Starting up...

Lateralus · 08-03-2012, 04:39 PM

Hi all, Im starting up a 29 gallon planted tank. A little background of myself. I maintained a SA cichlid tank a few years back and am currently maintaining a reef tank over the last 12 or so years.
As far as the plants go what are some hardy plants to start with and what kind of lighting and suppliments are good to help maintain them? I was also looking into ADA Aqua soil amazonia as the substrate. Is this stuff worth the cash?

For the bioload I'm looking at some schooling tetras(10), inverts(shrimp, snails, more shrimp...) beta(yay or nay?), 2 or so dwarf gouramis, a couple corycats and possibly a Boesemani Rainbow. Do all these seem compatable? Too much bioload for an established planted tank? I assume the plants help with exporting nitrates.
Are one of those duel biowheel HOB filter good enough or is a canister filter a must?
Anyway pointers aswell as critisisms are welcomed.

TFish5 · 08-03-2012, 05:31 PM

That sounds pretty good except for one thing. Bettas and gouramis aren't compatable. They will try to kill each other. Just pick one or the other (I would go with the gouramis). Also, rainbows and cories like to be kept in groups of 5+. Other than that, looks good!

FriendsNotFood · 08-03-2012, 05:46 PM

Boesmani rainbows are too big for a 29 gallon and have to be kept in schools like the poster above me said. Why not try a group of Threadfin rainbows (if you have softish water) or furcata rainbows (if your water is on the harder side)?

Lateralus · 08-03-2012, 06:16 PM

LOL its funny how things never work out how you think. Thnx guys. So now Im thinkin about keeping things more simple and just going with 12-15 cardinal tetras, 3 or so dwarf gouramis and some shrimp/snails (assuming they do the same job as the cories). That way there wont be so much chaos in the tank and the fish can compliment the plants which I want to be the main focus anyway.

So are those zoomed flora suns (t8 bulb) sufficient enough for plants or should I look into a decent t-5 fixture?

08-03-2012, 04:39 PM	#1
Lateralus Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: St. charles mo. Posts: 2	Starting up... Hi all, Im starting up a 29 gallon planted tank. A little background of myself. I maintained a SA cichlid tank a few years back and am currently maintaining a reef tank over the last 12 or so years. As far as the plants go what are some hardy plants to start with and what kind of lighting and suppliments are good to help maintain them? I was also looking into ADA Aqua soil amazonia as the substrate. Is this stuff worth the cash? For the bioload I'm looking at some schooling tetras(10), inverts(shrimp, snails, more shrimp...) beta(yay or nay?), 2 or so dwarf gouramis, a couple corycats and possibly a Boesemani Rainbow. Do all these seem compatable? Too much bioload for an established planted tank? I assume the plants help with exporting nitrates. Are one of those duel biowheel HOB filter good enough or is a canister filter a must? Anyway pointers aswell as critisisms are welcomed.

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08-03-2012, 05:31 PM	#2
TFish5 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: USA Posts: 94	That sounds pretty good except for one thing. Bettas and gouramis aren't compatable. They will try to kill each other. Just pick one or the other (I would go with the gouramis). Also, rainbows and cories like to be kept in groups of 5+. Other than that, looks good!

08-03-2012, 05:46 PM	#3
FriendsNotFood Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: West Hollywood, CA Posts: 991	Boesmani rainbows are too big for a 29 gallon and have to be kept in schools like the poster above me said. Why not try a group of Threadfin rainbows (if you have softish water) or furcata rainbows (if your water is on the harder side)?

08-03-2012, 06:16 PM	#4
Lateralus Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: St. charles mo. Posts: 2	LOL its funny how things never work out how you think. Thnx guys. So now Im thinkin about keeping things more simple and just going with 12-15 cardinal tetras, 3 or so dwarf gouramis and some shrimp/snails (assuming they do the same job as the cories). That way there wont be so much chaos in the tank and the fish can compliment the plants which I want to be the main focus anyway. So are those zoomed flora suns (t8 bulb) sufficient enough for plants or should I look into a decent t-5 fixture?