Phish's 10g low light but high in plant's journal

[Phish]

Hey all, if you are reading this I appreciate it and if you have any advice at all I would appreciate it. I am not new to fish tanks, but new to trying to keep freshwater plants alive. I really want to focus on getting a nice lush jungle feel in parts of the tank but also with some smaller plants and character in others. I want plants that are doing well and not constantly dying and being replaced. I also would like to be able to see growth (even tho I know growth is slow in low light, by design)

I started off with a 10 gallon kit I bought at the petsmart, some gravel, some petsmart plants and some from a reputable website. You can see pics of those in my tank section but that tank is a thing of the past (last week) most all those plant's all did bad, mostly because I did things wrong, so I started over, here are the stats. I will eventually, probably, do some DIY co2, but for now just excel.

10 gallons
1.5 watt/g Floro
Eheim 2213 filter (to be installed 5/11)
Flourite substrate
Dosing Flourish, Excel, and Flourish Pottasium

I am in the process of doing a silent cycle with lotsa plants and some unlucky guppies.

I will post a plant list and water test results in a bit for hopefully some advice for finishing off the cycle process.

here is a pic from my cell phone, it is cloudy now as I just planted a bunch of marselia 4 leaf clover I got from an awesome poster on here!

HOLLER!

[Phish]

so far in here I have java fern and java moss on the wood hoping to be attached soon enough, anubis petite and the marsilea up close , Anubis coffieola by the wood, hygro kompact by the coffiola, 3 red wendtii's, Dwarf Subulata, anarcharis in the back corner.

[Phish]

my latest tests with my API tests show my ammonia at 0, nitrite at .25 and nitrate at 20.

I hear now I should be working on getting my nitrite down to 0 as .25 is still too high.

[AzFishKid]

Nice looking tank, Phish!
You picked out some good low light plants. Once they start to grown in, you're aquarium will look spectacular!

Sounds like your tank has come a long way.

Make sure to keep us updated, and remember to post a clear picture of the beauty when it's all cleared up.

[Phish]

I have a question. I am upgrading to the eheim 2213 on Monday, does that mean I lose my cycle and have to start over pretty much or no? I am confused how that all works as I thought all the bacteria in my carbon filer was what made the cycle happen so...

I have added a bunch of fish and the plants are fully stocked and doing well with regular doses. I will update with more and better pictures ASAP, one picture is prior to the addition of my fish

6 white minnow clouds
3 otto's
(4 CPD's on the way)
pair of swords and guppies
ghost shrimp
gold inca snail
bunch of other snails ramhorn and some other kind

the swords and maybe guppies are going in my soon to be 2nd tank as I have a bunch of leftover supplies due to all my upgrades on this tank. that one will be quite a contrast to this tank and I will certainly make a journal about that.

as far as the plants, almost too many to count now with so many great buys from the swap and shop. have dwarf hairgrass, stargrass, dwarf subulata, java moss in back corner, flame moss and some stringy moss on wood. anubis nana, anubis petite, coffiela, hygro kompakt, another hygro, marsiela quad and minuta, ludig reopens, wendtii's red, arachnis, duckweed floater, some pink thing i forget the name and another green thing i forget lol. too many perhaps but I like the chaos. yea, I am sure I will end up throwing some of this into my soon to be 2nd tank.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Originally Posted by Phish

I have a question. I am upgrading to the eheim 2213 on Monday, does that mean I lose my cycle and have to start over pretty much or no? I am confused how that all works as I thought all the bacteria in my carbon filer was what made the cycle happen so...

You can transfer the bacterial media from the old filter into the new filter. That way the bacteria can colonize the media in the new filter.

[Phish]

okay is that pretty easy to do? i dont have the eheim here yet so cant see what I am working with.

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Yes it's pretty easy. Just remove the top of the media container, remove the carbon pad and fine filter pad and place the biological media in.

[Phish]

so when you say biological media do you mean the black rock things that are inside the white netting thing inside my aqueon filter? I assume that is carbon with bacteria already on it? will i need some sorta of mesh bag to put it in when I make the switch?

[ZooTycoonMaster]

Originally Posted by Phish

so when you say biological media do you mean the black rock things that are inside the white netting thing inside my aqueon filter? I assume that is carbon with bacteria already on it? will i need some sorta of mesh bag to put it in when I make the switch?

Carbon doesn't really have any bacteria in it.

You have the aqueon filter...which has a blue grid-like thing before the waterfall, correct?

[Phish]

yea exactly