Introduce yourself and tell us what do you keep?

Sahiri

New Member
Sep 25, 2018
18
2
3
123
Washington State
Hello everyone! Currently my husband and I have 3 tanks. A 30g freshwater planted tank (pressurized co2) with several community fish, a 2.5g planted tank for a betta (my office buddy) and a new 75g tank that will replace the 30g. We have both cared for many aquariums over the years. This is our first adventure into a planted tank. We are learning as we go. This site is loaded with great information for us. I look forward to my learning.
 
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RobLiz

New Member
Sep 25, 2018
3
1
1
South San Diego Otay area
Anyone new or wanting to post in the gallery, feel free to do so.

I will ask permission and use some of the tank images for the report pages here and there if you wish also.

But tell folks what you have and keep.

I have 16 tanks right now, this always subject to change. Most are smaller cube all are open top, PC lighting and 2 tanks with MH's HQI 150w/ 10K bulbs.

The largest is 40 gal, the smallest is a mere 3/4 of a gallon.
Client tanks range from a 300 gallon marine to a 350 gal FW.
1 cold water.

I add CO2 to 6 of my home tanks, the rest are non CO2.

I keep mainly small fish these days.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

RobLiz

New Member
Sep 25, 2018
3
1
1
South San Diego Otay area
Re: Introduce yourself and tell us what do you keep?

I hope that other folks here return the effort by helping others.
PPS, EI, non CO2, Marine etc...........how ever you want to do it. Just know the trade offs folks get and look at the person's habits.

We all slack on CO2..........so that is why the non CO2 method works so well:)

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

RobLiz

New Member
Sep 25, 2018
3
1
1
South San Diego Otay area
Hi Tom and everyone. I'm Liz of my handle of "RobLiz". I've been keeping fish for many years and over time I've kept freshwater, brackish water, saltwater, reef tanks and have had about 7 tanks throughout the house. Now I have a koi pond, shubunkin pond, 4 lily ponds, 1-70 gal. Brackish w/puffers, 3 freshwater plant and fish, and 1- shrimp tank. I'm really focused on keeping plants now. I've put a co2 in my 100gal. and my 38 gal. And have upgraded my lights to fulfill my plants needs.
I'm really looking forward to learning so much from you all. I'm fairly new to the more demanding plants and need a lot to learn.

Sincerely, Liz
 
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tls2death

New Member
Sep 26, 2018
2
1
3
Houston, TX
Hiyo. I've been keeping planted tanks for the last 6 years or so but more seriously in the last year. I currently have 3 tanks at home, 2x 5.5g and 1x 10g, and a single service tank of 30g. I follow the PPS Pro dosing regimen and only have one high tech tank at the moment. I'm looking to expand that single asian regulator to include a Victor 250 and a Matheson as I move the low-tech tanks into the future, but my initial foray into injected CO2 has been enlightening. I really appreciate the wealth of information that's available here and look forward to learning more!
Mike
 

mv1175

New Member
Sep 30, 2018
16
5
3
48
HOUSTON BABY
Howdy From Houston, I had MTS in the past and have been keeping all sorts of freshwater fish Discus, Arowanas, Mbunas, Rainbows, guppies, and many others. I have toyed around with some java moss with a diy co2 in a 40 gallon breeder in the past but that is the extent of my aquatic plant experience. I am in the process of planning/setting up a 90 gallon tank and found this awesome website to really begin my journey into planted tanks.
 

tls2death

New Member
Sep 26, 2018
2
1
3
Houston, TX
Howdy From Houston, I had MTS in the past and have been keeping all sorts of freshwater fish Discus, Arowanas, Mbunas, Rainbows, guppies, and many others. I have toyed around with some java moss with a diy co2 in a 40 gallon breeder in the past but that is the extent of my aquatic plant experience. I am in the process of planning/setting up a 90 gallon tank and found this awesome website to really begin my journey into planted tanks.
Hi fellow Houstonian! Have you had a chance to visit Aquarium Design Group off 288 @ BW8? That should be your first stop as a planted tank enthusiast. Seriously. Also consider joining the GHAC group (greater houston aquarium club) on Facebook if you use it, there you will find more locals who are into the hobby and can frequently score really good deals on equipment/livestock that you might otherwise miss. Unfortunately the plant scene is a bit of a mixed bag and you'll likely only find the nice stem plants on forums like this one, Reddit, or the planted tank groups on FB.
 
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mv1175

New Member
Sep 30, 2018
16
5
3
48
HOUSTON BABY
Hi fellow Houstonian! Have you had a chance to visit Aquarium Design Group off 288 @ BW8? That should be your first stop as a planted tank enthusiast. Seriously. Also consider joining the GHAC group (greater houston aquarium club) on Facebook if you use it, there you will find more locals who are into the hobby and can frequently score really good deals on equipment/livestock that you might otherwise miss. Unfortunately the plant scene is a bit of a mixed bag and you'll likely only find the nice stem plants on forums like this one, Reddit, or the planted tank groups on FB.

Thanks for the tips TLS will do.
 

markrosenhagen

New Member
Oct 14, 2018
1
0
1
65
Colorado
Hi. I am new to the planted tank hobby. I have kept marine tanks for 15 years and then took a break. I got a corner 40 gallon glass aquarium from my son-in-law that he didn't want anymore. Decided to get back into fish keeping. I started slow. It had UGF so I added a power head to reverse flow. Used the same gravel. Cycled it and added some fish, a few tetras and danios. It came with some fake plants and a fake piece of drift wood. I used two 5000K fluorescents to light it. It grew some agae but a pleco kept it in check. Its been up and running for a few years but I am tired of the fake plants and wanted to try a genuine planted tank. I know a reverse flow UGF is not ideal and I may change it sometime in the future. It works for now. I do a 50% water change every couple months or so.
Anyway, two weeks ago I bought an Oriental Sword plant and added two 15W 5500K LED's. The plant is doing well and so I am encouraged. There are a couple new red colored leaves that I assume is the new growth since I planted it. I'm looking forward to learning more and buying more plants. I am considering ditching the UGf and using a plant growing medium and adding some external bio filtration but not right away. Glad I found this group!

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IMG_5504.JPG
 

Raithan Ellis

New Member
Nov 4, 2018
2
2
3
Lancaster, PA
I’m back into the hobby as of this past week after a multi year hiatus. Some of you may know me from the mid-2000s on the AC forums. I know Tom (plantbrain) was a huge help for me learning about plants back in the day, and I’m incredibly excited to be part of a plant focused forum with so much knowledge sharing and interest.

Currently I’m running one smaller high tech tank, more to come as I pull equipment out of the basement.

Current species are black sailfin mollies, otocinclus, bronze corys, amano shrimp, and Malaysian trumpet snails. This has been a pretty good combination for me as a cleanup crew for smaller community aquariums in the past. I’m a big of the EI method as I can focus more on enjoying the plants and fish vs trying to calculate for everything.

From rejoining the hobby to treatable condition in under 72 hours... oh, how I’ve missed this.

Cheers!
 

AguaScape

New Member
Nov 10, 2018
7
4
3
56
Marysville, CA
My name is Matthew and I have two tanks. My first tank is a 180 gallon low tech community tank. My second is a work in progress. I have a 54 gallon corner aquarium that is the start of a ground up high tech. Trying to take my time and do it right. Hoping to learn as much as I can.
 
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fishkeeper

New Member
Nov 12, 2018
1
1
3
Los Angeles

Hello, I have a 100 gallon freshwater tank and I'm starting to get into aquatic plants. I have some moneywarts, vals spirralis, and anubias nana and barteri. Started experimenting with CO2 recently and saw explosive growth. Now understanding that I need to focus on nutrients. I read some posts here that are pretty good. Thank you all for sharing information.
 
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tmjr

Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
Nov 30, 2018
2
0
1
Calgary, AB
Hello all from Calgary, Alberta, Canada!

I'm getting back into keeping planted (+ fish) tanks after many years away. I used to have a 90G planted tank and several smaller ones as well. Tom Barr helped be a GREAT deal on the APD mailing list, for which I am very grateful. I quite enjoyed the hobby thanks to the knowledge I gained particularly from Tom, as well as others.

After these several years, the knowledge base has developed tremendously, and so I am trying to catch up by reading as much as I can in the time I have available to do so. I've also forgotten a lot that I used to keep in the top drawer of my brain :p

I've just set up a Fluval 23G tank with lots of crypts, anubias and java ferns, and hope to add some fish soon (the subject of another post). I'm in the process of getting my CO2 up and running, but hope to eventually move the tank to a non-CO2, as-little-maintenance-as-necessary tank.

IMG_7254.jpg
 

Poppy

New Member
Dec 18, 2018
1
0
1
43
Berwyn
Hello from Chicagoland
I am Poppy and I have 2 29 gal tanks and a 10 gal in a pre planning stage. I recently got back into aquarium keeping after a few years of depressing dry tanks just littering my house. I have always wanted live plants in my tanks but anubias and java fern was all I could keep alive. Now I'm giving it a try again, my 29 gal was set up in a hurry to accommodate an axolotl about a month ago, my 29 gal bow front is about 2 weeks into cycling. It will eventually be a community of tetras in a planted low tech tank and I am dreaming of making my 10 gal a topless planted tank with emerging moss covered rock, driftwood and emersed plants.
 

leetots

New Member
Jan 23, 2019
2
1
3
usa
Newbie here.

I've just stumbled on this website the other day and I know I need to be part of this very very informative forum.

Just have a small 5 gallon planted tank and running since 2011. Been into the hobby since grade school years...(long long time ago)
but last December 21st decided to go have another tank. just a 30 gallons. planted one. got anubias nana (having black/brown algae on edges/patches), ammania gracilis, sword, crypts, buce and banana plants so far. all are thriving well EXCEPT for the gracilis. seems like its growing a twisted, odd shape leaves and losing its red coloring. been adding excel (everyday), iron and potassium alternately on days (small dose) and flourish once a week (small dose also).

but the banana plant. oh boy! have a great growth spurt. had a two big leaves (almost size of small plate) and long lily pad that about to reach surface.

spike of brown algae on rocks, back/side tank. but nerites taking care of them (somehow). just a few spots left.

Got LED lighting (timer to turn off every two 4 hrs and then off at 7pm. two finnex HOB. change 10-15% H2O every saturday.

thank you.

Lee
 

John Ververoglou

New Member
Oct 4, 2017
2
2
3
36
Athens
Greetings to everyone.
My name is Yiannis (John in Greek ) and and I currently have an empty tank.
I used to keep discus in the past but the last 8 years turn to planted aquariums. Last year I didn’t have very demanding plants because I didn’t have all the time I need to care and maintain them right.
I am planning to restart my Juwel Rio 240 but I am under brainstorming about my new setup which is probably going to related to Amazon and it’s fauna.
 

Molli Polli

New Member
Feb 8, 2019
2
0
1
United States
Hi all,

Normally I just like reading the great posts and articles here. But I figured I'd make an account and maybe post a bit

Currently I have a little 3g cube and am not allowed more "yet". It started as the kiddo's tank, now it is mine XD, fake plants and pink gravel went Kapoof, well mostly, left a little pink in there.;)

At least one more tank would be awesome now hehe. Currently stocked with just Endler's a couple snails and about as many plants as I could fit :D.

It has a 3g sump and a diy co2 underneath. Probably way more complicated than it needs to be but I think it's part of the fun.

Hopefully I'll keep up the courage and manage to post more. Thank you everyone here for sharing all your great knowledge. There is information to be had and found from here that is no where else!
 

Bora Kastrat

New Member
Oct 24, 2018
1
2
3
47
Türkiye
Hi there!

Greetings from Turkey. I had 3 or 4 tanks for live bearers for many years back in the day (~1985-95) when i was a teenage boy. I had to tear them down when I started college. In 2006 my father passed away, I was looking for a hobby to keep mom busy, so I got into planted tanks with a 200lt tank. 3 years later I had to tear that down because I got married and moved away.

So, after a long break of 9 years, i set-up my 80lt open-top cube 7 weeks ago. I have about ~12 different types of plants in there. ADA Amazonia substrate (normal and powder), full spectrum LED lighting, pressurized CO2 with inline atomizer. I am following EI regimen for fertilizing. I very recently got about 20 cherry shrimps, 5 amonos, 4 horned snails, 10 rasbora kubotai and 10 ember tetras.

Tank is still in progress (as all tanks are, i guess). Here is a picture from 2 weeks ago (it is in better shape at the moment)
IMG_2804.jpg



Update (18.04.2019):


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IMG_0084.jpg
 
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subchan

New Member
Feb 15, 2019
2
1
3
36
PA, USA
Hi there, I am a newbie to the planted tanks. I have a 10-gallon betta sorority + community tank since about 4 months now. Recently, I have been planning to upgrade to a 29-gallon low-tech planted tank and move my fishes to this new tank. I have been doing research about different aspects of a planted tank. I expect to start setting it up in the coming few weeks.
 

The Caterpillar

New Member
Feb 17, 2019
3
1
1
45
Sacramento
Hola from NorCal. I am currently running a 30 gallon tank that is two years old and is hosting some black ruby barbs and false julii corys. I started the tank completely planted and it looked good for a first timer. However brown algae coated and killed off my plants and all that's left is some anacharis which grows too fast for the algae. I'm now using RO water for all my changes and I'm hoping to get the tank back in shape so I can put in some plants that will last. I think I still need to find the proper balance between light and algae but that's still a work in progress. Peace everyone.