biffe

Tank size: 660l/174g
Light: 4 x 30watt 6500 Kelvin, 2 x 30watt 4500 Kelvin, 4 x T5 39watt 6500 Kelvin (336watt, 1.93wpg)
Co2: JBL ProFlora pressured
Substrate: JBL Aquabasis Plus (guess it’s the same as ECO Complete)
Filtration: Eheim 2028II Pro 1050l/t

First question, atm I use a spiral diffuser for my Co2 setup, should I connect the Co2 to my filtration instead?

Secondly I am going out to buy plants for the tank in the next week or two, so I would like some recommendations from you guys, I know that I need some fast growing cycling plants, but I would like to know wich, and in what amount I need for a 174gallon tank.

I was hoping that the tank should be primary planted with Anubias, Microsorum pteropus, Vesicularia dubyana ‘Javamoss’, Microsorum pteropus ‘Windeløv’, Crypts and maby some Riccia fluitans. But first when it’s well cycled, and ready for these slower growing plants.

The idea with the tank is not to get a Dutch tank type, but a more open type. I found a great picture of a Takashi Amano tank, wich I would like to use as inspiration.

http://www.zen-it.com/nico/aqua/amano/all05/

Bert H

I'll answer your first question - definitely get rid of the spiral diffuser for a tank that size. Plumb in an on line reactor. Do a search for diy plans, they are easy and cheap to build! You'll get much better results.

tsunami

To answer your second question, some fast growing plants for the beginning of a "slow growing" layout include:

Cabomba caroliniana
Heteranthera zosterifolia
Hygrophila difformis
Hygrophila polysperma
Limnophila sessiliflora
Rotala rotundifolia
...and many others. Riccia fluitans could also be an excellent nutrient sponge. It is a very fast growing plant -- it is not a slow grower by any means.

Carlos