How should I start off??

[greyhoundfan]

I just rec'd my plants today. 10 Anubias Barteri, 7 Anubias Nana and 6 Java narrow leaf. I'll be affixing them to my driftwood tomm and start my 75 G running. As you can tell I chose low light, low tech plants. Just attach to wood and watch them grow.

I QT'd plants in PP dip. I'll do one more tomm before I attatch to driftwood. Since the tank will have no fish in it, what will the plants need to have as nutrients as they settle in? My plan is to wait a month and order some Cardinal Tetras and Rummy Nose tetras..(If Bill still have some left).. total number of dither fish would be at a 100. Than after a few mos. the tank should be ready for my BKs.

I feel that this is a good time line, I'm just not sure if I should be supplementing the plants with any nutrients until I put my dithers in there.

[Ed13]

I preffer the bleach, never have done the PP to know which is better

The basics, Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and Iron. At what concentrations will depend on the water if a Co2 source is present and light. Normally nitrogen and phosphorus are provided by food and fish so when they go in you'll need to reevaluate.

BTW, nice plant selections.
Are all going in wood? The same piece?
The fern usually looks nicer at a higher eye level than the anubias in my opinnion

[ezeke1]

I like your lowtech approach and that's what Im doing as well! For ferts, just go with Seachem's Flourish Excel for the macro nutrients. I think Seachem also has another solution for the micro and you should be set.

[greyhoundfan]

thanks for the feed back Ed and David..

Ed, what is your bleach solution mix? how long do you soak your plants in it? I am planning on attaching all the plants onto the driftwood.

I'm hoping it will come out half as nice as Dan's set up..
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=50294

[Polar_Bear]

Firstly, Seachem Flourish Excel is NOT a fertilizer, it is a carbon source ONLY. Reid, with the plants you have chosen, not knowing how much light you have makes it impossible to guide you. If you have very low light, use no fertilizer at all, the fish will provide everything the plants need. Even with the plants you have chosen the lights that came with your tank are almost certainly not strong enough. Since you have a 75 gallon my suggestion would be to go to a Home Depot type store and buy a shop light for $8, make sure it has an electronic ballast. Two T-8 lamps cost about $8 also (it doesn't matter what color temperature), buy what is on sale or cheapest, add a timer and you are out of the store for less than $30. This will provide all of the light you need. If you feel that you have to add fertilizer, which you don't, go here; http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/st...cplantfood.php purchase the "PMDD Pre-Mix", use it at about 1 teaspoon per week ONLY, you will need no other suppliments.

[greyhoundfan]

Thanks PB.. at least you confirmed my set up. I'm not using tank lights, I am using a shop light from Home Depot. Holds two T8s 34 watts a piece..

[Kindredspirit]

Hey You! Good Luck, Reid! I loved Dan's set up ~ I so recall that picture Take some pictures as you go along here!


I am excited for ya!


Marie ~

[mmorris]

Reid, I'm trying to understand your chronology. You are waiting a month before you add any fish and so I assume the tank isn't cycled yet. If you are moving discus you already have to the new tank, wouldn’t it make sense to add the filter media from the discus tank and then add the discus? You can quarantine the dither fish in another tank. Or, perhaps better, add some of the media, add the dither fish, quarantine a month and then add the discus? I don’t understand why you are waiting a month to add fish if you have media. If you are concerned about organisms in the media killing the dither fish, then that will happen anyway when you add the discus. I must be missing something here. Why buy plants a month before the fish? Martha

[greyhoundfan]

Martha, I actually like your approach better. From what I've read I thought it was best to let the plants establish themselves first before adding fish. Maybe I can shorten it a bit. I was planning on using existing filter media. I prefer to add my dithers first since they will have a better chance of not ending up as snacks for my discus vs. putting in my discus first than dithers. I am going to wait at least a month to observe and QT the dithers before I add my discus.. Hope that makes sense.

I didn't make myself clear as this is my first semi-planted tank venture.

Thanks Marie.. I literally spent hours looking at Dan's and Scolley's pics and I just had to do it.

[mmorris]

I wouldn't bother waiting at all! I can't see any reason whatsoever for establishing plants before adding fish. Order those dithers today and have fun with that! Martha

[poconogal]

I wouldn't bother waiting at all! I can't see any reason whatsoever for establishing plants before adding fish. Order those dithers today and have fun with that! Martha

Hi Reid, I agree with Martha... I added my plants to my existing Discus tank after I cleaned them with a bleach solution and rinsed well. I'd get those Cardinals right away and let the plants and the fish get acclimated for a few weeks, then add the Discus. I did add my Cardinals to my tank several weeks before the Discus though, for the same reason you stated.

[Ed13]

Reid I do recommend your first idea. Actually is the only way I do planted tanks and reefs too. Plant the tank let the plants established, add cleaners, then tankmates and last the main fish.

Why? The plants usually arrive from the plant nursuries in an emerged form or suffered damage when they were pruned or shipped. Adding fish first or at the same time means their are going to be nutrients in the water that they won't be able to efficient;y remove, so there is a big chance of an algae bloom. Not to mention damage the fish may cause themselves by uprooting or touching the plants

True, in your setup it may not matter much as the plants you chose are not nutrient hogs, but the emerged growth part may still apply.

I also recommend the Seachem products for a simple tank otherwise you might as well go DIY. Flourish and Trace, maybe excel will do the trick, I use to buy them separetly(N,P,K,Fe) and adjust accordingly, but if you need to do this DIY is a better option

Two, 32w bulbs sounds perfect for this tank. I would choose at least one of the bulbs, prefferably the two, in the 6500k still the cheap ones. This bulb is more for your eyes(not too yellow) as basically anyone will grow them 3000k-6500k

BTW in case you were wondering, in reef tanks I go; rock; sand unless going Barebottom;. cleaners and working fish then; feather dusters, corals, clams etc; then the main fish

[ezeke1]

Firstly, Seachem Flourish Excel is NOT a fertilizer, it is a carbon source ONLY. Reid, with the plants you have chosen, not knowing how much light you have makes it impossible to guide you. If you have very low light, use no fertilizer at all, the fish will provide everything the plants need. Even with the plants you have chosen the lights that came with your tank are almost certainly not strong enough. Since you have a 75 gallon my suggestion would be to go to a Home Depot type store and buy a shop light for $8, make sure it has an electronic ballast. Two T-8 lamps cost about $8 also (it doesn't matter what color temperature), buy what is on sale or cheapest, add a timer and you are out of the store for less than $30. This will provide all of the light you need. If you feel that you have to add fertilizer, which you don't, go here; http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/st...cplantfood.php purchase the "PMDD Pre-Mix", use it at about 1 teaspoon per week ONLY, you will need no other suppliments.

I mistakenly understood excel as a source of ferts and from what I've read of other's tanks, most who go lowtech only dose this are typically successful in keeping the plants. Sorry Reid, I wasn't trying to give you bad advice

[tpl*co]

With those kind of plants you really don't need to add anything at all except the fish!

I've got anubias, crypts and fern in my tank and I don't dose or dose only if I see any yellowing on the anubias.

This is low tech, low light tank remember?

Adding all that is asking for algae problems.

Tina

[greyhoundfan]

Ed, thanks for the feedback.

Dave, I appreciate your feedback too.. No worries..

Tina, thanks for the reminder. I'll only add ferts if I see yellowing as you mentioned.