[BlanketHogg]

I bought this tank used (70 gall). Lately algae has been growing under the sealant, and I set this tank up in a rush, so I’m going to re seal and re do the tank.
My stocking plans are:
1 Albino BN Pleco
4 Albino Corydoras- may add more as needed and as filtration allows
4 Peppered Corydora- ^^^^^^^
3 Golden Dojo Loach
8 ish Neon Tetras
7 ish Black Neon Tetras

Heating: 2 Aquatop 200 watt heater-haven’t arrived yet
Filtration: 1 Marineland bio wheel 350b
———1 Fluval 306 Canister Filter

I’ll include some drawings of my plans to re do the tank.

 

[BlanketHogg]

My plant ideas for this tank:
hornwort
moneywort
giant duckweed
mystery floating plant
java moss
guppy grass
tiger lotus
anubias
java fern
dwarf hygro
dwarf hairgrass


will be adjusted as needed.
planning on moving the (6) pea puffers from 30 gal to 3 puffers in 2 10 gallons while re sealing tank And putting every one else in 30 gallon.

 

[BlanketHogg]

OK, did not go very in depth, at the moment, I have no plants in this tank, some wood floating around, a couple large rocks, and fish. My current fish are:
1 Albino bristlenose pleco
2 albino corydoras
4 peppered corydoras
2 neon tetras
5 black neon tetras

will build up these fishies schools soon.

to temporarily house them I am going to move my 6 pea puffers into Two 10 gallon tanks, 3 in each, and then move every one else into the 30 gallon.
Right now, the 70 is in a corner, wall at the back, shelf with fish tanks at the front. Most is visible but not all. It’s not to bad having it in the corner, I think I may keep it that way do to size constraints, and it doesn’t look terrible.

I plan on no co2 and probably no fertilizer. But I think I may get the fluval3.0 or the finnex 24/7 light.
i want to hang the light a little above the tank so the floating plants don’t melt.

 

[BlanketHogg]

I’m also wondering if I need to have all my plants when i re-scape my tank or if I can add them in a little later.

 

[Oughtsix]

My plant ideas for this tank:
hornwort
moneywort
giant duckweed
mystery floating plant
java moss
guppy grass
tiger lotus
anubias
java fern
dwarf hygro
dwarf hairgrass


will be adjusted as needed.
planning on moving the (6) pea puffers from 30 gal to 3 puffers in 2 10 gallons while re sealing tank And putting every one else in 30 gallon.

I like your plant list but I personally will never do java moss again. It is messy and pretty much impossible to get rid of once it is established in an aquarium. I also prefer to stay away from floating plants as they shade all the plants beneath them which will make plants like dwarf hairgrass hard to grow. Otherwise I really like your plant choice!

I usually like to have my plants in while the tank is cycling. There is no rule that says you have to do your aquarium startup this way, it is what I have found works best for me though.

 

[BlanketHogg]

I like your plant list but I personally will never do java moss again. It is messy and pretty much impossible to get rid of once it is established in an aquarium. I also prefer to stay away from floating plants as they shade all the plants beneath them which will make plants like dwarf hairgrass hard to grow. Otherwise I really like your plant choice!

I usually like to have my plants in while the tank is cycling. There is no rule that says you have to do your aquarium startup this way, it is what I have found works best for me though.

Thanks! Apprciate your input
what light do you use for your planted tanks?

 

[Aaronious]

I second the floating plant thing as far as shade. also I don't know about giant duckweed but normal duckweed is like the java moss, super hard to get rid of it. I swear I got rid of it in my tank. But it still shows up every once in awhile.

I have been doing dwarf water lilies for floaters, I kinda "grow" them in my 75 cause it has injected co2 then as these big ones duplicate themselves I put the medium ones with nice long roots in my 33L for the Gourami, they like the cover and all those plants are low light on purpose knowing they will be shaded almost permanently once the tank is established. Having the constant supply is good because as the lilies just sit in my tank, they don't move they end up having issues here and there and being able to toss the bad and put in fresh new stuff is very nice. I usually leave the largest 5 lilies in the 75 and each weekend(sometimes every other weekend) clip off all their babies and transplant what is large enough and toss the rest.

 

[BlanketHogg]

I second the floating plant thing as far as shade. also I don't know about giant duckweed but normal duckweed is like the java moss, super hard to get rid of it. I swear I got rid of it in my tank. But it still shows up every once in awhile.

I have been doing dwarf water lilies for floaters, I kinda "grow" them in my 75 cause it has injected co2 then as these big ones duplicate themselves I put the medium ones with nice long roots in my 33L for the Gourami, they like the cover and all those plants are low light on purpose knowing they will be shaded almost permanently once the tank is established. Having the constant supply is good because as the lilies just sit in my tank, they don't move they end up having issues here and there and being able to toss the bad and put in fresh new stuff is very nice. I usually leave the largest 5 lilies in the 75 and each weekend(sometimes every other weekend) clip off all their babies and transplant what is large enough and toss the rest.

thanks! I was mostly thinking about floaters because some of them have nice long roots. The dwarf water lilies look promising. Come April my local pond store will havve buckets of plants, so I’m just waiting a little. I was thinking of having some floaters in my puffertank just to make them feel a little more comfy. If I wanted to eradicate the giant duckweed I think it’d be easier cause it’s to big to hide anywhere. Do you have any really tall low tech plants?
Thanks so much!!!

 

[Oughtsix]

Thanks! Apprciate your input
what light do you use for your planted tanks?

I am building a custom LED light for my 180g. While it is being built I am using four of these: https://www.costco.com/feit-electric-4'-linkable-led-shop-light,-2-pack.product.100462723.html that the local Costco had onsale for $19 each. The plants LOVE them but they are not the most flattering for showing off the fish and plants... the fish and plants actually look quite good but I know they could look better with a light that allows you to tune particular colors (for 10x the price).

I also prefer to go with easy to grow plants:
hornwort
moneywort
guppy grass
dwarf anubias
java fern
Amazon Sword
dwarf hairgrass
S Repens
Super Red Ludwigia
regular red Ludwigia

All of them pearl like crazy under the Costco shop lights!

 

[Aaronious]

thanks! I was mostly thinking about floaters because some of them have nice long roots. The dwarf water lilies look promising. Come April my local pond store will havve buckets of plants, so I’m just waiting a little. I was thinking of having some floaters in my puffertank just to make them feel a little more comfy. If I wanted to eradicate the giant duckweed I think it’d be easier cause it’s to big to hide anywhere. Do you have any really tall low tech plants?
Thanks so much!!!

So I do have two taller plants in my 75 tank. My amazon swords are getting quite large, one is probably only 3 inches from the water's surface, maybe closer. It sways in the current now so I don't know for sure and haven't ever cared to check. But it's easy, especially if you get that Fluval 3.0.

I also have a Crinum Calamistratum. This plants I saw in a video and searched it out. Like the Bucephalandra plants, which I also have a couple, these plants are endangered in their native habitats. Likely because they both grow pretty slow. so there are a few different Crinums, I like the Crinum Calamistratum and it is growing in the back of my tank fine. Stuck it in and it's going slow. Everything online says they are hearty and they are root feeders. So if you have soil, you're good. But if not, I've seen that people grow them with root tabs (which is what I am doing). I have had mine for about 2 weeks, there was no melt and I can only a few days ago definitively say that it is actually growing now. This again, I am using a Fluval 3.0, so you should be good.

This is probably the best video I have found on Crinums.

Last thing, because of the slow growing characteristic these have, I believe they are endangered. So if you do get one, please do your due diligence and search for one that is from a clipping or something that was tank grown. No wild ones. These are also sometimes hard to find. Once I learned what this plant was it took me a couple weeks to find a place to order it I was comfortable with.

 

[BlanketHogg]

So I do have two taller plants in my 75 tank. My amazon swords are getting quite large, one is probably only 3 inches from the water's surface, maybe closer. It sways in the current now so I don't know for sure and haven't ever cared to check. But it's easy, especially if you get that Fluval 3.0.

I also have a Crinum Calamistratum. This plants I saw in a video and searched it out. Like the Bucephalandra plants, which I also have a couple, these plants are endangered in their native habitats. Likely because they both grow pretty slow. so there are a few different Crinums, I like the Crinum Calamistratum and it is growing in the back of my tank fine. Stuck it in and it's going slow. Everything online says they are hearty and they are root feeders. So if you have soil, you're good. But if not, I've seen that people grow them with root tabs (which is what I am doing). I have had mine for about 2 weeks, there was no melt and I can only a few days ago definitively say that it is actually growing now. This again, I am using a Fluval 3.0, so you should be good.

This is probably the best video I have found on Crinums.

Last thing, because of the slow growing characteristic these have, I believe they are endangered. So if you do get one, please do your due diligence and search for one that is from a clipping or something that was tank grown. No wild ones. These are also sometimes hard to find. Once I learned what this plant was it took me a couple weeks to find a place to order it I was comfortable with.

Thanks! Yea, would not want to take them from he wild... I’ll look into them, they look AWESOME.
Since Golden Dojo Loaches are really hard to breed, I’m thinking they’re wild caught, which is really sad. I’ve already got 1 dojo, so I’m trying to figure that out.

 

[Aaronious]

Checked last night and the bigger of my swords touches the water's surface...

 

[BlanketHogg]

awesome!