1.2m - Planted Biotope

Okay.
So i now own a 1.2m tank in my already crowded granny-flat, and this time round, i want to do a proper planted tank.
I want it to be a fish-simplistic tank with the scene being the attraction.

Currently i'm leaning towards a South American biotope - amazon related style. i have a starter idea that appeals to me that looks something like this:


its an amazon tank idea from an old "practical aquarium" book of mine.
the suggested content was:
60 sprigs limnophila sessiflora
8 pots cryptocoryne walkeri
2 pots cryptocoryne wendtii
8 pots cryptocoryne willisii

5x lemon tetra
40x cardinal tetra
15x pencil fish
1 pair apisto cacatuoides
5 ancistrus

the equipment i currently have is the tank:


the sump:


the lights:
2x 150w HID MH
2x 39w T5


and some pumps and doodads


i still need to get a heater for the tank

--
Now comes the planning stage.
If i want to have this tank be a success i know i'll have to add ferts and het a co2 setup of some kind going, i'll get the co2 in time as i start getting an income (i got the call today, i'll be starting my articles on monday, so finally i'll be getting some financing in ) The soil is a question i dont really know how to start, so i'll be reading up on the substarte topics on the site. i would like to have a substrate solution that already has nutrients, like mineralized soil, and therefor not need such extensive fert dosage etc. so any knowledgable members please add you 2c and experience with substrate choices and successes?

The tank also came with a stand (steel frame in wood paneling, but the frame is rusty and crusty so this is being sanded down to be repainted (the tank belonged to a friend of mine, the same one who got me started with my 3ft, and it was a marine tank, so the salt water caused alot of surface rust. i thought it best to start off the project with all the rust and grime etc cleaned off thoroughly first - rather than giving in to the urge to just rush in and fill the tank up and start going

Right, so anyway, heres my new start, any input, advice or comment welcome.

 

Check out a thread on Tasa on using Palm Fiber Peat bricks with a chemical called Chemicult as an under gravel fertilizer substrate. If Prof Dirk recommends it... then I reccon it's good. (PLUS it's actually very cheap!) I know I will be doing it when I move in a few months time!

That tank looks flipping awesome, and I personally think you have got a VERY GOOD bargain with that tank Ferryman!

Looking foreward to seeing the outcome of this tank!

CONGRATS again!

 

I agree with Zoom
I have just done a tank with Palm peat and it seems to be working great and it cost me under R100 to do

 

I would have to agree with Zoom!! Use the Palm Fibre Peat method!! You cap it off with Pool Filter Sand or some other substrate.

I have it now in three of my Breeder tanks, although I have not yet got them all totally planted!

It does however depend on what fish you do put in in the end, as you do not want any fish that dig!! A little digging is fine, but too much, and you'll end up with the Palm fibre floating on the top!!

Also, for the same reason as above, once you plant a plant, you don't really want to uproot them again, as this will pull up the peat as well!!

Other than that, I don't think there are any downsides to using the stuff, but anyhow I won't continue further so you can read the thread!! I think its in the 'Ask The Prof' section if I remember correctly!!

Cheers
G!

 

http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?t=2499

 

thanks aplenty for the link, i havent read that yet, its a relief to see a workable decent medium is so easy to achieve..

i'll be capping off the soaked peat with the gray gravel i have in my 3ft atm, but this time around i'll be mixing the gravel with a bigger granule "filter sand" to aid the root spread on plants that grow via stolons, i found that with my current 3ft's gravel, the vallis roots and stolon growth is having a hard time penetrating the substrate, some sand will probably help, and the grey gravel adds the natural colour to the bottom that the filter sand doesnt have

 

I would also recommend a darker colour substrate on top of the peat, i have the "white" silica pool sand and i must say it gets dirty very easly its very difficults to get all the peat out. Heres how mine has gone, siphon all the peat out, fill up tank and with the water flow from the bucket, more peat appers even when i pour the water onto the rock. But yea i have learnt to keep it on the low down but the fish poop also doesnt look that nice on the silica so you will be happy with your choice of grey! Otherwise good luck and the peat does work! My plants are in for 1 week and already have new leaf's / shoots and roots are growing well!

 

I Looove the South American Biotype's - but I prefer the minimalist look, less plant, a bit more wood, some riversand and some rocks.......

Take a google at the following rivers - Negro, Orinoco and tributaries, Xingu, Tapajo, Solimos and their tributaries

 

i like the extreme green look, but was never able to create such a tank, now im trying to get my first really green/planted tank up and running. there will be more wood i think/ and some big rocks if i can find some interesting ones. i will ogle those rivers for ideas, thanks.

 

very nice idea to do a south american biotope!

however all the plants you selected are from asia...have a look at the plant profiles on www.tropica.com as that will tell you which plants are from south america...

 

lol, what a laugh then
thanks for pointing out the plant area dolphin, i haven't even checked them yet myself, that was not my selection, only part of the suggested amazon setup i read of in a practical aquarium book

so far i have only eyed the fish yet, checked that they do occur in the same area/river. But any more suggestions on fish selection would also be welcome, though the cardinal/neon school will be a must, i love the blue-red little buggers
the apisto pair i also want to keep, and the ancistrus. so beyond that any interesting addition suggestions will be appreciated

Plant wise, currently my only focus is it being lush and green, as to which plants will be necessary for the biotope, i'm still trying to navigate mongabay, and will go and take a gander at tropica now as well.

 

scary!

 

I'll probably want to add some of these as far as my list is starting, not sure of the exact are they show up in, but i believe they are south american? Please note that i havent cross referenced these names with the blacklist so don't 'fatman' my topic just yet, its just preliminary

- Myriophyllum aquaticum
- Echinodorus x barthii
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Staurogyne
I'll try to get away with some Anubias barteri and the nana varigation, tied to some wood, because i like the dark green, solid leaves... who knows where they originate from though, Africa? i'll also stealthily add Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv' to my list of -it souldn't be there but i want it cause its an awesome plant-
who has some more suggestions?

 

As far as substrate or under-layer goes, you could add crushed jasper. It's relatively high in minerals, mostly iron. And it will be better for rescaping than the palm fiber.

Don't forget to add some cories to keep the bottom clean

 

lol, whether they belong there or not, the corry troupe is coming along for the ride already

where would i find a bit of red jasper anyhow? lps?

 

I got a bag from the LPS for like R60, but you should be able to find it cheaper. I remember seeing it at a semi-precious stone place in Hermanus years ago. So in retrospect, just get a bag and put a thin layer under the peat. That's if you don't use the nails method, which is infinitely cheaper

 

Update - or something likened to a mockery of progress

I found that its actually hard to juggle the setup of a tank and doing things right, not rushing, when all you have is a saturday-sunday combination... Hopefully i'll have the substrate sorted on the long weekend, granted that slagter is available for pickup. i decided to buy off his flourite stock...

So till i get the substrate i cant fillerup. shucks. ah well, the pfp mixture is done and in, still need to get my hands on column ferts, thinking of trying the post-me-up-some-ferts-from-cpt-prof-method...

I have a nice piece of old deadwood that i am going to use for hardscape, then there is still my collected rocks and the big piece of mopani wood to top the hardscape off.

Still need to finalize the plant selection, anyone with a nice list of amazon-basin based plants please post it up?

Anyway, the sump was modified to have an overflow chamber, and filled with some media, the lights are up and the canopy fixed up, the stand scraped down and repainted, the return pipes fitted and the timers for the lights installed...

Now just to add substrate and fill up to let the cycle begin.

My list for fish so far is,
1x apisto ___ pair
1x ancistrus pair
40x cardinal school
10x rummy noses
10x lemon tetra
the ramaining 12 or so neon tetra in my 3ft
the 3 or so peppered cories from my 3ft

i also have a growing clutch/batch of applesnails in the desk tanky so will add some apples from there when they grow up

plant wise,
giant vallisneria
i'm going to add some limnophila sessiflora to compensate for cabomba
then i will have to see which of the below i can find
- Myriophyllum aquaticum
- Echinodorus x barthii
- Alternanthera reineckii
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Staurogyne

anyone else have suggestions?

okay, here are the pics

 

Looking good so far Ferryman

 

Looks dam good there ferry. Tell me... what is each chamber of your sump...?

Love the way you set up the canopy to "float" like that above the tank...

 

Looks good so far Farryman , likes the canopy