[kshetrajna]

As the title suggest...my Aquascaping is pretty bad...even considering the fact that its my first tank...but i hope it will slowly get rectified as the time passes...Just set it up a couple of Days Back...No sign of any algae yet...
Its a 22 gallon tank....55 watts of lighting(CFL Tubes)
Potting soil 1 inch and 2 inches of river sand Substrate...
DIY CO2 diffuser....
will remove the sponge filter in a couple of days and install my DIY canister filter...infact i am also thinking of not having any filtration as my fish load wont be too heavy...pls advice me on this ...thats how it works in El Natural aquariums right?

these pictures were taken the day the tank was setup....the plants have adapted well so far and hopefully they will all survive...
waiting for all you comments and suggestions...
:[smilie=k:

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi kshetrajna,
I like your tank, the size is good and the light is certainly something I have never seen before! One suggestion, you may want to try planting your taller stem plants toward the back and your shorter plants near the front (its a nice rock, don't hide it and if you can find more like it I would add them). Also, I have found that putting together groupings of the same plant looks more natural. I like your choice of plants so far, good variety of leaf textures. You might want to think about adding some finer leaf texture plants and/or plants with red leaves to add impact.

 

[kshetrajna]

thank you for the reply....now to be honest with you i am a bit reluctant to move the plants because they are adapting so well...i am worried that i might be harming them if i keep constantly moving them
sorry if that sounds stupid....
and about the rock...i bought it at a local aquarium store....will get more...i made the tank myself ....now i am kicking myself for not making the tank bigger...

 

[kshetrajna]

and i did not understand what you said about the lighting....i mean is it unusual??...seems normal to me...but then i am no expert

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi kshetrajna,
I have found my plants to be much more rugged that I would have expected! One time I had to tear down a tank three times in two months (because of a leak and a bad repairs) and the plants did fine. However after the last planting it took a couple of weeks for the plants to start looking good.
You did a nice job on the tank, and it is certainly a good size to work with......don't we all want larger tanks?!!!

I like your light, it looks like the roof on a house!

 

[kshetrajna]

oh that...hehe...thats quite common here in India...i bought it because it was the cheapest available...in US dollars roughly around 12$....and il move the plants tom morning(when the lights are on)

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi kshetrajna,
After you do your rearrangement, give the plants a week or so and let us know how things are growing. Keep up the good work!
I keep reminding myself that the only way I improve is by making mistakes or learning from others!

 

[gravy9]

Hi Kshetrajna,
I agree with Roy on his comments. Try not to keep the plants in a straight line in the middle. Here are some topics to think about when considering your planting:

1. Height and Placement in the tank
   1. Tall (good to place in the back of the aquarium)
   2. Medium (for the middle of the tank)
   3. Low (for the foreground or as ground cover)
2. Speed of growth
   1. Fast (Usually Stem plants - good for extracting nutrients out of the water - helps control algae) - like Anacharis
   2. Slow growing - helps you to keep maintenance down and also with the possibility of tying the plants to rocks or wood surfaces - like Anubias
3. Type of plant
   1. Stem or Bunch
   2. Rosette
   3. Rhizome
   4. Bulb
   5. Floating Plants (like Duckweed, Frogbit, etc...)
4. Color and Texture of leaves - Helps you decide on where to place the plants in the tank to get the maximum observer impact (your eye is the measuring gauge)
5. Light Requirements - helps you decide on the types of plants you want to have in your tank based on the amount of light available.
   1. High
   2. Medium
   3. Low

Read more about this and you'll get the idea. I just started on this hobby about 6 months ago and with live plants about 4 months ago. This forum has helped me in learning a lot about how I should approach the planted tank development. Should you have more questions, please post them and you're find your answers.

I have attached the link to the thread of my rebuilt tank about two weeks ago to give you an idea.

Good Luck.

 

[dawntwister]

Your plants look very healthy. They look like they would be okay to move.

What a fascinating light.

Your light looks a little low for the plants you have. You can compensate for that by adding ferts and a reflector. I would put something behind the glass in the hood to reflect the light into the tank. From Hoppycalif I have found something like metal painted with very white paint helps reflect the light into the tank. He has othre suggestions to.

Ferts I think would help are:
iron and CSM + B(copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, molybedium, zinc + boron).

 

[Sunstar]

What a wicked hood! That's definately unique and could break me of my habit of putting crap on top of my tanks. Me likies.

 

[kshetrajna]

I moved the plants today...i also put some aluminium foil on the underside of the hood to make a pretty decent reflector(i think)the tank looks bright immediately....now the problem i have is that my tank area is only 3 foot X 1 foot ...and i dont get too much area to work on(the breadth is not enough)...i am going to start my second tank once i convince my mom that there is enough room to have one ..
i guess il go for a 7 footer next....that will be awesome!!!

 

[dawntwister]

.
DIY CO2 diffuser....
will remove the sponge filter in a couple of days and install my DIY canister filter...infact i am also thinking of not having any filtration as my fish load wont be too heavy...pls advice me on this ...thats how it works in El Natural aquariums right?

Yeh, with an El Natural setup you don't need a filter but Co2 is not injected.

Many people do not run their CO2 at night. It's not needed at night, since in the absence of light plants actually release CO2 and aborb O2. Because of this, there's a risk at night of the fish becoming both O2-depleted, and CO2-poisoned, depending on the conditions in the tank. This is why many people run airstones at night. lauraleellbp
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/78505-rfug-blast-past-diy-4.html

 

[kshetrajna]

thank you for that information...good that you told me that before i introduced my fishes into the tank....but wait...what fishes are more suited to the knid of aquarium and plants i have....Neon Tetras or Red Swordtails or angels??

 

[dawntwister]

That tanks looks bigger than a 20 gallon long. What are the dimensions?

Your best to google the fish you want to see if they are right for your size of tank. Anglefish are delicate fish. They like to swim up and down and need good water circulation.

 

[kshetrajna]

its a 3footX1footX1foot....ie about 90cmX30cmX30cm .....hmmm i have a powerhead which i wanted to use for the water current ...just wondering if the strong water current will dislodge the plants?

 

[dawntwister]

its a 3footX1footX1foot....ie about 90cmX30cmX30cm .....hmmm i have a powerhead which i wanted to use for the water current ...just wondering if the strong water current will dislodge the plants?

This is definitely not a 20 gallon long, thus you have room for Anglefish. It is bigger than a 30 gallon too. Volume = length x width x height. An example length = 3 ft width = 1 ft height = 2 ft.
Volume = length x width x height. V = 3 x 1 x 2. V = 6 cu. ft. Full tank = 6 x 7.5 = 45 gallons

The powerhead won't dislodge plants. You may need 2 in that tank or some air stones after you add injected Co.2. I use a powerhead. I added a bottle, with the bottom cut out and floss in it, to the intake. Saw that on youtube this makes it work similar to a canister filter.

 

[kshetrajna]

@dawntwister 3*1*1=3 cu ft
therefore full tank =3X7.5=22.5...
thats why i said 20 gallon...(subtracting the space for gravel and some empty space on top....
...
i did not understand that part about airstones....

 

[dawntwister]

Air stones help provide oxygen for the fish. Seem to be used when injecting Co2. Will provide some water turbulence through out the tank.

 

[Tex Gal]

When I ran DIY CO2 I just left it in the tank all the time. If it was really fast at first I would just remove it at night for the first night or two. I never ran an airstone. It degasses the CO2 and in the am with DIY it's too hard to build it back up in time for the light and plants. If you have pressurized you can more easily control the bps but not with DIY CO2.

Put your powerhead in a place that it will blow toward the glass. That way it will created a current but not blow your plants out of the gravel. If you place it on the side and blow across the front of the tank or something. Just play around with it. You'll find a way. I had one at the back left side corner blowing to the front corner. It worked well.

Don't worry about your plants so much. They are studier than you think. Before you know it you will be trimming them and selling or giving them away! Have fun!

 

[kshetrajna]

ya i know....my Cabomba already has grown about half an inch!!!and its been less than a week...also one more thing i wanted to ask you guys is weather you guys ship internationally..i mean in the sale/trade thread....the selection of plants here in India is good but still if i can other plants will be brilliant...