New, My first planted tank *pics*

[b4tn]

Just signed up and figured before I barrage everyone with questions I would introduce myself.

I have had several tanks including saltwater over the past 15 or so years but never got to deep into a planted aquarium. I really wanted another saltwater setup but I live in Germany and move every 3-4 years so my wife and I agreed that a saltwater is too costly in the long run. When I bought the 42 gallon tank I started researching and decided that I wanted to plant it. A bit frustrating at first getting everything together but 3 weeks later I am very pleased with the results! As soon as I added more light and only 3 days of dosing with dry ferts from Greg and my plants are growing at an extremely fast rate! Some 1-2" or more a day it seems.

Here is what I have.
42G
PH controller
Pressurized CO2
Fluval 204
60watts of NO light
96watt bright kit from AH
Home made canopy

Here are some first set up pictures, The pictures that have week 3 are from tonight

http://images.ibpwr.com/aquarium/

 

[Cornhusker]

Re: New, My first planted tank *pics*

your first tank looks great! what ever you are doing to achieve, don't change.looks like you had nice healthy plants when you started. i'm curious as to the type of substrate you have.keep up the good work and welcome to the wonderful world of barr mania. regards,cornhusker

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: New, My first planted tank *pics*

Just signed up and figured before I barrage everyone with questions I would introduce myself.

I have had several tanks including saltwater over the past 15 or so years but never got to deep into a planted aquarium. I really wanted another saltwater setup but I live in Germany and move every 3-4 years so my wife and I agreed that a saltwater is too costly in the long run. When I bought the 42 gallon tank I started researching and decided that I wanted to plant it. A bit frustrating at first getting everything together but 3 weeks later I am very pleased with the results! As soon as I added more light and only 3 days of dosing with dry ferts from Greg and my plants are growing at an extremely fast rate! Some 1-2" or more a day it seems.

Here is what I have.
42G
PH controller
Pressurized CO2
Fluval 204
60watts of NO light
96watt bright kit from AH
Home made canopy

Here are some first set up pictures, The pictures that have week 3 are from tonight

http://images.ibpwr.com/aquarium/

Generally speaking, if you can raise the corals and m,acros well in Marine, then it does not cost so much since you can sell the livestock.

Planted tanks always has lots of excess cuttings, most get tired of selling them, but many take them to the LFS or put them on line for sale or take them to a local aquarium club to auction etc.

Most of the plant specific clubs simply trade and swap plants rather than exchange any money in the USA.

I made roughly 200$ a month on plants using 5 tanks and about 160 gal worth of volume for several years.

Overall the plant tank will be much less work as far as what to do.

Your Egeria densa will grow 2-5cm a day.
I think you will fill the tank out rapidly and then need to change the plant species some so you are not trimming some much all the time.

Regards.
Tom Barr

 

[b4tn]

Re: New, My first planted tank *pics*

Cornhusker, Well actually the plants where getting sicker and sicker looking until I almost doubled my light and started dosing. It only took a few days for the plants to literally take off. As for the substrate. I don’t speak German so I just picked the best I could based on the pictures :lol: alot of the brands you all use are not available to me here. The bottom layer is basically a sandy mud about 1" thick. Then on top is a clay based rock that is very pourus supposedly high in nutrients. The roots literally grow through the rocks. It is about 2" thick.

Tom, The egeria is worrying me a bit. I like the bushy look in planted tanks and it really gives that look but I have to prune almost daily to keep it from covering all my light. It grows FAST! However growing even faster is the Asian Ambulia. I see lots of pruning in my future

 

[handimn1]

Re: New, My first planted tank *pics*

Nice lloking aquarium, to bad you have the hair algae!

 

[detlef]

Re: New, My first planted tank *pics*

Hi b4tn,

if at some point of time you want to change your substrate into better stuff there are ways to get Seachem's flourite as well as Amano's soils in Germany. I found amazonia soil grows plants 1,5-2 times faster than flourite.

Regards,
Detlef