# Planted Tanks > Aquascaping >  Setting up a 5 ft planted tank

## kendrick_86

Hello guys, i am thinking of converting my dad's current 5 ft arowana tank into a low maintenance planted sump tank after it passed on. The equipments that i have are a co2 cannister, normal fl light, filter medias and a normal powerhead. 

I am humbly seeking advice for setting up a low maintenance planted tank. Will most probably be sticking with the FL lights. Need advices from type of gravel to use, low light requirement plants that can survive in temperatures around 28-30 degrees. I intend to keep it neat and simple, with some school of cardinal tetra and sakura shrimps. 

I am thinking of covering the entire frontier with some easy to maintain (slow growth) foreground plants, with just a few taller background ferns. Am also open to some rocky landscape and advices on where can i get them. 

Thats it for now. Still have to sell away my pair of motoro before i can start work.  :Smile:  hope to hear some beneficial replies really soon. Thanks...

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## kendrick_86

i found these few landscape perfect for my liking. Any advices on how to get to these?

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## equidorz

You might want to consider using more powerful lightings if you want to achieve creeping effect on the foreground plants since yours is a 5ft. Gravel wise you can consider lapis since you want it simple, maybe with base fertiliser. Ferns would be good in your set up since it can tolerate higher temperature. Rocks can be quite expensive if you are buying those branded kind, my suggestion is to get those non branded stones but with similar colour and texture that should do the job.

Cheers

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## Xianghao

wah, this thread i have to follow.. will your 5 ft tank have a few king kong shrimps?  :Smile:

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## kendrick_86

> wah, this thread i have to follow.. will your 5 ft tank have a few king kong shrimps?


haha bro, no... this wont be a chilled tank.

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## kendrick_86

> You might want to consider using more powerful lightings if you want to achieve creeping effect on the foreground plants since yours is a 5ft. Gravel wise you can consider lapis since you want it simple, maybe with base fertiliser. Ferns would be good in your set up since it can tolerate higher temperature. Rocks can be quite expensive if you are buying those branded kind, my suggestion is to get those non branded stones but with similar colour and texture that should do the job.
> 
> Cheers


bro, any place lfs where you recommend to get the rocks? for lightings, what are the requirements for foreground plants such as hc or dwarf hairgrass? what about the long fern for the background? thanks in advance for helping.

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## ScorpionX86

I think you need a chilled tank for plants like Hc..

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## Shadow

From your picture, you seem to like zen type of scape. I suggest hairgrass for the foreground, as for the rock you can try green chapter, I saw big rocks just nice for 5ft few months back. You probably need to get supporting rock somewhere else though. For substrate, get ADA, save you the headache later on  :Grin: 

How many watt is your FL light? since you have CO2

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## kendrick_86

> From your picture, you seem to like zen type of scape. I suggest hairgrass for the foreground, as for the rock you can try green chapter, I saw big rocks just nice for 5ft few months back. You probably need to get supporting rock somewhere else though. For substrate, get ADA, save you the headache later on 
> 
> How many watt is your FL light? since you have CO2


thanks for response bro, is temp of 28-30 okay for hairgrass? i intend to change to t5 lightings. any idea how much will the rocks cost? okay, i will go for ada amazonia substrate. can i also check for foreground, which one is recommended for my temperature, hc or hairgrass? thanks again bros...

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## Shadow

yes, hair grass is versatile no problem on that temp.

For seiryu stone, cost is normally around $4 to $5 per Kg

HC not suitable for low maintenance tank. Planting HC in 5ft tank alone probably will break your back :LOL:, not to mention when time to trim them.

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## kendrick_86

> yes, hair grass is versatile no problem on that temp.
> 
> For seiryu stone, cost is normally around $4 to $5 per Kg
> 
> HC not suitable for low maintenance tank. Planting HC in 5ft tank alone probably will break your back :LOL:, not to mention when time to trim them.


thanks bro, i will visit bro blue33's setup tomorrow.  :Smile:

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## jiajuen900

For a 5ft low maintenence i think you could also try echindorus tenellus as a forground plant. Creeps faster than HG and easier to mantain and grow. 
Mr. Amano has used it in his iwagumi before and the setups are amazing as well.

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## equidorz

> bro, any place lfs where you recommend to get the rocks? for lightings, what are the requirements for foreground plants such as hc or dwarf hairgrass? what about the long fern for the background? thanks in advance for helping.


Hi, for the first 2 questions i guess you already have the answer, as for the back ground fern you are referring to, you can try java and windelov fern which can be tied to driftwood or even rocks. I would also suggest some crypts in you set up. A good place to get this plants is at - Teo Aquatic Farm 50 Lim Chu Kang Lane 9C Singapore 710000. They got a good selections of plants which you might not find in LFS. Hope this helps.

Cheers.

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## kendrick_86

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to setting up of my tank. Special thanks to bro adrian (blue33) for special guidance. I now present my iwagumi setup as an appreciation for all of your help.

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## dersuz

Wow! Very nice tank. By the way, how big and heavy is yr main rock and where do you buy them.

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## kendrick_86

> Wow! Very nice tank. By the way, how big and heavy is yr main rock and where do you buy them.


thanks bro, the rocks very hard to find. i got them from different places. Including colorful aquarium and also mizu world. Main rock i think around 8kg if i am not wrong.

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## EvolutionZ

nice school of fishes! are they cardinals? how many of them there?

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## blue33

You are most welcome. Glad to see everything is well done. cheers.  :Smile: 




> Many thanks to everyone who contributed to setting up of my tank. Special thanks to bro adrian (blue33) for special guidance. I now present my iwagumi setup as an appreciation for all of your help.

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## Alvin Koh

hi kendrick,

Your setup is beautiful! It's hard to believe that the rocks were sourced from different location as the consistency of the rock texture is  :Well done: .

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## kendrick_86

> nice school of fishes! are they cardinals? how many of them there?


there's 110 pieces of cardinals... yes, its nice. however, some of the red still not as intensified. any idea why?




> You are most welcome. Glad to see everything is well done. cheers.


thanks bro, haha.. i remembered get the ugliest rock theory...




> hi kendrick,
> 
> Your setup is beautiful! It's hard to believe that the rocks were sourced from different location as the consistency of the rock texture is .


thanks bro, i think i had some luck while sourcing for the rocks. have to be at the right place, at the right time... however, middle piece still not as impressive...

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## blue33

your cardinals not so intense red because they haven settle down and your tank not yet fully mature is one of the reason.

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## EvolutionZ

maybe because they are still young? usually those with nice red and blue strips are adults...

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## Emokidz

Very nice set up! Hope it grows lush soon. Do update with more pictures  :Very Happy:

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## griffinkid

Beautiful and stunning! Your cardinals are very lucky fishes! Keep us updated  :Smile:

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## kendrick_86

> your cardinals not so intense red because they haven settle down and your tank not yet fully mature is one of the reason.


any idea how long will it take them to settle down?




> maybe because they are still young? usually those with nice red and blue strips are adults...


might be, when i got them, they were quite small. i agree we often see nicer colored adults...




> Very nice set up! Hope it grows lush soon. Do update with more pictures


thanks bro, will probably take more when cardinals color becomes more intense red.




> Beautiful and stunning! Your cardinals are very lucky fishes! Keep us updated


thanks bro, will probably take more when cardinals color becomes more intense red.

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## kendrick_86

my tank has hair algae... what can i dose to eliminate it? how often to dose? thanks in advance bros...

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## EvolutionZ

try getting some malayan shrimps, they are very effective in clearing hair algae.

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