My First Every Planted Tank, Need Help - Page 2 - New to Planted Aquariums

sukhkawal · 09-25-2009, 09:23 AM

ok, nevermind, i found a fixture its 24-1/2" x 7-1/4" . its here , its 130 watts for my 36 gallon planted aquarium. what do you guys think.

Avi · 09-25-2009, 10:00 AM

I think that you'd be fine with it...only get rid of that "Dual Actinic 420 nanometer and 460 nanometer bulb" that it comes with and replace it with a four-pin bulb in the 6700K to 10,000K range.

sukhkawal · 10-13-2009, 09:04 PM

AFTER alot of reading and studying, i have finally managed to start my tank, 3" ecocomplete (mostly in the back area and side), and about 1" gravel, i added 2 plants (amazon sword, and Anacharis, and added my light fixture (CURRENT 65W florescent with lunar lights). i might updrade to 130W later and add co2. heres some pics

not too powerful, but looks nice from the room

BTW, im adding a couple of fish flakes every 12 hours, and checking ammonia and nitrite everyday. when i start getting > 5ppm ammonia, and can read nitrites, ill lessen the fish flakes, and when i can read 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrite, ill add fish, CANT WAIT.

Avi · 10-14-2009, 04:06 AM

just don't add a lot of fish all at one time. Let the bio-filter that you're working on now grow with the fish that you put in or you'd "overtax" it with too many fish that it can't yet handle.

sukhkawal · 10-19-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avi

just don't add a lot of fish all at one time. Let the bio-filter that you're working on now grow with the fish that you put in or you'd "overtax" it with too many fish that it can't yet handle.

thanks for your help. but right now i am doing the fishless cycle, and after that i will add fish. my ammonia is at 4ppm, nitrite is at about .75ppm, and nitrate is 0, right now. just waiting for a spike in the nitrite and nitrate, then when ammonia and nitrite go to 0, i will do a water change and then add fish. thanks for the tip though.

Tex Gal · 10-19-2009, 10:24 PM

Can you stick some fast growing plants in there? It will really speed up your cycle.

sukhkawal · 10-24-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex Gal

Can you stick some fast growing plants in there? It will really speed up your cycle.

im actually almost done with the cycle , ammonia procceses from 4ppm to .50ppm within 24 hours, so i just added some more today, now ammonia is at 5ppm, nitrite is 4ppm, nitrate is at 40. im just waiting for the nitrite and nitrate spike. then my tank should be able to convert 4ppm-5ppm of ammonia and nitrite into nitrate. Then i will add more plants, and fish

sukhkawal · 10-24-2009, 10:09 AM

well, i added a 4" Bubble Disk airstone with a whisper 40 airpump, but the current was so strong that it knocked up my Anacharis plant to the top and trashed my aquarium, so i took the bubble disk out and added a small airstone. and also managed to save some of my Anacharis plant, and planted it again. hope it grows.

Today i added a Three-Arch Bridge in the middle for the fish to play with.

wi_blue · 10-24-2009, 11:27 AM

Your tank is looking good though consider more plants with a faster growth rate. I've lost three tanks to algae and am convinced it was because they were under-planted with slow growing plants.

Tex Gal · 10-24-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wi_blue

Your tank is looking good though consider more plants with a faster growth rate. I've lost three tanks to algae and am convinced it was because they were under-planted with slow growing plants.

More plants is the secret to it all. It will help your new tank cycle. Also they increase the surface area on which the nutrifying bacteria will colonize. There really is NO downside. What's the point in not putting plants in. Why not get them well established from the get go when they have all that ammonia to use. I understand about the fishless cycle but not the plantless cycle.