via CO2 or Excel. Fertilize right from the beginning so your plants have all they need to get off to a good start. Personally, I would start with half the fert levels on day 1, bringing my levels up to full level before the end of the week and my first water change. Subsequently, I would dose normally.

Hi. I gradually make my way (often circuitously) to all the different aspects of plant-keeping. I had heard/seen about Flouish many times but had more pressing stuff on mind. But in re-reading the above (first post actually on this thread), got interested when it was mentioned that Excel could be used as a CO2 alternative. I am always looking for ways to avoid big high-pressure cylinders!

So I went to the Seachem website and read about all the three Flourish items. Sounds like Excel might help me but I also noted that it seems to kill Vallisnerias and Elodea. Is this the case with y'all?

Thanks, g

hooha · 12-05-2008, 10:53 PM

Excel can be used as an alternative to carbon dioxide injection - I've done so in nano tanks (10 gallons or less). I haven't really tried it as a complete substitution to CO2 in larger tanks, mainly because it would get pretty expensive over time. An injected CO2 system would be more cost-effective (and easier to automate) in the long run.

I haven't used Excel with Valisineria or Elodea myself, but I have heard that they do affect them from other posts on the site.

With your question about not being able to have a lightly planted tank - you certainly can but it will be more difficult to get a 'balance' and avoid algae outbreaks. The more densely a tank is planted and the more consistent your maintenance routine is, the more likely you will have success with your aquarium. If you look at some of the scapes on the site, it's certainly not wall-to-wall with all stem plants reaching the ceiling. Most of good scapes have large plant masses if you look closely, with the perception of depth created by the placement and selection of plants. Even 'minimalist' Iwagumi scapes have a decent amount of plant mass covering the tank.

Take a look at the AGA video on the site with Amano creating an aquascape. The plant mass is dense, but depth and texture are created by placement as well as selection of plants.

Jimbo205 · 09-04-2006, 01:55 AM

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A lot of us throw out a bunch of plants on a regular basis because our local stores don't want them and selling them can be a hassle sometimes.

I take my 'pot of gold' with me when I can to the local fish store and leave the bucket with them. I hope that they eventually give me credit for something (Seachem Excel). Of course it is also fun to hear the staff talk about it when I have time to visit. The young kids really like the quality of the plants that I can bring in. Of course to me it is just Rotala, but then again you should see the tiny 'bunches' that they sell. In a way, they need it more than I do. And I can't yet imagine throwing out my 'pot of gold'. I would bury my 'pot of gold' under my substrate first to create bio-available carbon. Diana refers to it as biological 'fast food' carbon.

Thank you for all the good information. I look forward to the Hemianthus Micranthemoides. Do you know I looked that name up in Merriam-Webster's to see where the name came from and it wasn't there! Where should I look it up? The meaning of the name I mean.

Bert H · 09-06-2006, 09:33 AM

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Do you know I looked that name up in Merriam-Webster's to see where the name came from and it wasn't there! Where should I look it up? The meaning of the name I mean.

Don't know. You might try looking for Latin/Greek derivatives. Maybe Cavan can chime in here.

R B · 09-11-2006, 07:28 AM

hello to everyone. I have just registered after months of browsing the aquabotanic website. Im from Malaysia and this is the first time I have had a planted tank. I keep some discus in it and it looks great.

The problem im having is that since I am new to live plants I have yet to get it right. My plants seem to be growing but they tend to go into a lighter shade of green. Some even have become yellowish. Especially the sword plants. They are growing and spreading but I cannot maintain or get it to be in the dark green colour when first bought.

I have a CO2 tank. My local pet store where i get my plants think that the temp of the water is too high ( its at about 32 degrees celcius ). They have suggested i tone down the lighting and add a cooling fan.

Any suggestions from you guys would be a great help.

thanks