Noob wants to redo 10 gallon into planted

[brooklynfish]

I've become bored with my 10. Its not the fish, its the decor. Looking at some other peoples tanks (*cough* Avalon)has made me want to change it into a planted tank.

Still doing a ton of research, so please speak up if something sound wrong:

1. Light- 40w pc fixture from CurrentUSA 20" Satellite 1x40W SunPaq w/Lunar Light (Current)
2. no CO2- sorry, but i dont want to get complex here. Maybe farther down the road. Thinking of using something from Seachem called Excel.
3. water- read somwhere that tap water is best for plants, as long as you can drink it without dying.
4. substrates- i have a blue and green gravel, but i think i'm going to ditch it for something more natural.
5. Filter and heater- going to keep both, no probems with them.
6. Fish- GBR and 4 cherry barbs, 2 amano shrimp, and an ADF.

Thats it so far. I'm sure I'm missing something...

And for all you SW Noobies, I still got ma reef. lol

 

[unwritten law]

I wouldnt put GBRs or barbs in a 10.. GBRs need more territory and barbs like to swim a lot more

 

[sweetpickles7]

Why dont u just keep the fish you have in your 10 already? Thats some pretty powerful lighting too, imo. My Anacharis is growing wonderfully with low-light and no CO2. Ive cut it once in the last 3 weeks and it already needs it again.

 

[brooklynfish]

Thanks.

Yea, I like my fish, so i'll be keeping them when I'm done. I want the classic thick planted look, but not sure if I can get this in a 10.

The light is fine right? for a 10?

 

[sweetpickles7]

Yea ur light is fine, you can keep high light plants although without the co2 idk, u might be fine just pick the right plants. My setup is lowlight and no co2.

 

[joy613]

You might want to check into fertilizers as well as excel especially with the amount of light you are going to use. If you use excel some plants will melt like vals and anacharis but it does help keep algae down.

 

[brooklynfish]

The excel will melt some plants? Doesn't it just put some co2 in the water?

Just realized this yesterday:

If I take out all of the fake plants and gravel, Wont I have to cycle it again? Maybe the bacteria in the filter will be enough....

 

[Avalon]

To clarify something about excel, it is not a substitute for CO2. It is nowhere near as effective. Excel works much better in lower light tanks, and its effects are subtle at that. It alone is pretty much useless in a high light tank. However, using DIY CO2 should work pretty well for a 10g. I would work with that.

Any bacteria will be better than no bacteria. Save some mulm from the old substrate to put down before putting the new substrate in. Enough to cover the bottom will work. If you have enough plants, and particularly if you use CO2, you may not have much of a cycle if any at all. The plants will absorb the ammonia and nitrates. You may on occasion see a small spike in ammonia or nitrites, but it's usually gone in a week or less if the plants are growing in well. I usually just wait a week then add some fish without issues. Keep in mind if you want a 'thick planted tank' than you'll need quite a few plants. Don't make the mistake of thinking a few plants will multiply rapidly. They don't.

 

[Lotus]

Removing the gravel may well cause a mini cycle in your tank. You'll have to monitor it.

Excel doesn't always melt plants. Some people experience it with valisneria or anacharis. Excel doesn't put CO2 into the water, it provides an alternative source of carbon for the plants.

The fixture you linked to will be fine, but you would need to change the bulb. It is possible to grow plants with a standard 10g hood (either fluorescent or the incandescent kind with the bulbs replaced), if you want to try plants before spending a lot of money on lighting.

 

[brooklynfish]

thanks avalon. just curious about the excel there. Mulm is the stuff on the bottom of the tank, right?

Gunna look into the co2, maybe go down the DIY route.

As for the tank, i was thinking of putting them in a bucket with a heater and filter.

And the lights, going to replace them anyway, the one i have is crappy lol.

 

[ishar]

I've become bored with my 10. Its not the fish, its the decor. Looking at some other peoples tanks (*cough* Avalon)has made me want to change it into a planted tank.

Just wanted to say he is the one who bit me with the planted tank bug as well haha. He not only gave me the bug, but perpetuated it by constantly not letting me fail haha. Thanks Av, and good luck Brooklyn. I don't post much but I log in once a day here, so any questions? Feel free to pm me.

 

[ishar]

wouldn't let me edit my other post...

but I wanted to share a link with you to aid you in your research. It is a simple website I made recently to catalog many of the links I have found useful in doing my own research.

Ishar's Planted Tank Website

 

[brooklynfish]

Thanks ishar. Thats a great website! Pulled lots of info off of it! Thanks!

What type of gravel should I use? I was thinking of going down the flourite route.

What would I need to grow a nice bed of glosso? In terms of ferts and c02?

 

[blue_ram]

I've become bored with my 10. Its not the fish, its the decor. Looking at some other peoples tanks (*cough* Avalon)has made me want to change it into a planted tank.

Still doing a ton of research, so please speak up if something sound wrong:

1. Light- 40w pc fixture from CurrentUSA 20" Satellite 1x40W SunPaq w/Lunar Light (Current)
2. no CO2- sorry, but i dont want to get complex here. Maybe farther down the road. Thinking of using something from Seachem called Excel.
3. water- read somwhere that tap water is best for plants, as long as you can drink it without dying.
4. substrates- i have a blue and green gravel, but i think i'm going to ditch it for something more natural.
5. Filter and heater- going to keep both, no probems with them.
6. Fish- GBR and 4 cherry barbs, 2 amano shrimp, and an ADF.

Thats it so far. I'm sure I'm missing something...

And for all you SW Noobies, I still got ma reef. lol

I have a planted 10 with 25w lights and Purple Cabomba, Red Temple, Water Sprite, Red Ludwigia, Jva Fern and I think a stem of Anachris.

I use it to grow my trimmings back into full size plants to fill the other tanks. I dose with excel, kents pro growth and leaf zone and the plants grow lik crazy in there.

 

[brooklynfish]

I have a planted 10 with 25w lights and Purple Cabomba, Red Temple, Water Sprite, Red Ludwigia, Jva Fern and I think a stem of Anachris.

I use it to grow my trimmings back into full size plants to fill the other tanks. I dose with excel, kents pro growth and leaf zone and the plants grow lik crazy in there.

Really? No co2? Sounds good. How are those ferts? do you like them? (I'm assuming you do b/c your plants grow like crazy)