Hello from Roodepoort

Hi all, so I have had a long and hard think about closing my reef tank (in the process of selling everything) as I don't have the time to look after the tank properly any more and I have decided to start a fresh water tank in the interim - I was thinking that was going to take less time and effort but browsing through the site I think I maybe wrong... but I'm going to be taking the plunge soon. I think I'm going to go for a basic planted tank with a few small schooling tank - I need to read up more on planted tanks though - almost seem as complex as a reef tank haha! looking forward to chatting to you all...

 

Welcome to TASA, we hope you find all the info you need and please ask away if you are not clear on anything. But do yourself a favour and read the intro articles in the beginners section - tropical planted tanks are a bit different from reef tanks

 

Welcome.:hello:

 

Greetings. Good luck..it's a worthwhile journey.

 

Thanks all, looking forward to this journey. So could someone point me to a "South African" simple planted tank instructions, from what I'm reading, it seems fairly simple... some light (3w per 3 Liters??), decent substrate, some snails, cat fish and water changes? ... is that it in a nut shell?

 

Oh, I forgot the plants...

 

welcome

 

ha ha ha good one.hello and welcome

 

In theory it is fairly simple to setup but that's where the fun begins/trouble starts.

Planted tanks in my opinion is all about finding a balance that meets your plant and fish requirements as well as the time you have available to tend to the tank.

Do you want a low, medium or high tech system. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Basically low light/low tech means reduced plant choice, slow growth, less ferts, less maintenance and lower costs whereas high lights/high tech is going to allow you to grow the more demanding plants, plants will grow like crazy meaning more maintenance, you will use a lot more ferts or if you go EI dosing you will be doing 50% water changes, it will cost you quite a bit and balance is a lot more important or things will go horribly wrong.

Decide how much time and money you want to throw at the tank before going planted.

 

Welcome to TASA!

 

So a low tech tank seems to be the best suited tank to meet my requirements. I have a look in my mind that I'm wanting to achieve, I think it's java moss (almost looks like grass) that I'm wanting to go with, would a low tech tank meet the plants requirements?

 

welcome
java moss will grow in almost any conditions. its very easy plant, anubias, bolbitis, crypts, its all grest slow growing low tech plants. java fern also

 

Hello and welcome...Looks like Roodepoort is taking over the world...or was that the Chinese?

 

Cool, so my plant selection seems to be exactly what I'm wanting... so lets talk tanks. Is a 25L tank too small for a planted community tank, I'm looking at keeping a few schooling fish - 5 or so neon tetra's, a beta male, a loach (going to get a few words with that one I'm sure) cat fish of sorts (recommendations?) and a pleco (do you get a dwarf? - also going to get a few words for that one I'm sure). What other fish could I keep in a tank that size?

 

In a25L tank. A betta. Or 10 neons. Wont actually add more than that in such a small tank

 

so how many litres should I look for so my fish list? 50L?

 

i will say 100L tank

 

Hello and welcome.

Betta is fine for a 50L with some neons.

Loaches need to be kept in schools and they get fairly large,rather look for other bottom feeding fish that are smaller like cories (still need to be kept in a school though)

Pleco's get huge at around 60cm,need around 500L (if you are going to let it grow out)

If i were you i would go for 200-250L tank,it's not too large and not too small.Perfect middle ground.

High-Tetra's
Medium-Beta
Bot-Corries

You can also add a synodontis if you like but they get a bit big (around 20cm) and may bully the cories a bit (if not kill them)

 

hello welcome arty:

 

you get plecos that stay small, clown pleco, and hypancistrus species stay small.