My first planted tank(36gal)

[sylros]

This is my first planted tank, although I did research for the plants, I didn't necessarily have a precise plan and I wasn't sure at the time about the lighting conditions. The tank and equip was bought used, I knew the light needed changing but tested it anyway. The plants still grew a few inches in as many weeks. Just changed the light so we'll see if they are not so thin looking anymore. Check out the initial and current photos. Feedback is always welcomed.

[Cheebs]

Hey looking good! I like it. Definitely a great start

[charlie]

Thanks for sharing & welcome to the green side  , good start.
Can you share the specs on you tank lights, substrate, plants  etc.
Regards

[sylros]

For sure, my plan is to go low tech, easy interesting plans...going for the  natural look where fish will be comfy and get along...I think the serpae tetras are nipping at others...hmmm

here are the specs:
wisteria (Hydrophila difformis)
Anubia Barter var. nana
Peacock Fern (Selaginella wildenowii) - since removed as it's an interior plant
Hornwort
Oriental sword (echinodorus)
Another big crypt in the back corner
Pondweed (elodea canadensis)
Japanese cress (cardamiine lyrata)
Brazilian bacopa (bacopa Caroliniana) - removed since as it got all eaten but it's still rooting
bacopa with the round leaves
Pennywort
Cabomba
Java moss newly attached to the driftwood, added some more
New - riccia moss...would like to make a carpet and have some here and there...Yup, after several hours, carpet created and it's growing

Substrate:
3.5in thick
3/4 of it is small river rocks, small pebbles
covered with an 1in to 1.5 of coarse sand (got at petsmart)

ferts:
substrate pellets Flourish tabs
liquid nutrition called Flourish - weekly

Light:
Coralife 96W 6700k - 36in wide (new tube as the plants were looking thin)

Let me know what other information you need, I did do a lot of research on it but until you experience it, you won't know what's truly right. Some plants I have based on an LFS recommendation that didn't really know their stuff. I now have my own plant book.

[sas]

Hi and welcome to the forum .
Great looking tank!

[charlie]

Hi Sylros, thanks for posting the specs on your tank, the only suggestion i would offer @ this time is to do some research on the impact of higher light intensity on plants & the requirements in terms of nutrient supplementation including carbon, typically 96 watts of CF lighting on a 36 gallon tank is considered a medium to high intensity, this usually increases the requirement for carbon & the macro & micro nutrients , hence you would want to monitor that aspect & do some research on it.
Regards

[sylros]

Thanks Charlie, I will definitely look into that again as the first time around, I didn't know which plant I would end up with. This time the focus will be on the specific plants I got. I  have been feeding them with the liquid fert Flourish but everytime I do, there's always some brown stuff on the plants. The dose is based on the size of my tank, so am wondering if it's too much. One plant in particular doesn't seem to appreciate this, it's the bacopa canadiana. The leaves keep on turning brown. I had stopped putting that stuff for a couple of weeks and it seemed to be doing better. The rest of the plants also got that brown film on. My tank looked cleaner. Any ideas on what could be the problem?

At night, the air pumps are put on to oxygenate the tank, the stones are positioned away from the filte,r creating good currents. I read somewhere that this is good to do.

The light came with the aquarium which I bought used. I do plan on changing it as the bulbs are $100 ea and need changing on a yearly basis. Am aiming on getting LEDs.

[sylros]

So, now it's been a week since the new light bulb was put in...I'm starting to regret getting the 6700K only because now the plants have shot up, especially the elodea( Pond weed), the water sprite must have grown 2 inches...but I also noticed that they were still looking thin, not excessively but still. 

Further research was done on the plants in my tank regarding light requirements, etc...turns out they are all medium or undemanding...seems to be OK so far...haven't lost a plant and they are all growing.

Because of the light, I decided to get a CO2 indicator...well it's showing low. So, will be reducing the "light on" amount...tested the iron levels...all's good there, my KH is at 5 - normal, PH 7.8

Although I got some liquid CO2, what else can i do (without purchasing a CO2 kit) to bring that up?

[fischkopp]

Welcome to the club! Nice start in planted tanks!

You could try out DIY CO2 with sugar and east to up the CO2 in the tank. That's how most of us started eventually before we decided that we like this side of the hobby and upgraded to pressurized CO2. Your tank is small enough that one or two pop bottles (or juice) can really make a difference in supplying CO2 to your plants.

[sylros]

Checked out the prices for the CO2 machines, holy cripes it's expensive...going to have to shop around that's for sure. But it was nice to know that Canadian tire sold the CO2 canisters...anyway, I think I spotted the recipe for the DIY CO2...got the pop bottles, already have the yeast and sugar from baking, lots of tubing, etc. Thanks for confirming that it's worthwhile to try.

I also finally have the stuff to attach the r. moss to make a carpet which will change the look of the tank a lot. Will be moving the plants around a bit as instead of getting for a wild look, I'd like something that has panes or levels, nooks and cranies for the fish to hide. A Rock cave will be added and am trying to figure out how to incorporate this with the existing driftwood.  I promise to take a picture when it's done.

Is it normal for the plants to grow this fast? I almost feel the same as with my baby guppies, there are over 60 of them now in only a few months...What if I reduce the hours for the light to be on, will that make a difference? Since it's a strong light, could I get away with less hours?

[sylros]

Well, I spoke too soon about losing a plant! The brazilian bacopa became a favorite with the gourami, especially the dwarf one...within the space of a week, the poor plant didn't have any little leaves and was growing poorly. Took them out and checked their roots...not a lot of them  and there's some rotting. The other bacopa is doing a bit better but since it's lower leaves are not getting as much light, they are turning black but the tops turned redish since the new light which means excess lighting and it grew a couple of inches.

Managed to create a carpet with the ricci moss...now I have a problem of it floating...I used a plastic needle point canvas but i think that it's a bit too thick hence why it wants to float...what do you guys use? This moss can get everywhere, to secure at first I tried the fishline but maybe it's too thick as it was so unruly to work with. I gave up and used a new bath scrubby as I didn't have a hair net, that seems to do but it was tricky to attach it together. I will be very curious to see how the moss will grow, already after 2 days, some strands are sticking out reaching for the light and it's still green.

Next, I'll be adding a rock cave...got all the stuff, just need to build it.

[exv152]

I like your setup. Like Charlie said above, I would be concerned especially with the light intensity you've opted for because you'll need to balance the fertilizers with the CO2 and lighting.  Planted tanks are a delicate balancing act of those three elements. Right now your lighting is a bit high, and the other 2 components a bit low.  I would either reduce the lighting to about ~ 55w, or increase the co2 & ferts considerably.  Everything looks good now because it was just setup, but down the road the plants will begin to show nutrient deficiencies because essentially you've got the foot on the accelerator (light) with very little gas in the tank (ferts & co2).

[sylros]

Thanks. Yes, I am aware of the high lighting issue, like I mentioned, it came with the setup but I did decide to replace the bulb instead of going for an LED light just because it was cheaper for the time being but...the need for CO2 will drive the cost up a bit...hence my plan to attempt the DIY solution.

I'm watching the plants on a daily basis. Although I didn't use fertilized substrate, plant pellets were added every 6 inch or so, close to the roots. When one of the water sprite was moved earlier this week, you should have seen the root ball...it's taken quite well...At this point, I'm just making minor adjustments with their positioning as it's a pain to move an established plant around. I've also changed my liquid fertilizing strategy...instead of dosing once a week (like it says on the bottle), I've split the dose to a daily one...so far, seems to be making less of a mess (brown stuff on the leaves)...will have to wait and see as it's only been a few days. The lights are on for a shorter amount of time as they grew like crazy...I mean they are taller than the stump in the tank, that's at least a couple of inches. Aside from the brazilian bacopa which has very fine leaves, almost pins, I've lost no other plants. A cabomba has been added, love the way it looks but again I noticed my gouramis munching on it, they do the same on the water sprite, and the bacopa...so we'll see if it becomes more of a problem.

Does anyone have any advice on adding CO2 to a planted tank...what should I be aiming for, the quantity I mean and how can I measure?  What did you base yourself on to make the DIY CO2 generator...any reference you might have, would be greatly appreciated!

[charlie]

For sure, my plan is to go low tech, easy interesting plans...going for the  natural look where fish will be comfy and get along...I think the serpae tetras are nipping at others...hmmm

here are the specs:
wisteria (Hydrophila difformis)
Anubia Barter var. nana
Peacock Fern (Selaginella wildenowii) - since removed as it's an interior plant
Hornwort
Oriental sword (echinodorus)
Pondweed (elodea canadensis)
Japanese cress (cardamiine lyrata)
Brazilian bacopa (bacopa Caroliniana)
Java moss newly attached to the driftwood
New - riccia moss...would like to make a carpet and have some here and there...

.

For all intent & purposes your list of plants are basically low to medium light maybe with the exception of the riccia which will do much better in medium to high lights & CO2, you will be much better off going with a lower intensity light, perhaps a single 36 inch T5 Ho strip light from the hydroponics store ( Brite lite ) i think carried them as well as Ray`s Marine & Aquatic supplies ( A sponsor on this site) check with them for prices, they usually come with a light strip & 6000-6500 K bulb & power cord use to be around 30-35.00.
The reasoning for the above suggestion is that single light intensity will grow all the plants in your tank @ present & lessen the demand for CO2 & the other nutrients, As was mentioned you have your foot all the way down on the gas but no fuel in the tank, which means the compact light you are running is driving the plants go grow like crazy & very little  nutrients to support that growth.
Carbon is the first limiting nutrient when you are driving plants at such a fast growth rate, since plant tissue is made up of a large percentage of carbon , the effect of fast growth & no carbon is a recipe for problems such as algae,note that most new set ups will see nice growth with such high lights until the nutrients that is available in the new set up is depleted & then comes the issues, hence why it`s common to hear " the plants were doing great & all of a sudden XYZ.
If the Carbon is in good supply, we then have the Macro nutrients to ensure is in good supply, Macro nutrients are -Nitrate, Phosphate,  & Potassium also referred to as NPK, your present dosing of Flourish is probably Flourish comprehensive , if that is the case there is no NPK in that  mix.
The next nutrient to take care of is Micro Nutrients or AKA as trace elements/minerals, things such a cobalt, iron, zinc etc etc, check you Flourish you probably  find a full list of mineral's there.
As you can tell by now Lights dictate everything down the line & it is listed in priority- Carbon Macro, Micro.
Hope this helps to better understand what your issues might be, if any one of the above is lacking /limited it is usually referred to as out of balance = algae issues.

Regards
BTW if you choose to go with the single T5 HO strip i give you a DIY Rain Gutter housing to help reflect the light down.

[sylros]

The ferts I am using are FlourishTabs inserted into the substrate near the plant roots and leaf Zone which doesn't list any micro nutrients except for iron, potassium...followed LFS suggestion...hmmm

I've since done additional research on the impact of high lights on the existing plants in the tank. Well, good news, the anubias will adjust as well as the java moss...the bacopia needs so much light that it's not a problem. All in all, since most of my plants require medium, it's not too much of a problem. But as you guys have mentioned, the higher the light, the more nutrients required...so much for low key! LoL

Did a water test last night, and all is fine and adequate to be able to add CO2...my next project. Just want to try it for a bit see what it really does!

Unfortunately, ich as discovered on the black neons and is now transferring to one of my beloved gouramis. Will be going to the store to get meds.

Another thing that was adjusted the filter's spout to not disturb the water surface so much and liquid fertz daily basis... small doses instead of one weekly dose as it says on the bottle. Seems to work much better but there is still a bit of that brown algae on the lower water sprite leaves but there's a lot less than before...Getting there! Will take pictures of the tank...you'll see the growth...Yup, got the foot on the gas pedal but didn't mean too!

[touchofsky]

Just for accuracies sake, Flourish Comprehensive does have NPK, but a low amount.  The label reads water soluable nitrogen 0.07%, available phosphate 0.01%, soluable potash 0.37%, then of course, a whole slew of micro nutrients.  I have found that Flourish Comprehensive works well when first starting a low-med. light tank, with no injected CO2, and Excel as a carbon source. 

For example, on my 29 gallon tank, with t5ho's with low quality reflectors (total 48 watts), I started with 1 ml flourish weekly, plus root tabs, and excel daily.  Great growth, no algae to speak of.  I now dose 1 ml flourish 2 x week, excel daily.  I also have two other low tech tanks that I dose with Flourish and have had the same experience.  Different lighting on both tanks.  One has LED's and the other has t5no's.

Anyway, just my experience with Flourish Comprehensive on low tech tanks 

[sylros]

It's been quite a few months since I last provided an update on my first planted tank. Things have changed a bit. Went through various liquid ferts programs but I keep on getting diatoms (black stuff on plants). Tried the DIY CO2 but it didn't work for me, never got bubbles...my next step is to add more circulation, another filter. I replace the root tabs every 3-4 weeks now...am looking to making my own. Oh and have glazed the glass top, which slowed the growing and lessened nutrition needs. I was trimming like crazy before. I'm glad to see that all the new plants are doing well and have already produced runners. The bacopia doesn't have brown leaves anymore. The sword is still thinner than originally but is much better than before!...no CO2 in this tank. Couldn't keep blyxia, baby tears, japanese cress, the pennywort leaves were always small so I just gave up. Now trying out some red plants but this means I have to up the lighting and iron. They are growing but are not quite as red except for the tiger lily. Anyway, feedback and comments are always welcome.

Flora
wisteria (Hydrophila difformis)
Anubia Barter var. nana
Oriental sword (echinodorus)
Amazone sword and its baby
Pondweed (elodea canadensis)
bacopa with the round leaves
Pennywort
Cabomba
Java moss attached to driftwood
Java fern
Crypt
Twisted Sagitaria
Tiger lily
unidentified plant in the back - need ID
hygrophila ... two types, polysperma and polysperma 'rosanervig'

Fauna
pair of pearl gouramis
pair of sunset gouramis
pair of dwarf gourami
1 irridescent blue gourami
2 siamese algae eaters
1 botia
1 green corydora
2 peppered corys
1 bushynose (female, has no whiskers)
3 ottos
3 guppies (2females + 1 male)
5 serpae tetra
3 emperor tetras
5 black neons
3 cherry barbs (1 female+2 male)
2 zebra snails
1 weather loach ( the other jumped out of the tank)

[pm]

looks nice... very tranquil and natural.

[exv152]

If you're uping the lighting you should give pressurized co2 a go, you wouldn't regret it. Other than the tiger lily, what red plants did you acquire?

[sylros]

If you're uping the lighting you should give pressurized co2 a go, you wouldn't regret it. Other than the tiger lily, what red plants did you acquire?

So if I was to use CO2, for this size tank what would I be looking for? How big should the CO2 tank be and any particular brand?