So, this is the second time I'm getting back into the hobby. I had two aquariums back home in India (one with plant - couldn't really call it a planted aquarium) and I tried to keep a 55-gallon cichlid tank going when I moved to school here, but that didn't really materialize. I've just changed aparmtments and being a lurker on the Fluval Edge thread, I jumped on one when I found it on clearance at PETCO. So far all I have is the stock Edge and a bag of Fluorite Black. I have a few leads out on rocks for the hardscape from members of this forum, but I'm definitely aiming for an Iwagumi style aquarium for now.
Since I'll be out of town for about three weeks at the end of this year, I was planning on making a first relatively simple run with a single foreground plant only, which would make it easier to take apart before I leave. Which brings me to my lengthy series of questions -
1. For the time being I'm planning to keep the aquarium relatively simple (budgetary constraints). I was thinking of using Jello CO2 for this aquarium. Would I need a diffuser with it or would the pressure not be enough? Would a bubble counter be meaningful for a DIY CO2 setup?
2. I was looking at EI as a fertilization regime given it alleviates the need for expensive testing kits. Does anybody have an opinion on this? Is there a simpler method?
3. Any suggestions for quick-growing, hardy plants that might grow reasonably well in the Edge's stock lights? I'm planning on eventually replacing stock lights in the edge with either a 13 W CFL + 2 x MR11, 2 x 13 W CFL or 1 x 27 W CFL (Hampton Bay light). But I was thinking it might be easier the first time around to just stick with the stock lights. I was considering DHG (Eleocharis 'belem' etc.) or as an alternative pygmy chain sword (Echinodorus tenellus).
Thanks ahead of time!
Since I'll be out of town for about three weeks at the end of this year, I was planning on making a first relatively simple run with a single foreground plant only, which would make it easier to take apart before I leave. Which brings me to my lengthy series of questions -
1. For the time being I'm planning to keep the aquarium relatively simple (budgetary constraints). I was thinking of using Jello CO2 for this aquarium. Would I need a diffuser with it or would the pressure not be enough? Would a bubble counter be meaningful for a DIY CO2 setup?
2. I was looking at EI as a fertilization regime given it alleviates the need for expensive testing kits. Does anybody have an opinion on this? Is there a simpler method?
3. Any suggestions for quick-growing, hardy plants that might grow reasonably well in the Edge's stock lights? I'm planning on eventually replacing stock lights in the edge with either a 13 W CFL + 2 x MR11, 2 x 13 W CFL or 1 x 27 W CFL (Hampton Bay light). But I was thinking it might be easier the first time around to just stick with the stock lights. I was considering DHG (Eleocharis 'belem' etc.) or as an alternative pygmy chain sword (Echinodorus tenellus).
Thanks ahead of time!