# Planted Tanks > Beginners' Corner >  Hi total beginner here - Questions regarding new low tech/low maint. tank setup

## Lulu

Hi to all the pros here! I have always been fascinated by aquariums and fish keeping and finally took the plunge, bought a new Gex Glassterior 600 slim tank (60x20x25). I plan to start a low-tech, low maintenance planted tank. I have been reading a lot from this forum, various other forums online and also spent a lot of time getting poisoned by loads of youtube ADA/iwagumi/planted tank scapes videos. I would consider myself to have some basic theoretical knowledge on planted tanks but 0 practical knowledge, but still have many many questions for all the pros here so please bear with my noobness  :Embarassed: 

1st question: I read up about the Walstad method and Tom Barr's non CO2 planted tank. If I'm only planning to have mainly low light/plants that don't need soil (anubias/mosses & ferns), & some dwarf hair grass/HC & some kind of stone/DW iwagumi hardscape, do I need to dirt my tank (Thinking of putting JBL base fert then cap with gravel/sand) or will it just cause algae growth? Is it possible to have the Walstad method & Iwagumi in a tank? Or will hardscapes take up too much space and thus end up not enough plants to support the bio load?

2nd question: For a light to moderately planted tank of my size (60x20x25) & probably looking to stock a small school of danios/tetra + clean up crew of some hardier shrimps & otos, will the Eden 501 canister filter work well for me? Do I even need a canister filter? Or will one of those bigger HOB (Gex slim/fluval c3 kind) work fine?
My aim is to get a good filter thats easy to use & clean preferably under $70. I have no idea how to set up a canister filter (eg: priming/double taps etc) & "better models" like the eheim 2213 looks quite complicated to use to me!

Those are the 2 biggest questions on my mind right now haha, still have a lot more to ask but I think my post is getting quite long so I'll stop here. Hope all the "seniors" here can help me out! Thanks loads  :Very Happy:

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## diazman

hi there!

1) Since you are going with the hairgrass, you cap the jbl base fert with gravel/sand. The rest of the plants you just tie up to your DW/lava rock etc. Just need to make you have a good amount of plants at start to deal with the excess nutrient. You can op to add floating plants to aid with the cycling. How much lighting are you using btw?

2) If you planning to go cheap, why not just get the biggest sized HOF? easy to maintain and i believe it costs less than $40 at most for most brands. Just need to take note that when you are out purchasing a HOF, get the biggest sized/capacity you can get hold of, as these will be good to house as many media as possible. My tanks all runs on HOF only as its cheap and easy for me to maintain (easy to clean out during WC regime  :Grin: )

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## wongce

> Hi to all the pros here! I have always been fascinated by aquariums and fish keeping and finally took the plunge, bought a new Gex Glassterior 600 slim tank (60x20x25). I plan to start a low-tech, low maintenance planted tank. I have been reading a lot from this forum, various other forums online and also spent a lot of time getting poisoned by loads of youtube ADA/iwagumi/planted tank scapes videos. I would consider myself to have some basic theoretical knowledge on planted tanks but 0 practical knowledge, but still have many many questions for all the pros here so please bear with my noobness 
> 
> 1st question: I read up about the Walstad method and Tom Barr's non CO2 planted tank. If I'm only planning to have mainly low light/plants that don't need soil (anubias/mosses & ferns), & some dwarf hair grass/HC & some kind of stone/DW iwagumi hardscape, do I need to dirt my tank (Thinking of putting JBL base fert then cap with gravel/sand) or will it just cause algae growth? Is it possible to have the Walstad method & Iwagumi in a tank? Or will hardscapes take up too much space and thus end up not enough plants to support the bio load?
> 
> 2nd question: For a light to moderately planted tank of my size (60x20x25) & probably looking to stock a small school of danios/tetra + clean up crew of some hardier shrimps & otos, will the Eden 501 canister filter work well for me? Do I even need a canister filter? Or will one of those bigger HOB (Gex slim/fluval c3 kind) work fine?
> My aim is to get a good filter thats easy to use & clean preferably under $70. I have no idea how to set up a canister filter (eg: priming/double taps etc) & "better models" like the eheim 2213 looks quite complicated to use to me!
> 
> Those are the 2 biggest questions on my mind right now haha, still have a lot more to ask but I think my post is getting quite long so I'll stop here. Hope all the "seniors" here can help me out! Thanks loads


First and foremost welcome to the hobby....

Question 1) 
you need to use only low maintenance plants to achieve your "low tech' set up. for Low tech, DW scape is easiest. 

See my blog for tank setup information
http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...-yeartank.html

For plants
http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...re-plants.html

You need to select your plants well.You do not even need dirt and can keep a nice sand tank with ferns, anubias on dw, moss, vallisneria, simple bacopa stem plants... :Smile: 

Iwagumi style is a bit hard to maintain due to foreground plants are generally harder to keep and spread to whole foreground nice and low in "low tech setup", you can try though..you may have green fingers... :Smile:  don't worry about algae, concentrate on growing plants... :Smile:  

Question 2)
get a HOF, sponge filter... canister is good but with your budget, HOF will work nicely as diazman mentioned. Eden 501 is only good enough for 1-1.5 feet set up as it is designed for small setups.

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## Urban Aquaria

Personally, i would recommend to use a canister filter because although a hang-on filter can be cheaper (some of the good brands of HOF can be more expensive though), their maximum filter media volume rarely match those of canister filters... even if they do, imagine hanging a gigantic HOF with 3-4 litre filter volume on the side of a tank!  :Grin: 

Canister filters with larger media volumes allow tanks to support higher bio-loads, keep the water parameters more stable longer and help prolong the time required between filter cleaning.

Aesthetic-wise, although a hang-on filter can be strategically hidden behind some plants in a heavily planted "jungle theme" tank... in an iwagumi tank, it would look rather obtrusive in an open-type background, along with the all too obvious intake pipe sticking out very noticeably.

This is where a canister filter would be ideal, it can be hidden under the tank out of view and you can use nice glass lily pipes with it to create a more transparent appearance.  :Smile: 

I used to use hang-on filters when i started out too, but i soon discovered that if i don't keep up with the regular filter cleaning (sometimes i'm busy or traveling, and skip filter cleaning) and they clog up, the water can overflow so much until it spill out the back and create a huge mess (even with the overflow safety features in good hang-on filters, it still happened to me twice), that is one of the reasons why i only use canister filters for all my tanks nowadays, no more potential overflow and spillage issues.

I agree along with wongce that the Eden 501 is more suitable for smaller tanks (ie. below < 20 litres)... a larger canister filter would be better for your tank size. Perhaps a Eheim Classic 2213 (have to buy double-taps separately though) or maybe a Eheim Ecco Pro 130 (the Ecco Pro series are much easier to use and prime, and already comes with inbuilt double-taps, so the final total costing might end up quite close anyways).

Yes, those canister filters are more expensive, but you'll be investing in the most important piece of equipment in your tank setup, so i think its worth spending abit more on it.... and you could also consider long term if you have to change from a hang-on filter to a canister filter, then you end up spending more (like what happened to me).  :Smile: 

As for the substrate... perhaps you could just use ADA aqua soil? Main reasons are because its cost is quite reasonable and it already has the required nutrients to kick start plant growth in the initial stages, and as more people already use it in their tanks its qualities and effects are well documented, so if you have any issues there are more people who can help solve it.

Its just my view, because i also used no-brand substrate and ferts when i started out (thought i could save some money too) but when i ran into problems and asked around, everyone could only give vague advice but no concrete answers to my questions as most were not familiar with the fert and substrate combos that i used.

Hope the suggestions help.  :Very Happy:

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## Lulu

Hi Diazman, Wongce and Urban Aquaria! Wow thanks for all your feedback  :Smile: 
I'll just reply you guys one by one!

@Diazman I'm not so sure about how much light my plants would require so I'm planning to get some generic cheap one like Boyu 2 ft 15 Watts with holder since I think its roughly following the 2 watts per gallon rule. (Google converter says my tank is 6/7 gallons only). Are there any special lights that I need? Or can I even use normal household lighting tubes?

Regarding floating plants, can I remove them after a period of time when my tank is cycled? I'm afraid it might take away from the overall look of the scape haha.

@Wongce I actually read your blog before while I was lurking in AQ hahaha. Your paragraph on the Diana Walstad style tank is what I wanted to follow  :Razz: 
Is a dwarf hair grass carpet considered as challenging to grow as HC or very much simpler? A full carpet is what I'm aiming for in foreground but I'm prepared to wait for it to slowly spread without CO2 hehe.

@Urban Aquaria you raised a good point that slipped my mind. I'm not sure if a HOB would be sticking out like a sore thumb when I finish setting up everything  :Shocked:  Actually I can increase my budget for a Eheim canister filter, but my concern is whether or not it would be overkill. Haha like will it blow my fishes & shrimps out of the water or uproot all my plants? What's a good ratio for flow rate/filtering capacity and tank size? I think I read that the Eheim Ecco Pro 130 has self/auto priming so I would definitely prefer that. By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?

At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years  :Surprised:  (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well? 

And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task  :Confused: 


Here's where I plan to have everything set up. Tank looks super small haha  :Grin: 
But the cabinets the tank is on isn't meant for aquariums and thus don't have those pre cut holes for canister filter tubes. If I end up getting an Eheim canister, does it have to be below the tank level to work properly?

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## Urban Aquaria

> @Urban Aquaria you raised a good point that slipped my mind. I'm not sure if a HOB would be sticking out like a sore thumb when I finish setting up everything  Actually I can increase my budget for a Eheim canister filter, but my concern is whether or not it would be overkill. Haha like will it blow my fishes & shrimps out of the water or uproot all my plants? What's a good ratio for flow rate/filtering capacity and tank size? I think I read that the Eheim Ecco Pro 130 has self/auto priming so I would definitely prefer that. By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?


If you get canister filters with double taps, you can easily regulate the flow on the output side to your requirements, just adjust it so that your tank gets good circulation (ie. the plants sway slightly in the current), but not too strong until the fishes and shrimps get swirled around like in a washing machine.  :Grin: 

From my experience so far, its best to get a filter with an advertised flow rate of around 10-15x of your tank volume (listed flow rates are usually based on empty canisters), once its filled with filter media and setup with hoses, the flow rate will naturally reduce, then you can further tune the flow even lower with the double taps to what you require.

In addition, by manually reducing the flow rate, it also allows the water to recirculate within the canister for a longer time, which helps the bacteria process it more efficiently.





> At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years  (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well?


Not too sure about that, but for every one who says the nutrients are lost after some time, there are others that say it doesn't.

In my opinion, it would be hard to imagine any substrate that will keep releasing nutrients forever, but since a tank has fishes and shrimps and plants that produce wastes which is broken down by the bacteria into nutrients (and people often dose additional fertilizers into the water column too), i would assume that nutrients are always soaking into and also releasing out of the substrate... so i guess its like a 2 way street.  :Smile: 

As for aqua soil turning to mush, i can't offer any opinions on them at the moment as my oldest tank with it is only 7 months old so far, so the soil is still nice and granular. But i've read of seasoned aquascapers who re-use their aqua soil successfully over many years of repeated re-scapes, so that's an encouraging sign which indicates its long term viability.





> And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task


I guess its like changing flooring or carpet in a house... no choice have to remove everything, replace the substrate, then put everything back. 

Usually its accompanied by a total tank re-scape though.

For aquascapers who re-scape their tanks every year, they are probably already used to it.  :Grin: 





> Here's where I plan to have everything set up. Tank looks super small haha
> 
> But the cabinets the tank is on isn't meant for aquariums and thus don't have those pre cut holes for canister filter tubes. If I end up getting an Eheim canister, does it have to be below the tank level to work properly?


Hmmm... i see your conundrum there, canister filters usually need to be at least below the tank water level for them to work well. 

For tall tanks its not an issue as they can be taller than the canister filter if placed beside them, but for short tanks like yours most canister filters are usually taller than the tank so the water will flow back into the tank from the canister filter if it is switched off (or the power is interrupted) and the impeller will end up running dry when re-started.

If you are not able to cut holes in your cabinet, then maybe you could put the canister filter on the floor, and lay the hoses via the side or back of the cabinet to your tank?

Otherwise, you could still use an Eden 501 canister filter, it has a lower profile and is designed to be placed right beside or behind your tank (and it has the auto-priming feature, very easy to use)... after looking at your 2ft tank dimensions, i realized it has a short depth + low height design, so the total volume actually works out to around 30 litres, i think that should still be okay to use with a Eden 501 filter. Many 1 ft cube users use it for their 30x30x30cm tanks, which are around 27 litres, so its not too far off.

In that case, based on your current setup, the Eden 501 would suit your requirements and it's within your current budget too.  :Smile:

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## Urban Aquaria

> By the way, whats the purpose of lilypipes? Purely aesthetic to replace rubber tubes and hoses sticking out of the tank?


Yeah, glass lily pipe sets are mainly used for their aesthetics (they look alot nicer than dark colored plastic intakes and spray bars).

In addition, the shape of lily pipe outlets are usually designed to help further diffuse flow too.  :Smile:

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## diazman

> @Diazman I'm not so sure about how much light my plants would require so I'm planning to get some generic cheap one like Boyu 2 ft 15 Watts with holder since I think its roughly following the 2 watts per gallon rule. (Google converter says my tank is 6/7 gallons only). Are there any special lights that I need? Or can I even use normal household lighting tubes?


The lights you mention is good to go. You probably may want to have 2 of that i.e. total 30 watts of light if you want better light spread  :Smile:  I've used 15 watts in my old setups and plants grow great with philips lightbulb although plant growth is very slow haha. 




> Regarding floating plants, can I remove them after a period of time when my tank is cycled? I'm afraid it might take away from the overall look of the scape haha.


Yup! floating plants can be removed if you like once the tank has established. The first few weeks is crucial for the plants as algae can takeover due the excess nutrients in the water column.





> At first I was planning to just use ADA new amazonia aquasoil but I read something about it losing all its nutrients after some time & thus have to be replaced/supplemented with root tabs etc, whereas some posts say that base fert capped with gravel/sand can retain nutrients for 10 years  (suspect this is major exaggeration though haha) How long will aquasoil last before it turns to mush or needs to be replaced and does the same actually apply to base fert capped substrate as well?


Some may prefer having aquasoil as it has capability to maintain PH, easy planting etc. etc. At most, you won't have to worry about the nutrient in the soil. I've seen people using soil for more than 5 years old i in their tanks and their plants grew just as well. If you feel they are depleted, you can just add in root supplements like OF root monsters etc. etc. Depending on brands of soil, one can turn mushy anywhere from 1.5 year to 2 years




> And how do people go about changing substrate in planted tanks? Remove all tank inhabitants, uproot all the plants and start from scratch? Sounds like a very daunting task


You will need to tear down your setup to change substrate  :Smile:

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## Lulu

@Urban Aquaria Thanks for the info! I'll consider using ADA new amazonia again.
If I can get an Eheim at a good price I might just go for it and run it from the floor maybe. My concern is if the inflow and outflow pipes are long enough to reach my tank haha. Also did some research on those mini canister filters like Eden 501 and found the Shiruba XB303 which is 360L/H and appears to be made in Taiwan. Might get that one instead of the Eden501 depending on pricing and which is in stock hehe  :Smile: 

I think I'll keep lily pipes on my future to buy list then haha, don't want to inflate my startup costs by so much  :Razz: 

@Diazman Thanks! Good to know about the lighting and floating plants  :Smile:  I saw in your thread on low tech dirt tanks that you are using garden soil capped with gravel, have you been running it for long and what are your experiences with it regarding nutrients depleting/turning to mush? I don't think I've seen anyone saying that garden soil substrate can be reused haha.

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## wongce

Most canister need to operate from lower than aquarium. They will not work well if the height is insufficient. Eden 501 is not too bad but i find it too low powered for my 2 feet tank though. My eden clog up fast,i end up cleaning it every 2-3 weeks...

I like HOF as there is less mess and ease of cleaning. Hehe 

Btw,if you are budget conscious,you can get alternative filter like atman df series...i got 2 of them now...thumbs up... Silent,cheaper,easy to prime and it works well with no issue at all. You can check out my blog for review and info.

You can try out a simple setup using sand first...i started from sand tank too. Slowly you will learn the ropes like fertilizer routine, trimming of plants, wc, growing plants and of course play with algae haha. I like low tech setup with sand substrate... Easy to maintain and less hassle...although plants selection might be a bit limited

Rescaping is part of the fun bro!!! Haha i rescape twice a year for fun...lol

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## diazman

> @Diazman Thanks! Good to know about the lighting and floating plants  I saw in your thread on low tech dirt tanks that you are using garden soil capped with gravel, have you been running it for long and what are your experiences with it regarding nutrients depleting/turning to mush? I don't think I've seen anyone saying that garden soil substrate can be reused haha.


The one you saw on the thread is only 2 months old. I've previously used horti soil brand and i ran another smaller tank for a good 1 1/2 year before i took it down. It grew plants as good as during it was first setup. Just need to keep in mind that it can become anaerobic if one doesnt "stir" the substrate abit. :P

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## cherabin

Good reads on non-excel and excel low-tech respectively -

http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/...ed-tank-guide/

http://www.sudeepmandal.com/hobbies/...-planted-tank/

I refer to both as guidelines and have had good results on all my low-tech planted tanks. For the lighting aspect though, I'm using a 55w PLL for each of my 2', way above usual recommendations and adage of low-tech bibles. It has been great so far and I haven't seen issues of algae, unbalance of nutrients etc. But as mentioned, this is not the usual amount of illumination to use for a low-tech tank. Have fun.

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## VSGenesis

Looking at your tank and where you place it, I'll use HOF instead. I'm bias so Fluval C Series will be my choice. 


Cannister is the way to go. I like cannister best and used to have an Eheim Pro 3 running for my 3ft. Love it. But because of your placement; having a cannister will make it look awkward with the tubes and all running down. Unless you're willing to drill holes into your cabinet.


Just my point of view, that area looks empty. Perhaps adding a sculpture, a vase or something on either side of the tank will make it look better. A bigger tank always works. LOL.


On topic of soil, just use Amazonia Aquasoil. Too early to worry about lack of nutrient in soil at this stage. Get your hard material up. Set it up on day one with the soil. Day two having already research the plants you want, go get it. Wash them. Some people quarantine. I just wash under tap water. Up to you. If you are planting HC. DSM would be best to start off with. Side Info: There's a fellow hobbyist that is a famous farmer for HC. Plant them in his pots along the corridor. =) Can learn from. Straw hat and changkul not included.


Both Wongce and Urban Aquaria have good blogs for reference. AQ if you really really search, you can find references and help. Volumes of it. 


Well good luck and get going. More pictures. Step by step. Make this thread into your personal journal for this tank. By the way, what scape are you doing anyway? Personal preference, try to go with driftwood. Iwagumi is fine too. Good luck and hope to see more pictures and updates.


Cheers.


Disclaimer: I am not in anyway related to Fluval. I am just freaking bias towards using Fluval HOF C series because it's awesome for small tanks. I keep repeating myself about HOF and one day someone will ultimately hit me on the head with a broom. I hope that wouldnt be too soon. Ahakz! Thank you and happy planting.

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## bennyc

I am not going to advice you as i still see myself as a noobie. However just want to share with you my experience. I have previously used HOF but the media compartments are small. And I have already use OF Large HOF which is the biggest in their range. The water flow is not as good and there is too much water surface agitation to allow the CO2 i have injected to be effectively remain in the water. I have choose HOF initally due to budget but after switch to canister, the pros do convince me the switch is worth it.

Plant growth and health are better, from what i see.

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## Lulu

@Wongce Thanks for the advice! I might just do a simple scape with sand first to "test" out if I still can't make up my mind what substrate to get haha.
I read that ADA will leech ammonia & thus must soak longer or something. Does sand/dirt have this problem also?

@Diazman So I have to "poke poke" the substrate every now and then? Haha does this apply to all kinds of substrate?

Thanks Cherabin for the links, both are good reads  :Smile:  May I know what kind of filter you're using? 

@VSGenesis Hahaha I guess the empty space on the cabinets can be filled in with more tanks over time if I'm successful with my first one  :Razz:  Yeah the tubing for canister filters may make my setup look awkward. So far drilling holes is not an option but I'm thinking of other ways to hide it. I'm trying to research as much as possible before heading down to LFS this weekend & hopefully I'll be back with most of the basics to set up my tank.
I read about the dry start method but it seems like many people had problems with fungus so a bit scared to try. I'll probably go with dwarf hairgrass as it is easier (correct me if I'm wrong!  :Razz: ).
As for scape, I think I'll go with a mixture of driftwood and maybe some small rocks depending on what pieces I can find. Probably not doing ADA style Iwagumi yet. The more I read the more I think I should keep it simple first. Hardscape is still quite easy to change in the future right? Don't think I have to tear down everything including substrate just to change a piece of driftwood  :Razz:  (I hope...)
As long as I buy rocks from LFS can I assume that they are all inert and won't alter water chemistry? Or should I double check with staff to make sure? 

Thanks Bennyc! I also gathered the same regarding HOF and canisters. Maybe I should also consider if the fauna I plan to keep prefer strong or weak flow to make up my mind which to get. I'm not injecting CO2 so not worried about surface agitation  :Smile: 

Also just wondering, if I get a overpowered canister with no flow rate control, can I reduce it by stuffing it very full with media & vice versa if the flow rate is too weak, remove some sponges? Thanks to all the seniors for your help so far  :Very Happy:

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## diazman

once in a while only. not a daily routine. Im not sure about other substrates but if you dirting your tank, yeah you have to that maintainance

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## wongce

I did a dsm with my new setup tank... No fungus, the trick is moist soil but not watery. Do not cover the tank... Moist soil with sprayer... You can refer urban aquaria's blog for info. 

I tried DHG ,it cannot dsm... Sigh maybe its just me??lol they grow yellowish during dsm but flourished after i flooded wahaha... 

Rocks: test with vinegar ...if it frizzles, then it will alter water" increase PH"

My Low tech setup has no issue with surface agitation... I got air pump running 24 hrs in my "mysterious trail" tank. I dose excel only...no problem so far, plants growing and been giving out plants like hornwarts and moss...lol, i really like low tech tanks due to the convenience and less maintenance.

I will stick to my previous advice, start small , once you the the hang of it, expand... Whether you buy canister of whatever filter also not a big issue... As long there is filtration, regular maintenance, low tech tank is generally less headache... My canister filter is 10x flowrate (maybe more) lol no problem with my hardy shrimps(they seems to enjoy the flow,keep on lurking around the outlet).

Imho, you should look into space and budget,then decide whats best for you. If there is no space for canister, you should go for HOF, OHF will block lights but works just as well(i use OHF for years). Canister has a lot of space for media... If you want more biomedia in your setup, just dump them into mesh bag and hide them beneath sand like me...i got at least 5kgs worth of them in my tank...lol. See my blog for pictures

http://theplantedtankblog.blogspot.s...rious.html?m=0

Btw,i am also a newbie... Still learning from the masters and mods in aq...lol i just a busybody lurking in aq...lol

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## cherabin

I used Eheim Liberty 2042 for 3 of my 2' tanks and find that the flow generated is good enough. For medias wise, i utilised an original blue coarse filter foam with a green fine filter foam on one side and biohome filling up the other side for each filter. Do not worry about surface agitation if you're not using pressurised CO2. Excel double-dosed worked very well for the plants i have and didn't havs any adverse effect on the fauna. Once again, have fun.

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## Urban Aquaria

> I read that ADA will leech ammonia & thus must soak longer or something.


As ADA aqua soil is designed for planted tanks, users will usually experience high ammonia measurements during the first few weeks when a new tank is started up, this is how the soil is designed to work, it releases alot of ammonia and nutrients during the initial period to kick-start the growth of plants in the tank... the aquascaping practice is to plant very heavily so that all the plants can take advantage of the initial burst of nutrients and establish quickly. 

During the initial period of cycling (usually the first month for new tanks, it can sometimes take even longer depending on your planting density), the plants will absorb all the nutrients and get the full boost in growth without hindrance.

Fishes and shrimps are only added much later once the tank is fully cycled and all the parameters are stabilized.

For lightly planted tanks (or if there are too few plants to absorb the ammonia and nutrients quick enough), it can take a much longer time to cycle, so one of the practices is to do large water changes every day, up to 90% daily first few days, then 50% daily next few days, and gradually less after that... this technique can help to reduce the excess ammonia/nitrite/nitrates and enable the tank to cycle faster.

By the way, you should also get a freshwater test kit to monitor the water parameters. It will be the most essential tool during the cycling process (or else you will be wondering why all the fishes and shrimps you add keep dying).  :Grin: 





> As long as I buy rocks from LFS can I assume that they are all inert and won't alter water chemistry? Or should I double check with staff to make sure?


Its still better to test the rocks from LFS, the shop uncles usually don't seem to have any idea either... very often i buy rocks from them and the shop uncle say its aquarium safe, but when i bring the rocks home and test with vinegar, the whole rock fizzle like coca-cola.  :Opps:  





> I'm not injecting CO2 so not worried about surface agitation..


Note that higher surface agitation will also off-gas the Co2 naturally present in the water (which is already very limited), so its usually better not to have too much surface agitation, especially in a non-Co2 injection setup... the plants need all the limited Co2 they can get.





> Also just wondering, if I get a overpowered canister with no flow rate control, can I reduce it by stuffing it very full with media & vice versa if the flow rate is too weak, remove some sponges?


Its very difficult to control a canister filter's flow rate accurately just by stuffing it with more media, it'll be a trial and error situation and as the filter accumulates detritus over time and naturally slows down, you have to keep opening the filter just to adjust the flow rate, very hassle... its better to use an adjustable double or single tap to do the job properly.  :Smile:

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## VSGenesis

I suggest taking it slow first. Use Wongce blog as reference on starting up.

The things you need in the beginning.

*Tank* - (Bring home. Fill with water. Wait for one day. Just to make sure there isnt any leaks)

*Filtration* - As said cannister works best but doesn't mean the rest will fail. There are pro and cons. Cannister is best due to the amount of media it can take. I remember the Pro 3 I had, you can adjust the flow as well. Folks will connect such cannisters to a chiller and then back to the aquarium. 

You will need to adjust the placement of your tank. Otherwise, the tube will be stretched across the top and then down. You can hide it by placing books and a bookend. You could move the tank closer to the left or right. But not center. 

Using HOF creates quite the surface agitation as a member mentioned. More agitation, more gas exchange. Means more oxygen goes into the water and CO2 release back into the air. To have less agitation, I just have more frogbits. Frogbits are great but not sightly when taking a tank picture I guess. Outflow is great and I use CO2 injection. Balance it right both fauna and plants are happy. Again this is by experience, trial and error.

I wouldn't recommend HOF if it doesn't work for planted. Right now, I have a planted tank that is using HOF and daily injection of excel. No CO2 injection. Search in Scapping section. One of our members did an excellent job on his small tanks using low tech methods. 

Cannister is first choice but think of your placement. research to find out which cannister is right for your tank. Filtration is very very important.

*Media*
It should come with the filtration if you purchase new. 

*Lighting*
Research proper on this. There's so much debate on lighting that it can be confusing when I first started. From the 3wpg rule of thumb to what kelvin range is best. All I can say is this. 6500k works. 8000k works. 10000k works and 12000k works. Note that it is a balancing act between lights, CO2 and nutrients.

*Material*
Driftwood, rocks etc. Creativity comes into play. Search online for inspiration. Nothing wrong to copy. Recommend to go to Seaview or GC. At GC, they have a tank where you place your rocks and driftwood and see how they'll look. Myself I spend 4-5hours at Seaview!! LOL. Lucky I have a friend who was patient with me when all he bought was 50 malayans.

*Soil*
Again, there are so many choices. Eventually all turn into mud. If asked straight up, I recommend Amazonia Aquasoil. Once you flood, ammonia spikes like crazy. Don't worry just cycle your tank. Do not add any fauna at all.

*Plants*
Know what plants you want to add in. Front, mid and background. There's been a few times I see our fellow members bringing home non aquatic plants though. 

*Cycling*
Patience and don't go adding chemicals while cycling. Personal experience, 4-6weeks. Though it is not essential; a water parameter kit is a good thign to have. PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate. Just the basics I guess. GH and KH if you got money. Again not essential. Ammonia spikes like crazy. Within 2-3weeks, you will see Nitrite spiking. If that happens, you're on the right track. Wait another 2 weeks or so and your tank should be ready. Cycling is important. Remember to water change. 50% weekly is the guide.

Typing this on the fly so if I miss out something, fill it in. =)

All I'm posting here are just guides on my own experience. Take it with a bit of salt. Might not be right for some. The learning process that you will go through will be satisfying nonetheless.

1st: research tank size, filtration, lighting, soil, co2 injection or low tech, ferts, timer
2nd: type of scape in mind. search online, on forum for inspiration
3rd: shopping!! Don't get push or rather poison into buying what you don't need. Haha.
4th: fill up tank with water to ensure no leaks.
5th: pour he soil and start putting in your hard scape ie the driftwood and rocks. take pictures, adjust differently and take pictures till you're satisfied. It is your tank; it is your masterpiece.
6th: plant plant plant. backache. relax. watch tv. plant plant plant. backache. wife help massage.
7th: if not doing dsm flood slowly. 
8th: on filtration
9th: giggle like a little girl knowing you've finished setting up
10th: take picture and post of AQ
11th: check out the responses, tips, guides, lectures and decide yourself what's right
12th: panic when you suddenly see algaes. (haha usually people always panic when see algae)
13th: research more about planted tanks and read out how the guys does it. AQ have a lot of fantastic aquascappers around. 
14th: all the time spend on tank; don't forget the wife. wife makes noise bring her out for dinner.

PS: Take note those hobbyist in here who say they are newbie but the fact is they are actually very very knowledgeable. Learn from them. I know I did.

Good luck mate.

----------


## Lulu

@Diazman Ok, thanks for the info  :Very Happy: 

Thanks Wongce! Regarding the vinegar to test rocks, any kind of vinegar found in supermarkets will do?
And burying bio-media in substrate o.o very interesting method to make slope also! Are there any disadvantages of doing so and do I have to make sure to cover with more substrate in case the whole mesh bag gets unearthed?

Okay thanks Cherabin! Which reminds me I need to read up more about filter media..  :Smile: 

@Urban Aquaria Thanks! Regarding tests for water parameters what are the most essential ones I should get? Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite? Would test strips like the API 5 in 1 be good enough for a rough gauge? I ask because I've seen some test kits and they were rather pricey and bad for my wallet  :Opps: 

I have also gotten some lights from my friend, will post pics soon later  :Razz: 

@ VSGenesis Whoa thanks for the very detailed list of things I need to do! I think I've more or less decided to go for a mini canister filter for now. If it can last me 1 or 2 years I will be happy enough haha.  :Smile:  

Was looking at fish that I can keep in my tank and came across shell dweller cichlids. Quite interested in this fish but I've never seen them at LFS before. Are they rare in Singapore? Maybe it will fit in well in a lowly planted tank with low maintenance plants like what I had in mind.

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## Urban Aquaria

> Regarding tests for water parameters what are the most essential ones I should get? Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite? Would test strips like the API 5 in 1 be good enough for a rough gauge? I ask because I've seen some test kits and they were rather pricey and bad for my wallet


Personally i use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit, it tests for pH (including high range pH), ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. The set usually retails for $50+ locally, but its a chemical reagent test kit so its much more accurate. 

Test strip kits are cheaper, but not as accurate or consistent... quite often users get odd results, then they mistake that the water has some issue (when there is actually none) and start making drastic changes to their tanks which makes things worse.

Imho, its definitely worth spending some money on a good test kit (especially if its your first tank), or else you will constantly be playing a guessing game and when you ask others for solutions, if you don't have accurate parameter measurements, everyone will also have a hard time providing the right advice.  :Smile:

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## wongce

The slope does slide down once in a while,but i have some buried ss mesh as barrier to hold it in place so far so good...

Actually normal household vinegar is ok but a proper soaking of rocks and test the water is prefered. However, if you are not planning to keep shrimps right?? If not, then it is still ok.

Regarding test kit, go for liquid type as Urban mentioned. If you are budget conscious, you can try out cheaper versions at seaview...i forgot the brand, if not mistake is prodac brand (or similar spelling) below 10 dollars each... So far so good for me... I lazy to test after the initial cycling and everything is settling nicely without any unexpected death(do not try this at home) lol

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## Lulu

@Urban True, I don't have the experience to gauge water conditions  :Razz:  Will consider getting a proper test kit haha. Is there an expiry date on the reagents?

@Wongce What is ss mesh? I haven't decided what to keep yet but was thinking of using amano/ghost shrimp as clean up crew. So should I test with vinegar and check water conditions after soaking the rocks for a few days? Will keep a lookout for the cheaper versions at seaview  :Smile:  Not very far from my home hehe.

Just installed and plugged in lighting  :Smile: 





Its a Aqua Zonic 24W x2 T5 light set  :Grin:

----------


## wongce

Ss mesh: stainless steel mesh. You can use plastic cards too...hehe

All test kit has expiry date

Better test, as some of the rock not only increase PH but also increase calcium content. This may cause molting problems for shrimps.

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## milk_vanilla

No offense,

But my perspective is seeing 2x t5 is considered as medium tech tank ( consider you still aiming for low tech tank ). Carefully watch the light period, fertz and co2 available. Whenever theres unbalance, or limited resource from each parameter, algae is the opportunist creature. 

You could start from short photoperiod first, or running with 1 bulb.

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## felix_fx2

Hello,

I do recommend you to get the basic few liquid test kits. If you have don't have keen eye for color, you might want to go for Sera's version which actually helps. (dig around the fourm and you just might see some folks complaining API bottle small and makes it hard to compare to the card). Be careful when you purchase and look for the expiry, since after the tank is stable you won't be using it much.

About the lighting, Depending on how much flora you intend to put in the tank your lights can be adjusted. (is it with 2 individual switch? it looks like the spare light i have at home).

Some certain plant range will require high lighting, you can reference from APC link below. (compare to what you see in LFS, since they also cater to land plants for terriaums and such)
Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants 

erm, ghost shrimp don't eat algae. Malayans/Yamato/Cherry shrimp do. Since you seems to have chance to do a rockscape. Don't bother on expensive shrimps as their more sensitive to GH conditions, you can go for them after learning along the way.

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## Lulu

@Wongce Ohh I see hehe. Ok, thanks! I'll bear that in mind  :Smile: 

@milk_vanilla Yup, the lighting is more overpowered than what I had in mind initially. I'm planning to run 1 bulb only and start with short photoperiod like you suggested. Would that help prevent algae problems or should I swap out the T5 for normal household lights?

@felix_fx2 Thanks for the info! Yup my light has 2 switches (but one of the light bulbs is dead anyway so I can only use 1 tube) I should be planting all low requirement plants like dwarf hairgrass, anubias and mosses only. Oops, my bad I assumed ghost shrimp ate algae and food remnants since I often read that they are used as clean up crew.. Currently researching more about what fauna to get. 

I have gotten a Shiruba XB 305 mini canister filter and just tested it in my tank  :Very Happy: 
Here's the filter specs:


Testing in my tank:




Think I might buy some backing paper to paste on my tank and hide the canister. 
By the way, how is this layout for the intake and outflow? Water was splashing out of my tank with the water level beneath the rainbar. 
I do not like the "waterfall" sound and am thinking of submerging the rainbar when everything is set up.
As for flow, I'm not sure if its considered weak or strong because I have nothing to compare against  :Razz:  Generally speaking I feel that its quite gentle.
Will fish/shrimp have problems swimming if my rainbar is facing the front glass like this? Or should I place the intake and outflow on opposite sides of the tank?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> By the way, how is this layout for the intake and outflow? Water was splashing out of my tank with the water level beneath the rainbar. 
> I do not like the "waterfall" sound and am thinking of submerging the rainbar when everything is set up.
> As for flow, I'm not sure if its considered weak or strong because I have nothing to compare against  Generally speaking I feel that its quite gentle.
> Will fish/shrimp have problems swimming if my rainbar is facing the front glass like this? Or should I place the intake and outflow on opposite sides of the tank?


The rain bar and intake position looks okay, its a common layout for such systems.

You'll only know if its too weak or too strong when you have added the substrate, plants and fishes/shrimps into the tank, then you can watch them and see if they are struggling against the current or whether there are dead spots.

Btw, i've never used that brand of filter before, does it come with any adjustable flow control feature?

----------


## milk_vanilla

You had purchased the t5, dont waste it. 1 bulb should be in good shape to start low tech. Watch closely the behavior for the first 1-2 month. Equipped with algae crews if necessary. 

Once you are in stable level, it's easier to adjust the parameters. Least you know how to go back your check point.

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## wongce

You can submerge the rainbar to reduce the splashing noise.I suggest you to put the rainbar at the short end so it can shoot towards the other end ( left side to right side)... that way whole tank is circulated. 

i typically put inlet at one end and outlet at the other end..well its up to you & and pipe length..

From well known aquascaping GURU: Concentrate on growing plants, not fighting algae.. 

don't worry about 2 x T5ho it works great for 2 feet low tech tanks... i am using 2 x t5ho with no issue, try to keep your light around 2wpg and keep to low requirement plants + some fast growers like hornwarts and you will be fine.

Btw, you will encounter algae whether you like it or not, they are part of nature, a lot of newbies scare of algae like its end of the world ( i "was" one of them  :Embarassed: ). Well, don't worry and let the shrimps take good care of them, ....LOL... IMHO, some algae on rocks/dw looks natural.... Green BBA/ marimos are examples of beautiful algaes ..hard to get them to grow though.. 

Last but not least, when are you gonna start planting??? keep on showing your equipment and aquarium but no progress?? LOL

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## Lulu

@ Urban Okay, will take note and observe again after adding subtrate, plants and fauna  :Smile:  
Just curious, will intake and outflow on opposite sides of the tank minimise dead spots better and does using the rainbar instead of regular outflow reduce the flow?
The filter doesn't come with adjustable flow features sadly.

@ milk_vanilla okay  :Smile:  Will try out with just 1 T5 tube then thanks!

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## Lulu

@ Wongce Hmmm, ok I will test out the layout you suggested and see if I like it better, thanks!  :Smile: 
Yeah I'm quite horrified by algae. I have a 2 gallon betta tank overrun with brown algae, looks very bad haha.
Ehhh with regard to my slow progress - because I'm a noob with perfectionist tendencies so I've been spending most of my time researching, no time to buy substrate & plants yet  :Razz: 
Trying to decide on what fauna to keep which impacts what kind of substrate & plants I can get etc..
Hopefully I'll get my substrate & hardscape over the weekend haha  :Smile:

----------


## wongce

> @ Wongce Hmmm, ok I will test out the layout you suggested and see if I like it better, thanks! 
> Yeah I'm quite horrified by algae. I have a 2 gallon betta tank overrun with brown algae, looks very bad haha.
> Ehhh with regard to my slow progress - because I'm a noob with perfectionist tendencies so I've been spending most of my time researching, no time to buy substrate & plants yet 
> Trying to decide on what fauna to keep which impacts what kind of substrate & plants I can get etc..
> Hopefully I'll get my substrate & hardscape over the weekend haha


Generally, as long you have light switched on/ sunlight for few hours a day... algae will grow, nothing to stop them unless you do not have lights/indirect sunlight at all ... One way is only have lights on when viewing and off the aquarium when you are not viewing, but make sure your tank is not planted though...best for bare or normal aquarium with plastic plants.

Weekly cleaning of algae is normal to me, brown algae can be cleared by oto or sucker fish..but your betta might peck them as dessert, manual removal still the best option,.Grab a expired credit card/member card or any plastic card to scrap them off the wall of aquarium..algae cleared....

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## Lulu

Ok, will try using plastic card to scrape off the brown algae, thanks  :Smile: 
I bought a large bag of lava rock filter media. Is it safe to place in my tank as part of the hardscape? 
Thinking of doing that or stuffing it into a mesh bag and burying it under substrate to help create a slope. 
Also does lava rock meant for filter media need to be boiled/scrubbed or can I just rinse it a few times and use?

----------


## Urban Aquaria

> Just curious, will intake and outflow on opposite sides of the tank minimise dead spots better and does using the rainbar instead of regular outflow reduce the flow?
> The filter doesn't come with adjustable flow features sadly.


I guess you'll have to test and see, just submerge a small piece of fish food or plant leaf in the water and watch it get carried by the current, then you'll be able to see the water movement.

I don't use rain bars though, i always use directional output pipes or lily pipes. Those type of outputs are usually positioned on the same side as the intake, this is so that the water flows from the output on top to the opposite glass wall, flows down the glass, flows over the substrate, and then back to the intake at the bottom... this ensures that the water flows in a circular direction to evenly distribute Co2 and nutrients, and helps minimize dead spots too.

Here is a diagram that shows how it works:



Credits to AquaticMagic for the diagram.

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## wongce

Urban, you started to poison newbie with lily pipes ah? lol

lava rocks are great biomedia...can be buried with mesh or put inside canister/filter..no issue... but i like ceramic rings from ans more, cheap and good...

you can use lava rocks for scaping too... well its up to your creativity.... :Smile:  black lava rocks are gorgeous but big ones are hard to find.

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## Lulu

@ Urban thanks for the diagram! I like the look of lilypipes but probably not going to get them now haha  :Razz:  
@ Wongce ok thanks! I saw the ANS ceramic rings but I was thinking that lava rocks can help me reduce pH also so decided to get that instead.
If I'm using ADA new amazonia & lavarock plus tap water straight out of my tap is already less than 6.4, any idea if it will it be overkill and drop my pH far too low?
Livestock I'm planning to keep requires pH around 5.5 - 8.

Also, does anyone know what kind of rock this is? Just curious  :Smile:

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## wongce

Lavarocks are inert,same as ans cr...will not change water chemistry..

I had PH 5 before, almost all commando shrimps kia...don't play play... I suggest you monitor weekly,adjust or wc accordingly.

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## felix_fx2

Lulu,

Most of us use T5, Full name is T5HO. (Wikipedia link)
There is another format T5EE (Energy efficiency), it is lower wattage and more cost saving version. It just might be the type you need.

The rock should be those layered rocks. Pretty but you'll need matching ones to make a nice rockscape.

@wongce, you forgot TS using low height. the intensity will be higher compared to normal 2 footers. but i agree algae is a part of a natural tank, just more or less. 

@urban, nice. like the way you give credits properly. eh OT: your feeding poison so soon ah  :Razz:

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## felix_fx2

Lulu,

Most of us use T5, Full name is T5HO. (Wikipedia link)
There is another format T5EE (Energy efficiency), it is lower wattage and more cost saving version. It just might be the type you need.

The rock should be those layered rocks. Pretty but you'll need matching ones to make a nice rockscape.

@wongce, you forgot TS using low height. the intensity will be higher compared to normal 2 footers. but i agree algae is a part of a natural tank, just more or less. 

@urban, nice. like the way you give credits properly. eh OT: your feeding poison so soon ah  :Razz:

----------


## Lulu

@Wongce Huh. I thought the lavarocks would lower pH because it said so on the packaging  :Sad:  Ok will bear in mind about the pH thanks!

@Felix Thanks for the info, will look out for the T5EE tubes the next time I go to LFS.

I just arranged my driftwood and rocks for testing. Any comments or feedback on my first hardscape attempt? 



Please ignore the mess behind the tank haha. Haven't bought oyama paper yet.

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## felix_fx2

T5ee, go ntuc look at their t5 tubes.... every else i tried to look for cheaper T5HO ended up only with T5EE..... (which made me abit sian...)

----------


## Lulu

Thanks Felix  :Smile: 

Update: Finally bought everything I needed, planted and flooded the tank  :Grin: 

Substrate: ADA New Amazonia & some buried lavarocks for added height/aeration/bacteria colony.
Also added Bacter 100, Tournaline BC and Super Clear. (I had a bottle of Old Sea Mud to add too but it slipped my mind  :Embarassed:  )
Plants used:
Glossostigma elatinoides
Bacopa monnieri
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Rotala sp Colorata
Anubias barteri var nana Mini
Taiwan Moss
Salvinia natans
& one unknown plant. (Right side of Bacopa in middleground, any idea what plant that is?)

Before planting:


After planting:


Also have 2 questions:
While planting I disturbed the substrate and now I have bits of soil floating at the water surface. Will these eventually sink or do I have to remove them manually?
I also noticed what looks like small pockets of "condensation" in my substrate all around the tank.
Here's what it looks like: 

Is it anything to be concerned about?

Thanks guys!  :Grin:  Excited to finally have everything set up!

----------


## wongce

Finally you started the tank...lol

Pink lights?? Are they for planted tanks? 

1) will settle down,don't worry
2) no issue...

----------


## Lulu

> Finally you started the tank...lol
> 
> Pink lights?? Are they for planted tanks? 
> 
> 1) will settle down,don't worry
> 2) no issue...


Hahaha yeah, was busy with work  :Razz: 
Not sure if the pink light is ok for planted tank. Its a 24W T5, on the box it says suitable for planted aquarium, stimulate photosynthesis etc.
I have a normal white T5 tube in my holder as well, was planning to use it for morning photoperiod & the pink one for night photoperiod (3 hrs each for now).
Good to know the "condensation" is nothing bad  :Smile: 

Have another issue now though. My tank is constantly at 30-31 degrees. Would keeping cherry shrimp be out of the question now?

----------


## wongce

Let me guess, the light is from aquazonic?? I am not sure about usefulness of pink lights for planted tank though...hehe you try and let us know...

I would suggest you to get a simple fan setup... To keep it to around 28-29. I find plants grow better in lower temperature. Shrimps are more sensitive to temperature changes...30-31 might not be suitable for them,unless you are planning to have cincalok hehe...i keep them with aquarium fan,so far so good.

----------


## Lulu

> Let me guess, the light is from aquazonic?? I am not sure about usefulness of pink lights for planted tank though...hehe you try and let us know...
> 
> I would suggest you to get a simple fan setup... To keep it to around 28-29. I find plants grow better in lower temperature. Shrimps are more sensitive to temperature changes...30-31 might not be suitable for them,unless you are planning to have cincalok hehe...i keep them with aquarium fan,so far so good.


Yeah, the pink tube is Aquazonic as well haha. I'll monitor my plants closely  :Razz: 
Hmm I read your blog and saw you were recommending a Kotobuki fan. Might try that but I need to convince family members first.
Tank is in living room and they are particular about noise.. 

Does anyone have success with keeping cherry shrimp at constant 30-31 degrees? I did read a few posts saying they kept & bred cherries at 30 degrees.
I do agree that lower temperature will be better though! I'm not even sure I can keep tetras at this temperature.  :Sad:

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## wongce

I got both Kotobuki & mr aqua tornado fan... Both are almost silent... I will review mr aqua when i am free this weekend...busy with work

I doubt you can hear the operation sound of the fan, my aquariums are all at living room too...

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## felix_fx2

Almost silent. Kotobuki is good.
fans still do have a slight noise, but only if your close enough then you will be able to hear

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## Lulu

@Wongce & Felix

Thanks! I think I definitely need a fan. Tank temp is currently 32 degrees  :Shocked: . Starting to suspect its because there's no air circulation in that area at all.
Last night when I tested, raised thermometer out of the tank and it was 27 degrees. Placed it back in the water and it jumped to 31.5...  :Knockout:

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## Marlinsons

pretty hot nowadays... A really good time to test how high the water temp is during the hot season and prepare for it.

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## Lulu

My planted tank might become bare if its going to stay this hot until June  :Crying: 
Don't think my plants are doing so well. Taiwan moss is turning yellow and one of my bacopa's stem had melted T_T
Panicked and threw some ice bricks inside (frozen dechlorinated water) but pretty sure my temperature will hit 31/32 degrees later.

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## Urban Aquaria

Its quite odd that your tank's water temperature is so much higher than the ambient room temperature.... usually the tank water temperature should be equal or more often slightly cooler than the room's temperature.

Is the tank facing direct sunlight coming through a window? That could heat up the water over a period of time and make it stay warm even into the evening.

Maybe you can test with just a glass of plain water. Let the water stand for a day, test the temperature in the room, then the water in the cup, see the results. 

Maybe also check your filter. I've not used that "shiruba" brand filter before, but perhaps there could be a possibility that the motor is overheating and somehow transferring heat into the water? I guess you can try switching it off for 2-3 hours and test the water temperature to see if there is any difference.

Also check if there are any equipment close by the tank or in the cabinet which is radiating heat, it could be contributing to the increased temperature too.

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## Lulu

> Its quite odd that your tank's water temperature is so much higher than the ambient room temperature.... usually the tank water temperature should be equal or more often slightly cooler than the room's temperature.
> 
> Is the tank facing direct sunlight coming through a window? That could heat up the water over a period of time and make it stay warm even into the evening.
> 
> Maybe you can test with just a glass of plain water. Let the water stand for a day, test the temperature in the room, then the water in the cup, see the results. 
> 
> Maybe also check your filter. I've not used that "shiruba" brand filter before, but perhaps there could be a possibility that the motor is overheating and somehow transferring heat into the water? I guess you can try switching it off for 2-3 hours and test the water temperature to see if there is any difference.
> 
> Also check if there are any equipment close by the tank or in the cabinet which is radiating heat, it could be contributing to the increased temperature too.


Yeah, I find it strange as well :/
My tank is in a shaded corner of the living room away from windows and direct sunlight.
There's no other equipment near my tank that could generate heat.
My filter does feel warm to the touch though, not sure if its the thing causing the problem. 
If I leave my filter off for 2-3 hours will BB (if any exists yet) die?
Will try leaving a glass of water out also, thanks!

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## Urban Aquaria

> My filter does feel warm to the touch though, not sure if its the thing causing the problem.


A properly running filter should be relatively cool to touch... though i guess that could vary between different filter brands too. 

Usually a filter becomes warm when the motor is running partially dry, or something is clogging it and the motor is straining under too much load. 

Would be a good idea to check it.




> If I leave my filter off for 2-3 hours will BB (if any exists yet) die?


Oops... i forgot about the beneficial bacteria too.  :Grin:  

Yeah, best not to switch off the filter for too long. I guess just 30 minutes should be enough to test.

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## Lulu

Hahaha, I see. I tested leaving the filter off for around 30 mins yesterday. No change in temperature sadly  :Sad: 
Maybe I'll try removing one of the filter pads in my filter. I added 2 thin layers of fine sponge myself after removing the activated carbon pad that came with it.

Random: I just found a dead white worm that looked like a caterpillar in my tank and some sort of flying "ant" insect hanging out near my light hood.
Maybe the temp got so high it boiled the worm -___-

----------


## Lulu

Managed to get a fan which drops my tank temperature from 31-32 to 28 degrees.
Also started to notice some transparent "cobweb" like threads around my glosso. 
I tried removing it with pincers but couldn't really get most of it out. Now the most seriously affected bunch of glosso has become dull
and it seems to have spread to my brazilian pennywort as well :/ and that plant doesn't look very healthy now.



Front view.

I googled for answers and think it might be a type of thread algae but not much information is available on how to remove it other than manually.
Wondering if I should remove the whole clump of glosso - not sure if it is dying or can make a comeback.. & perhaps the brazilian pennywort as well if it spreads to the entire leaf?
Anyone has any experience with these kind of algae and how to remove it? 
I have done a major waterchange & reduced my photoperiod further from 6 hours - 4 hours.

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## wongce

the cobwebs is sort of fungus/algae which is very very common in new setups. My way of countering them is by using Malayan shrimp commandos.... these hungry fellows are very hardy and will munch almost all the algae/fungus.

From the pictures, it seems your plants are going through the transition from emerge to submerge growth.. initial melt is normal.. 

the reason for this is easy, algae= deficiency = plants don't grow well.... this is the never ending cycle, not easy to stimulate mother nature in a small indoor aquarium, but its fun learning... :Smile: 

so after the plants regrow, the cobwebs will slowly reduce by itself..and other algae might take over if there is other deficiency...WAHAHAHHA.... welcome to the algae grower club

----------


## Lulu

Oh I see thanks Wongce  :Smile: 
I'll continue monitoring my plants and trying to remove cobwebs manually when I see them haha.
Question regarding malayan shrimp, I read some posts and understand that they are usually sold in bulk, any idea where I can get them in smaller quantities?
Thanks!

----------


## erwinx

Hi Wongce, I've just started reading your blog, the easy to grow beginner's plants you mention, do you have any for sale? If I go to LFS with your list of plants, I doubt that I know how to choose or identify correctly the correct ones...... would be easier if I can purchase a selection of easy plants from a more experience forummer. I plan to keep a small tank 2ft indoors in living room and hope to be able to use a basic lightset (vs those high power ones).

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## wongce

Hi erwinx, i do not have plants for sale at the moment. Even if i do, delivery will be more expensive thab the plant if i deliver it to Australia.

You can follow the list,google for pictures and compare the pictures with plants you want to buy at LFS

Alternatively, ask your LFS for the catalogue of plants they have, normally lfs which sells aquatic plants will have a catalogue with pictures with them for ordering plants. Use the catalogue to order. 

Last resort is order online through online websites which i think is more expensive than LFS. 

Well, you can leave a comment for any question in my blog, asking a question in other people's thread might not be appropriate. 

Dear mod, i apologize on behalf of erwinx.sorry for hijacking this thread.

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## felix_fx2

> Oh I see thanks Wongce 
> I'll continue monitoring my plants and trying to remove cobwebs manually when I see them haha.
> Question regarding malayan shrimp, I read some posts and understand that they are usually sold in bulk, any idea where I can get them in smaller quantities?
> Thanks!


N.A Nature. Sells them smaller quantities. But of course cost more.
Btw, having minimum algae count is good. As when plants grow well, you'll find algae is naturally having very limited growth and might be only in zones which the water flow is not good.




> Dear mod, i apologize on behalf of erwinx.sorry for hijacking this thread.


He can always google for locations depending on which part he lives in. Even better if he happen to live near a certain Mr Barr  :Wink:

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## Lulu

Thanks Felix for the info!
Hmm ok, will not mess too much with the tank then except trying to pull out whatever big clumps of algae I can see  :Razz: 
Another question, will common pond snails eat algae or more likely to eat my plants? I think I accidentally introduced a few hitchhikers on my plants. 
So far have been removing all those that I see.
I've also found (dead) fat white segmented worms that look like caterpillars (???) or something in my tank. Which I've removed already.
Any idea what are those? I'll provide a photo if I see them again. Was too grossed out to take photos of those when I saw them haha.

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## Lulu

Hi guys, just wanted to thank everyone for their help with setting up my first tank  :Smile: 
After a month of cycling I decided it was safe enough to add livestock and purchased 7 Danios Margaritatus and 16 red rili shrimp.
Fish were acclimatised over 2 hours, adding tank water every 15 minutes. My shrimps were drip acclimatised via airline for 3 hours.
2 days later, 1 fish died mysteriously  :Crying:  but luckily did not affect my water parameters. Its now been a week since I've added livestock and no new casualties have been found.  :Smile: 
I've been checking if my fish harass the shrimp but so far they seem to ignore them. 
Fish are fed crushed Hikari Micro Pellets and Hikari First Bites (somehow the micro pellets are too big for my fishes mouths!  :Shocked: )
Shrimps are being fed Borneowild Grow and Red Ruby, supplemented with Stout weekly.

Something interesting thats happened in my tank is that pH has gone up from 6.4 to 7 somehow! Surprised that its so high because I'm using ADA Amazonia 2 with a large piece of driftwood inside as well. But I read that my fishes prefer higher pH and Neocaridina Heteropoda doesn't mind pH 7 so I decided against meddling with it.
Also realised that I have only 1 male Danios Margaritatus out of 6 of them and its always hiding when it sees me. The females are braver and always schooling. Not sure if this is any cause for concern regarding my male fish being stressed?  :Confused: 

Anyway, here's a short video of my fish and shrimp  :Smile: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-QjqzEF2j6w0

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## Urban Aquaria

The tank looks great.  :Smile: 





> Fish are fed crushed Hikari Micro Pellets and Hikari First Bites (somehow the micro pellets are too big for my fishes mouths!)


I feed my CPDs both hikari micro pellets and micro wafers and they relish eating them (they even bite chunks off the larger hikari carnivore pellets too).

Your fishes are probably still getting used to the new commercial food. Just continue feeding them some pellets and they will eventually take to the larger foods. 





> Something interesting thats happened in my tank is that pH has gone up from 6.4 to 7 somehow! Surprised that its so high because I'm using ADA Amazonia 2 with a large piece of driftwood inside as well. But I read that my fishes prefer higher pH and Neocaridina Heteropoda doesn't mind pH 7 so I decided against meddling with it.


The rocks in your tank are most likely raising the pH... i had similar rocks in one of my tanks too and the pH rose from 6.4 to 8.0+ after a while, after a few months it seemed to stabilize at around 7.8 (most probably slightly buffered by the ada soil, wood and organic wastes). 

I remember the LFS which sold me the rocks kept saying it was inert, seems they also have zero idea and just anyhow guess.  :Grin: 

Do keep your water conditions as clean as possible, as ammonia has greater toxic effect at higher pH levels. If you find that the pH is getting too high, just remove the rocks and do gradual water changes to revert the pH back to the lower values.





> Also realised that I have only 1 male Danios Margaritatus out of 6 of them and its always hiding when it sees me. The females are braver and always schooling. Not sure if this is any cause for concern regarding my male fish being stressed?


Your CPD male to female ratio seems okay, more females to males is usually better as the males tend to be the aggressive ones. When mixed together, the males will usually fight with each other and chase after the females, so if there are more of the females, the stress is spread out. 

Maybe your male CPD is still abit intimidated by the larger females in the new environment, i guess he will start to become more brave after a while.

In my case, when i picked my CPDs, i specifically chose the ones with the strongest colors (i guess most people tend to do that), and ended up with a batch of 90% males and only 10% females... turned out to be bad idea, over the course of a week, i could see the males constantly fighting and chasing the few females until they either jumped out of the tank or got nipped into one corner until they died.

Now my tank only has all males and somehow they stopped fighting. Looks like with no females to fight over and chase, they reverted to back to their peaceful nature again. I guess if i were to add more CPDs, it'll either have to be more males only, or re-balance the numbers to a higher female ratio.

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## Lulu

Thanks Urban  :Smile:  Noted about the food haha I'll keep a close eye though to make sure they don't starve.




> The rocks in your tank are most likely raising the pH... i had similar rocks in one of my tanks too and the pH rose from 6.4 to 8.0+ after a while, after a few months it seemed to stabilize at around 7.8 (most probably slightly buffered by the ada soil, wood and organic wastes). 
> 
> I remember the LFS which sold me the rocks kept saying it was inert, seems they also have zero idea and just anyhow guess.


Haha the rocks were sold to me as inert rocks suitable for shrimp tanks too. It suits my livestock though so I guess I'm okay with it. Will keep track of the ammonia like you suggested  :Smile: 





> Your CPD male to female ratio seems okay, more females to males is usually better as the males tend to be the aggressive ones. When mixed together, the males will usually fight with each other and chase after the females, so if there are more of the females, the stress is spread out. 
> 
> Maybe your male CPD is still abit intimidated by the larger females in the new environment, i guess he will start to become more brave after a while.


That's good to know  :Smile:  When I got my CPD they were all pale looking so I couldn't tell the gender of the fish, just netted those I felt looked healthy. I actually ended up with 2 males and 5 females, but the larger male died  :Sad:  The surviving smaller male does look quite intimidated by the females. He looks like the smallest fish I have at the moment and is very twitchy. There were a few times I saw it shoot up towards the surface when I peered into the tank. Luckily I have quite a lot of floating plants, otherwise he might have ended up flopping on the floor lol. 

Anyways I think my video link isn't working. 
Trying to embed it again  :Razz:

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## Lulu

Update:



First berried shrimp  :Grin:

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