Stocking a new planted tank

[Anonymous]

I have always started my FW planted slow. Like adding a single fish after the plants have had a week to get established. then adding a mate when that fish has lived a week. Using live bearers in 3-4 months the tank is full of fish.

But I have also heard that with sufficient plant life you can stock in a week or two.

I use no filtration, no circulation, straight tap and no water changes. Tanks have ran for up to 6 years continuous. And I have set up tanks in 1/2 dozen cities in the US that way. Usually for 3-4 years or so.

But then you could always add more stuff to play with if you want. IMO the key is taking care of the plants and letting the plants take care of the system.

 

[Anonymous]

Here's a picture of my new tank.

Bought the first fish today At the recommendation of the owner of the LFS, I bought (5) crossocheilus siamensis and (1) pair of lyretail black mollies. He showed my a copy of a book that is no longer in print called The Optimum Aquarium. This book was written in Geman and then translated to Enlish. That book is where he got the information on what fish should be stocked first in a new planted tank.

The book says that those fish should not be fed for the first 14 days so that they are forced to eat the algea. Okay, I'll give that try. Of course if they start looking too thin I shall surely cave in and feed them.

I need to get a copy of that book. I couldn't find it anywhere on the net when I searched for used books.

Louey

 

[danmhippo]

Cool, I liked the black sandbed. Give the tank the depth.

What kind of light are you using? Pretty yellow from the pic, although that is the right color for growing plants.

 

[danmhippo]

Here is mine that I've just started few weeks ago.

(I know, I know, the sand color is very gay, but I wanted a very lively look for this tank)

 

[Anonymous]

That's a cool looking tank, Dan.

I am overdriving some N.O standard cool white bulbs. It looks just as bright if not brighter than the 75 VHO's I was running when this tank was a reef.

There are 3 of those lamps so I should be getting the benefit of 225 watts, give or take.

I can't wait to add some neon tetra's.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

What kind of plant is that, out of the water?

 

[Anonymous]

Louey:

good looking tank.

I do use a few more plants to get a tank started and for the first couple of months lotsa anacorus. then the slower growing plants can catch up.

I especially like the advice about not feeding the fish. that is hard for newbies to understand. You are not starving the fish just not adding food to the system.
One article in FAMA recommended adding a single fish. Then removing it when it dies 5-6 days later. The second fish lived. That is exactly what happened in all my tanks until about 4 years ago then I did not feed that first fish. To my suprise it lived. Then I didn't know what to do so I just started one flake per day feeding. And after a week of that added a mate. In 4-6 weeks they had babies and the tank was established enough to support the fish.

So I guess I wish I had a copy of the optimum aquarium back in the 80's. Sure seems to agree with my experience.

Bob

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Bob.

I really wish I could find a copy of that book.

Do you really think I should add more plants now?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

One other question:

How concerned should I be about getting all the roots under the gravel?

Plants are really bouyant and it's hard to get all of the roots covered.

Is it bad for the plant to stick too much of the stalk under the gravel?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Bob.

I really wish I could find a copy of that book.

Do you really think I should add more plants now?

Louey

When I set up a tank it is basically full of plants with a free swimming area of about 1/4 to 1/3 of the tank. With strong emphasis on fast growing plants like anacorus or vals.


The anacorus becomes stringy over the first few months and does not send out extensive root systems. So I usually wind up slowly pulling them out and the slower growing plants of rooted and expand to take care of the bioload.

A back wall of anacorus may help rapidily establish the tank then can be slowly removed later.

the more plants you have the more fish that can be supported and the faster the system will become established. And actually, vica versa.

In this thread you can get some idea of what i mean. It also is an example the the problems you encounter by not first establishing the plants. Anacorus helped correct the problems in that tank. and now he has added some newer more colorful plants as well.
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=60020

 

[Anonymous]

One other question:

How concerned should I be about getting all the roots under the gravel?

Plants are really bouyant and it's hard to get all of the roots covered.

Is it bad for the plant to stick too much of the stalk under the gravel?

Louey

Funny you should mention that. Before I started the leiden or planted tank, I did use gravel with filters, circulation, water changes and so on. the plants did not do well under that system and did tend to float.

But my first planted I used sand and did not have that problem. So could be.

but then the FAMA article that got me started with planted tanks stated the author was using normal pea type gravel. So I guess it is possible.

All the articles I remember stated that a key was to let the plants establish themselves for a week or so before adding fish. That way they have strong roots so the fish can not uproot them.

In establishing Cal's tank we switched from gravel to sand.

 

[danmhippo]

Louey, my books suggested taht it's better to trim roots too long, and will encourage the plants to develop the root system.

What kind of plant is that, out of the water?

Its small cattleya orchid tbound by coated wire. I intend to remove the wire after their root have enveloped the bog wood.

Louey, one other trick you can do is to tie plants in "bog wood plug". using small fragments of bogwood, tie plants on it with cloth thread (black), by the time the thread rotted out, the plant has already established. I am doing the same tieing moss to the bogwood, and they've already attached themselves to the bogwood.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tips guys.

I just noticed that the temperature, at the end of the photoperiod, is 84 degrees.

I gotta think that that is a problem, no?

Louey

 

[danmhippo]

Hehehehe...... Yeah, that's going to be a problem. A few more degree higher you may not have the green water problem anymore...... They will all be cooked!

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder if overdriving N.O. bulbs creates more heat than running VHO bulbs.

I don't them temp ever got that high when I was running VHO's on this tank when it was a reef.

I guess I just answered my own question.

Maybe I should try and find VHO bulbs with the correct color spectrum for plants.

Louey

 

[fishfanatic2]

In case you havent found, hellolights has them.

Linky here is for 36", they have 24 and 48 and all that stuff.

http://www.hellolights.com/36tricfluorl.html

 

[Anonymous]

Louey:

Just read an article on a 6 year established planted tank in freshwater and marine aquarium. For whatever reason he lowered his lighting to 3 watts/gallon after three years of operation.

I have never used anywhere near VHO level of lighting on my simple tanks. And the water stays clear and fish thrive. But then I may be using simple plants like the one in the cal's tank thread. That tank has a 4' 2 NO tubes cut down to 3' with 3' tubes. So about 60 watts for the 30g. And the total cost for lighting was $12.00 including 6500k tubes.

Bob

 

[Anonymous]

3-75 watt VHO's may indeed be overkill for this tank.

I am simply reusing the ballast and and end caps already installed in the hood when this tank was a reef.

I order 3-75 watt aquasuns today from Hellolights.

I might re-wire the ballast later to eliminate one of the lamps, or even two.

While I was ordering them I realized that my lamps on my 75G reef haven't been replaced in 12 month, so I went ahead and ordered all new lamps for that tank too.

Louey

 

[fishfanatic2]

IMO/IME I would definitely not go down to one. 2 or 3 is good, I think what would be ideal is to overdrive like 1 NO bulb and have 2 VHO. That would be ideal wattage I think. True, 3-75 is a bit overkill, but plants love light and they will trash any algae with that much to feed on.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay fishfanatic2.

I may not change anything. I'll put all three bulbs in and see how it goes.

Louey