So I've been lurking around TPT on and off for several years now, and I've finally decided to take the plunge and get started on my first official planted tank.
My background with fish goes back almost ten years now and I've kept a little bit of everything from goldfish and livebearer tanks to FOWLR and reef tanks. More specific to planted tanks, I had a ten gallon in the past that I threw some crypts and wisteria into, but it wasn't much. After my 3-4 years hiatus during university, I'm back in the game and hoping I can use some of the goodies from my saltwater tanks. Some other things that are relevant to the story are that I'm in Canada, outside of one of the major cities (so LFS and product options are limited) and I'm in medical school (so while this is a hobby I'll be spending time with, I don't have bottomless pits of time to devote).
Currently in my care I've got a 10 gallon with three platies (descendents of those I was raising last summer) and a little zebra angel I just couldn't resist. The tank runs with an AC20 and a koralia nano as well as a java fern coated (it really needs a trim) piece of driftwood. The 46 gallon I just purchased last Sunday has an unfortunate stock list, IMO, and they will be traded in at the LFS, hopefully tomorrow. It's got a clown loach and 2 rainbow sharks (all ~5") and a family of 4 odessas (who are growing on me, but I know will destroy my angel). The equipment is kinda bare with just a fluval 305 and an air stone running currently.
So back to the plan, here's what I'm gonna try out first:
Equipment
- 24" 4 x T5 from reef days (only running 2 bulbs)
- 1 or 2 Koralia powerheads (600gph, I think)
- Fluval 305
- 1.5"dirt with 1.5" pool filter sand cap
Plants
- A sword
- Nymphoides taiwan
- Anubias
- Less decided on my stem plants, depends on what I can find around here...
Fish
- Zebra angel (perhaps adding another, but the one I've got is pretty fiesty with the platies and I don't want to deal with breeding aggression)
- Harlequin rasboras
- Siamese algae eater
- Still love the look of rams, cories, or a nice variety of pleco, so I'm thinking on it
So now I guess I open it up to anyone with anything to say. Or feel free to read and leave as I've done literally thousands of time on TPT, haha. Especially if anyone has experience with sand-capped dirt tanks and cories, or any opinions for stocking, or if anyone has any other comments/questions, go for it!
EDIT:
Here is a list of the most current equipment and stocking.
Equipment
- 24" 4 x T5 AquaticLife (running 1 giesemann superflora, 1 tropic, 11hrs; 5 hours coralife 6500k at mid-day)
- 2 Koralia 1 (400gph)
- Fluval 305
- 3 bags Flourite black
- ~15 lbs Caribsea Super Naturals sand
- CO2 running 2bps (1hr before on to 1hr before off)
Plants and Scape
- Ozelot sword
- Nymphoides taiwan
- Anubias nangi
- Crypt. undulata
- "Green crypt"
- Bacopa caroliniana
- Rotala rotundifolia
- Java fern
- Ludwigia repens
- Ludwigia primrose (???)
- Potamogeton gayi
Fish
- 2 red wag platys (2 females)
- zebra veil angelfish
- 3 true SAEs
- 4 harlequin rasboras
- 5 Espe's rasboras
- hillstream loach
- ~5 otocinclus
- 3 amano shrimp
Most Recent FTS:
My background with fish goes back almost ten years now and I've kept a little bit of everything from goldfish and livebearer tanks to FOWLR and reef tanks. More specific to planted tanks, I had a ten gallon in the past that I threw some crypts and wisteria into, but it wasn't much. After my 3-4 years hiatus during university, I'm back in the game and hoping I can use some of the goodies from my saltwater tanks. Some other things that are relevant to the story are that I'm in Canada, outside of one of the major cities (so LFS and product options are limited) and I'm in medical school (so while this is a hobby I'll be spending time with, I don't have bottomless pits of time to devote).
Currently in my care I've got a 10 gallon with three platies (descendents of those I was raising last summer) and a little zebra angel I just couldn't resist. The tank runs with an AC20 and a koralia nano as well as a java fern coated (it really needs a trim) piece of driftwood. The 46 gallon I just purchased last Sunday has an unfortunate stock list, IMO, and they will be traded in at the LFS, hopefully tomorrow. It's got a clown loach and 2 rainbow sharks (all ~5") and a family of 4 odessas (who are growing on me, but I know will destroy my angel). The equipment is kinda bare with just a fluval 305 and an air stone running currently.
So back to the plan, here's what I'm gonna try out first:
Equipment
- 24" 4 x T5 from reef days (only running 2 bulbs)
- 1 or 2 Koralia powerheads (600gph, I think)
- Fluval 305
- 1.5"dirt with 1.5" pool filter sand cap
Plants
- A sword
- Nymphoides taiwan
- Anubias
- Less decided on my stem plants, depends on what I can find around here...
Fish
- Zebra angel (perhaps adding another, but the one I've got is pretty fiesty with the platies and I don't want to deal with breeding aggression)
- Harlequin rasboras
- Siamese algae eater
- Still love the look of rams, cories, or a nice variety of pleco, so I'm thinking on it
So now I guess I open it up to anyone with anything to say. Or feel free to read and leave as I've done literally thousands of time on TPT, haha. Especially if anyone has experience with sand-capped dirt tanks and cories, or any opinions for stocking, or if anyone has any other comments/questions, go for it!
EDIT:
Here is a list of the most current equipment and stocking.
Equipment
- 24" 4 x T5 AquaticLife (running 1 giesemann superflora, 1 tropic, 11hrs; 5 hours coralife 6500k at mid-day)
- 2 Koralia 1 (400gph)
- Fluval 305
- 3 bags Flourite black
- ~15 lbs Caribsea Super Naturals sand
- CO2 running 2bps (1hr before on to 1hr before off)
Plants and Scape
- Ozelot sword
- Nymphoides taiwan
- Anubias nangi
- Crypt. undulata
- "Green crypt"
- Bacopa caroliniana
- Rotala rotundifolia
- Java fern
- Ludwigia repens
- Ludwigia primrose (???)
- Potamogeton gayi
Fish
- 2 red wag platys (2 females)
- zebra veil angelfish
- 3 true SAEs
- 4 harlequin rasboras
- 5 Espe's rasboras
- hillstream loach
- ~5 otocinclus
- 3 amano shrimp
Most Recent FTS: