Planted tank Noob

Discussion in 'Planted Tanks' started by Shabir, Jan 8, 2021.

  1. Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Hi there.

    So upon much delight looking at you guys planted tanks and a great sized tank just sitting there (and @A new day having such amazing tanks) I decided to look into going the direction of a planted tank. I would say the tank is very much suited for a good planted tank.

    Tank size: 60L X 50H X 50W
    Have limo black tint on the background and a clear perspex cover

    Filters in the tank are a 1000lph dophin internal filter and a double sponge filter.
    A 50w heater which I will change soon to something with higher power as this came from a 10gal I had running before

    The tank is fully cycled and has 1 assassin snail in there and a handful of MTS (started with 2) and about 25 mixed Malawi cichlid fry who will be rehomed pretty soon enough.

    I will attach the list of items I have at my disposal at an online store here and would greatly appreciate all input in helping me make a good decision.

    My parameters out my tap are pH 6.4 and it's pretty soft with low kh too so if I can get away without needing a buffer then it'd be great however my main tank is a lake Malawi tank and I do have a slight idea about increasing those numbers to obtain a level I would require

    Thanks all
     

    Attached Files:

    A new day and HugBug like this.
  2. Guest




  3. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    OK excellent! First give some thought and feedback around
    - low maintenance vs high maintenance
    - budget
    - styles that appeal to you. I would suggest either jungle or nature style as a start to your planted tank journey

    Jungle style could include some large plants eg swords, lotus, aponogeton etc mixed with epiphytes and possibly stems. It would be more wild looking and a mix of plants. If you’re more of a ‘wing it’ person this might be for you and it can have great impact. A 60cm might make it trickier though, but your tank has good depth and height. Might work out cheaper too, as you’ll include some larger plants and might need less of them.

    Nature style would be more stylised with great emphasis on the hardscape and perhaps more presision and planning involved.

    In suggest you use those key words to google and see what resonates with you before you take take the next step. Perhaps post a photo of tanks you like and we could discuss it. Pinterest is a surprisingly good source of inspiration. There’s no right or wrong, just important to be clear on what you’d like to get out vs what you’re willing to put in ito resources.
     
  4. Reedfish

    Reedfish Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2011
    Messages:
    13,311
    Likes Received:
    3,714
    Location:
    UK
    Will be following to see how your tank developes :thumbup:
     
  5. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates

    Thank you so much for this. It's helped me think in a direction now at least

    Maintenance wise I honestly find joy in working on the tank so high maintenance would be great however I will return home once a year for 2 months when covid restrictions become less than it actually is so I will have to take this into consideration.

    Budget, I honestly don't really have one to go by however I'm not going to throw ridiculously large amounts in one go into a tank of course

    The jungle types appeal to me alot but I think I would rather have a nature type tank as it's alot more pleasing to look at.

    I have been looking at lake or river specific biotopes and I must say those central American biotopes look amazing.

    If I could have it my way though I'd get a bunch of Shellie's and keep a Tanganyika biotopes with Shellie's but unfortunately I cannot get those fish here
     
    A new day likes this.
  6. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Ok excellent. Please post pics of nature style and biotopes that appeal then we can chat about pros and cons and start narrowing it down :thumbup:
     
  7. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Okay ... I will do so tomorrow. Going to hit the bed shortly. Been one hell of a week. Can't wait to get this in gear
     
    A new day likes this.
  8. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Came across this and I have to admit. I am loving it

    Screenshot_2021-01-10-21-35-04-659_com.whatsapp.jpg
     
    Innocent159 and A new day like this.
  9. MariaS

    MariaS Retired Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2015
    Messages:
    8,740
    Likes Received:
    3,580
    Location:
    Klipriver, Midvaal
    Yeyyyy @Shabir,
    Will be following for sure!!

    That is a beautiful tank
     
    A new day and Shabir like this.
  10. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Thanks @MariaS it's really amazing to think out of the usual African cichlids tanks I'm used to

    And yes that tank is beautiful. It's a guy who has a pet shop in Dubai. Another place I've managed to find stuff I need. The crazy thing is they all exist but have zero marketing and not even found on Google maps. I think they are just happy with people who commute around their stores and that's their customer base.
     
    A new day likes this.
  11. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Ok excellent @Shabir totally doable,will give some input tomorrow, please remind me if I fotget. Hope others chime in also.
     
    Shabir likes this.
  12. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Yayyyy... I do want a bigger variety of plants though
     
    A new day likes this.
  13. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Great, the fact that you need to set it up for an annual 2 months holiday is an important consideration and I’d say:
    - no CO2. If something goes wrong with CO2 while you’re away it could be a real disaster. Also in low tech the plants will grow slower so upon your return it won’t be quite as much of a mess to clean up.
    - go lighly on the stem plants that need more regular trimming, and do a big trim on them right before you leave
    - get your timer on the light dialed in well in advance. Auto feeder also
    - keep the tank on the lightly stocked side, assuming you won’t have anyone to do water changes over that period. The plants will actually help quite a fair bit with filtration, so that’s cool. As long as the light is working properly
     
  14. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    From your inspiration photo:

    Hardscape
    - wood is probably spiderwood or perhaps you have manzanita wood available there. Try soak the wood in advance if possible so that it sinks, or alternatively you might have to superglue it to the stone to keep it down
    - some Purigen in the filter will help remove discoloration from the wood, which should reduce over time.
    - for stone, dragon stone should work well or perhaps you have other options available. If you use stones collected from nature, give them the vinegar test and clean them thoroughly (I’d probably crub them with an unscented Jik solution then soak in clean water)
    - the decorative sand used in the pic is in my mind too white and it looks unnatural. In nature, sand probably comes from the surrounding rock but in the pic it doesn’t create the illusion that the super white sand is in any way related to the red stone - something you could improve upon in your choices. You could also improve on this scape by including smaller stones and pebbles/ bits of gravel to create details on the sand
    - in the pic they have aquasoil under the decorative sand in the foreground which is a nightmare waiting to happen!!! I suggest you clearly separate the sand from the aquasoil by eg using stones (gaps plugged with filter floss) else the substrates will get mixed up in no time and look horrible. A bit of spillage is probably to be expected but can be syphoned up easily now and again during wc.


    The tank on the pic is probably high tech, looking at their specific plant selection and the vibrant reds. This could be recreated using a selection of the following easy plants on your Tropica list (Edit: not saying you need to buy all these plants)

    Foreground:
    - small leaved epiphytes for on stones: anubias ‘petite’ and the 2 bucephelandra species
    - staurogene repens and crypt parva for in aquasoil on the sides and accents in the middle perhaps
    - eleocharis parvula

    Midground:
    - microsorum ‘Trident ‘ is smaller than the other java ferns. Epiphyte plant
    - crypt petchii is smaller than many other crypts
    - anubias nana
    - ludwigia glandulosa, grows much slower and more compact than ludwigia repens

    Background:
    - limnophilla sessiliflora - very fast growing stem plant, useful to absorb nutrients especially in the beginning of a tank’s life cycle
    - ludwigia repens ‘red rubin’ is the easiest red plant for low tech
    - microsorum (java fern) and bolbitis heudelotti both epiphytes
    - anubias angustifolia (epiphyte)
    - wide selection of the larger crypts. The crispatula would add nice height right at the back

    The Tropica website is an excellent resource to look up these plants and their requirements. Will also give you an idea of their final height etc which will help you decide where to position them
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2021
    Cale24 likes this.
  15. oupoot

    oupoot

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2012
    Messages:
    1,118
    Likes Received:
    340
    Location:
    Randburg
    Just my experience, don't go for a perspex lid as they start warping after about 2 weeks due to the water, rather get yourself a 4mm glass pane and either get custom cutouts or leave a bit enough gap for filters and everything else.

    Also on youtube, have a look at this channel:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1xredHso_O0RzeYMacGgyg
     
    Cale24 and A new day like this.
  16. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates

    Oh my god this is probably the most information I ever had to take in at one go and I will certainly study this and look at pics online to have an idea of where to put them.

    As much as you say that I don't need to choose all the plants I feel like I want to hahaha.. I think I would start with a few and add every so often till I reach a look I desire
     
    A new day likes this.
  17. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    Funny story. I took the lid off this afternoon for a water change and it's bent so I'm going to have a look at an alternative. Thank you for this
     
  18. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Take your time to process, it is a lot :)

    And feel free to ask more questions :thumbup:

    But yes when it comes to the plants one can always move them around and add more until you’re happy don’t stress too much. Just keep the aqua soil from spilling over onto the decorative sand cause that’s just frustrating :)

    Edit: and get some planting tweezers, won’t regret it!
     
    Shabir likes this.
  19. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    I will definitely be asking tons more questions haha.

    Been youtubing the hell out of planting aquarium plants
     
    A new day likes this.
  20. A new day

    A new day Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2019
    Messages:
    6,986
    Likes Received:
    5,956
    Location:
    Cape Town
    Great, there are a lot of super resources out there these days :thumbup:
     
  21. OP
    Shabir

    Shabir

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2015
    Messages:
    1,959
    Likes Received:
    2,149
    Location:
    United Arab Emirates
    I've seen so much of contradicting information. I am comparing what I learn to what you've stated above. Thank you so much for giving me a benchmark so to say haha
     
    A new day likes this.

Recent Posts

Loading...
Similar Threads - Planted tank Noob Forum Date
noob, how to set up a planted tank? General Discussions Sep 8, 2012
Planted Tanks for Noobs Planted Tanks Aug 23, 2010
Disease in a planted tank. Planted Tanks Dec 28, 2025
New 240L dirted/planted nano fish tank Members Systems Jan 14, 2025
[ADVICE WANTED] CO2 Planted Tank for Beginners? Planted Tanks Dec 29, 2024
Wanted: Planted Fish Tank Required Wanted/Swop/Freebies Sep 11, 2024
Planted tank advice Planted Tanks Nov 1, 2023

Share This Page