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Setting up my first planted tank (3ft)


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My lights has arrived and therefore it's time for me to setup my planted tank! Due to I have collected many low light plants over the years of fish keep so far the majority of the plants are low light but I was thinking to add them slowly.

The plants I have in the aquarium are (that I recognise):

- anubias coffefilae

- anubias nana

- java moss

- java fern

- Needle leaf java fern

- Hair grass

- Crypts

- water sprite

- amazon frog bits

- Süßwassertang

- duck weed (unintentional)

and lots of driftwood (I make my own driftwood at the moment coz my neighbour has an oak tree and I also have a small creek next to my house and I sometimes pick up wood from it)

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I removed my 2 ft community tank into the 3ft tank... The fishes didn't even need a settling in time. Eating and breeding 10 minutes after I put them in the new tank, see my bristlenoses chumping on the zucchini?

Edited by Joan
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lookin' good Joan....

what substrate are you using?

I've just got hold of some 'red brick' which is actually old red clay bricks that have been crushed up to about 3-6mm in size - supposedly great for plants so am going to try my sword plants and some others to see how it goes - still low light for me though (just normal T8 tubes above tank).

What plants are you hoping to grow with your new light? Have you made a list yet?

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The substrate I'm using at the moment are just gravel with lateriate mixed in for iron and other substances. I'm planning to add PMDD dry fertiliser mix into the water column for more fertiliser when the tank are settled down a bit. I have also planning to use DIY CO2 as well again will do that when my tank has settle down a bit and when the plants starts to grow.

I haven't made a list yet.... but the light is 3 tubes HO t5 light which comes to 117 watts. I believe for a 3 ft tank that's a medium light. I don't have sword plants coz I have lots of bristlenose and they will devour them in one day. I guess I'll go to several aquariums to check out their display tank to get ideas.... or do a lot of googling.

Edited by Joan
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Joan,

The hand-saw came in handy then I see with the Oak? :)

It looks great, I might start trying to identify the oaks in my area - did you have to treat them / boil / anything?

I went back to that store that I mentioned had the Anubias on driftwood for very cheap- unfortunately it looks like they upped the price to something more reasonable... thanks anyway to that work experience kid for selling me stupid cheap driftwood !

Where do you buy your Java moss? I can't get enough of it (must stop buying tanks) ...but can't find a good supplier in my area.

- Ness

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I have a few fast growing plants such as hair grass and water sprite, I also have plenty of duckweed in the tank to help with algae control. I have never had a problem with normal algae if my plants are growing nicely, I have found as long as there's long plants and with weekly water changes there's almost never an algae problem. well except black-beard algae...

@Ness

Fresh oak wood is no good for driftwood, due to it has this chemical that will kill your fish. What I did is ask my neighbours nicely if I can keep some of the branches when they're tidying up their tree (powerlines etc). I leave it in the garden for a few weeks and them soak into in a bucket outside until it sinks. I then boil the pieces in a large pot for about 6 hours to get rid of any nasties on it. I then soak the wood in some old aquarium water ( I keep my aquarium water for gardening purposes and flush the toilet with it too) for days and if I have time weeks to get rid of the tannins on the wood and for it to grow nice layer of slim which my bristlenoses love. My recommendation is if you only need a few pieces of driftwood, go out and buy it. But if you're like me who keep a whole colony of bristlenoses who loves the taste of driftwood, it's a good idea to process a few pieces at once.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I thought I'll do an update. The last time I posted on this was a month ago... so I think I'll give everyone a look at my aquarium. For those who saw me at the Vic betta meeting would know that my tank is a bit how should I say this... too busy? I've put too much things in it and now I don't know what I should get rid of

Take a look and let me know!

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Don't mind the fry saver, I was recently given some peppermint bristlenose from a friend and they're too small to be in the tank. So I thought I'll put them in a homemade fry saver.

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THANK YOU it's lovely to hear good comments.... I'm decided to call my tank "night and day" at this period of time. The left hand size gets a lot of light and for fast growing plants (I tend to scope the floating plants out of the way) and the right hand side is night. A large driftwood + anubias, water sprite and some duckweed and frogbit provides a nice shady side for my bristlenoses.... they love it!

A few pots of the stem plants are getting established and growing nicely. I'm thinking about adding a few more by cutting them and starting new pots.... I maybe able to bring some plants to the next Vic bettas for sale or raffle!

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Nothing wrong with that one Joan, everything looks really healthy and happy. :D Wish I could get my 3ft organized! If I get one bit right I find something else that I'm not happy with...good thing the fish aren't too fussed, think I'd have a walkout on my hands!! :lol: NannaJo B)

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Looking really good Joan. I neglected my 3ft and no am struggeling to save my weed. To busy breeding betta. Lol

I found when my tank got to your stage that I thinned out by taking the whole type of plant from the tank. I read somewhere that a harmonious tank should only have a max of three different plants. I was a bit skeptical, but had a go and was really happy once I did this. My main plant is the Java Fern. Then have a a feature plant and say a grass as example.

I think you tank looks great and now the real fun begins. It will never be right, always something to change or do. That's why I love planted tanks.

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Just wondering.... how often should I trim? Coz the stem plants on the left hand side has now grown to the surface of the water.... I'm just wondering should I trim them back and start another pot or should I just leave it?

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Up to you. For me it depends on which plant it is. If it is for example... milfoil or elodea I'll let it grow a bit wild before trimming it. Wisteria I keep much more on top of. Others will snip it off the second there's enough length to trim and replant, or trim and toss.

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Looks great Joan, if the fish aren't too crowded I wouldn't bother culling it down, plenty of the professional aquascaping tanks are really heavily planted.

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Perhaps we should look at doing a Victorian / or all of Ausaqua Aquascaping photo comp? - we could break it down to size categories..... oooohhh that could be fun!

(My 10 litre tanks don't compare to this - they are, how shall I put it - more..... bare-bottom zen rock gardens with the occasional Anubis) :blush:

-ness

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lol... I'm not throwing it out.... just wondering if trimming will be good or bad for the plants.

I think the plant that i've trimmed is called hygro, correct me if I'm wrong. I've trimmed the plants and started another pot of it, so I'm hoping this pot will grow as nicely as the last pot. This plant toke a while to establish but as soon as it did it's growing like a weed! It shoot up 20 cm in a week! I guess it has to do with the fact that my tank is a bit overstocked, so it's a bit high in nitrate and co2.

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Oh wow Joan, you've done a great job :applaud: ... and look at those BN's, are they the babies I saw at your place last time? They are so big! I get rid of duckweed with gold fish, but I guess that is not really going to be very helpful advice now is it...

When I get moved I intend to set up my plants nicely (no point now, they will all need to be packed up soon) and I shall have to pick your brain for techniques.

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no worries, you're more than welcome to! Although I don't know if I'll be much of a help coz I'm still learning myself. But one piece of advice is LATERITE is great! buy it and love it... sorry, it's just that i was told the laterite is able to provide around 12 months of micronutrients and macronutrients for my plants so I don't need to fertiliser constantly.... isn't that great?! I've found the lazy way of keeping a planted tank!

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