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eltrut420
Member
 Posts: 113
Age: 35
Location: SE Wisconsin
Favorite Fish: the ones that poop the least
 |  Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:31 pm | |
| k thaks tina u seem to be the go to guy mean gal on plants.im still in the dreaming stage but ill remeber these posts. |
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Mike D
DIY Guy
Posts: 1842
Age: 28
Location: Maine
Humor: You can't offend me
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:56 pm | |
| I love all seachem products! I use flourite sand and Flourish in my 72 gallon. My plants and algae love it! |
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Redneck Woman
Invert Junkie
 Posts: 784
Age: 44
Location: Kentucky
Favorite Fish: angels,but kribs are a very close second
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:42 pm | |
| | Ivy wrote: | I have decided to use the flourish excel since it is only a 20g. I just ordered my ferts yesterday. I would love to go with the dry and mix myself, but I just don't have time for a self chemistry lesson until later this summer.  What does everyone think of the flourish products? |
I use Flourish and Flourish excel. I really like them.
If you do decide to go with dry ferts please give this a look. This guy seems to really knows his stuff. I've heard a lot of great things about him. He has dry ferts that everyone says are reasonably priced and works great.
http://rexgrigg.com/
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Tina
135 communityl
Last edited by kygrl on Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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CichlidsRool
FWM Vendor
Posts: 85
Age: 44
Location: TUJUNGA,CA.SOCAL
Favorite Fish: All African Cichlid's.
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:45 pm | |
| | Mike D wrote: | | I love all seachem products! I use flourite sand and Flourish in my 72 gallon. My plants and algae love it! |
thanks guys very cool of you to helping me out,ask me anything about African Cichlid's,but i dont know jack about plants,so please let me know about what i should do or not to.... 
_________________
Don't burn your bridge,one day you might need to walk-back the same bridge you burned.
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Mike D
DIY Guy
Posts: 1842
Age: 28
Location: Maine
Humor: You can't offend me
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:10 am | |
| Good rule of thumb Plants + Cichlids= Shredded plants.
Have you chosen the size of tank you will be using?
When you figure that out next you will need lights. Take kygrls advice and get some shop lights and bulbs with no less than a 6,500 kelvin temp. Follow the watt per gallon rule. So if you are using the 120 gallon tank you will need no less than 240 watts per gallon because anything under 2 watts per gallon (WPG) will have no effect on your plants.
Once you have figured out how many WPG you are going to use will determine on what plants you can keep. Heres a link where you can find plants by lighting requirement.
Dry ferts. Im going to quote debaric from AC on this matter. He sent this in a PM to me 2 weeks ago. I wanted to try some dry ferts and asked him for some help after I bought them.
"Now here is some info that you may not be happy about.. Your dry ferts are going to be overkill unless your tank has a good source of co2 and at least moderate light. Are you injecting co2 somehow either using a pressureized co2 tank or a DIY setup? Also do you have high lighting over the tank?
Before I can tell you more you have to answer these questions. DO NOT add dry ferts until you have the balance of moderate to high light and a good source of co2 injection. Its all about balance, if you have high light then you NEED co2 and ferts.
*** If you have low light then you dont need either of those but then you cant have a lot of different types of plants and the low light ones wont grow fast at all. *****".
If you are going to use dry ferts you will need a good balance of moderate to high light and a good source of co2 injection. |
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CichlidsRool
FWM Vendor
Posts: 85
Age: 44
Location: TUJUNGA,CA.SOCAL
Favorite Fish: All African Cichlid's.
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:24 am | |
| | Mike D wrote: | Good rule of thumb Plants + Cichlids= Shredded plants.
Have you chosen the size of tank you will be using?
When you figure that out next you will need lights. Take kygrls advice and get some shop lights and bulbs with no less than a 6,500 kelvin temp. Follow the watt per gallon rule. So if you are using the 120 gallon tank you will need no less than 240 watts per gallon because anything under 2 watts per gallon (WPG) will have no effect on your plants.
Once you have figured out how many WPG you are going to use will determine on what plants you can keep. Heres a link where you can find plants by lighting requirement.
Dry ferts. Im going to quote debaric from AC on this matter. He sent this in a PM to me 2 weeks ago. I wanted to try some dry ferts and asked him for some help after I bought them.
"Now here is some info that you may not be happy about.. Your dry ferts are going to be overkill unless your tank has a good source of co2 and at least moderate light. Are you injecting co2 somehow either using a pressureized co2 tank or a DIY setup? Also do you have high lighting over the tank?
Before I can tell you more you have to answer these questions. DO NOT add dry ferts until you have the balance of moderate to high light and a good source of co2 injection. Its all about balance, if you have high light then you NEED co2 and ferts.
*** If you have low light then you dont need either of those but then you cant have a lot of different types of plants and the low light ones wont grow fast at all. *****".
If you are going to use dry ferts you will need a good balance of moderate to high light and a good source of co2 injection. |
i am going to use my 200gl. for now i have fulu's in that tank,i really like thank you guys for your help.i going to use co2. here is the link foe co2 tank,i was going to sell it but i changed my mind, if you try to buy one its about 380$...next question is,how do you inject oc2 i the water,i am sure if you leave the oc2 tank on it will run-out,wouldn't it?
http://losangeles.kijiji.com/c-Cars-vehicles-Parts-accessories-H2-Oxygen-Helium-copmpressed-Tank-W0QQAdIdZ119731061
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Don't burn your bridge,one day you might need to walk-back the same bridge you burned.
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Mike D
DIY Guy
Posts: 1842
Age: 28
Location: Maine
Humor: You can't offend me
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:40 am | |
| Links Co2 system
Co2 system auto
You need a Co2 system like the one's I linked above. This will regulate the amount of Co2 that is used. Since you are going to use Co2 make sure you get a timer or remember to turn the Co2 off at night when the lights go out. Plants durring the day take in food and expel o2 as waste. At night when the lights go out they expel Co2 so if you leave the Co2 on at night you will be over injecting the water causing high levels of Co2 that will end up killing your plants. |
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CichlidsRool
FWM Vendor
Posts: 85
Age: 44
Location: TUJUNGA,CA.SOCAL
Favorite Fish: All African Cichlid's.
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:50 am | |
| | Mike D wrote: | Links Co2 system
Co2 system auto
You need a Co2 system like the one's I linked above. This will regulate the amount of Co2 that is used. Since you are going to use Co2 make sure you get a timer or remember to turn the Co2 off at night when the lights go out. Plants durring the day take in food and expel o2 as waste. At night when the lights go out they expel Co2 so if you leave the Co2 on at night you will be over injecting the water causing high levels of Co2 that will end up killing your plants. |
bro!!! i dont know what to say!! your the bomb you taught me just about everything i need to know....
_________________
Don't burn your bridge,one day you might need to walk-back the same bridge you burned.
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CichlidsRool
FWM Vendor
Posts: 85
Age: 44
Location: TUJUNGA,CA.SOCAL
Favorite Fish: All African Cichlid's.
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:52 am | |
| i like to thank kygrl for her help also....
_________________
Don't burn your bridge,one day you might need to walk-back the same bridge you burned.
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Mike D
DIY Guy
Posts: 1842
Age: 28
Location: Maine
Humor: You can't offend me
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:08 am | |
| Anytime. kygrl is a wealth of info as well! |
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CichlidsRool
FWM Vendor
Posts: 85
Age: 44
Location: TUJUNGA,CA.SOCAL
Favorite Fish: All African Cichlid's.
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:17 am | |
| | Mike D wrote: | | Anytime. kygrl is a wealth of info as well! |
thank bro!!! and yes she dose know her stuff, i wish i had girl like that 99.9% of the girls like shopping and nothing else ...lol!
_________________
Don't burn your bridge,one day you might need to walk-back the same bridge you burned.
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Redneck Woman
Invert Junkie
Posts: 784
Age: 44
Location: Kentucky
Favorite Fish: angels,but kribs are a very close second
| | Subject: Re: starting a planted tank Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:43 am | |
| You guys are just too sweet! 
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Tina
135 communityl
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