Morning everyone,
Firstly, newbie here but I've been a lurker for a while but I've only just got around to registering as it's about time I jumped in and got involved - besides I wanna rack your brains on a couple of issues.
Right, last week I decided to get my old 20gl tank down from the loft where it's been since we moved house many years ago, mainly because I was at the garden centre some weeks ago and my little lad (6 yrs old) took loads of interest in the fish section.
Tried to do this on a budget, see how much of my old stuff worked and took it from there rather than have a massive spend up and fall flat on my face
Bought some new substrate (can't remember exactly what it is, but it's not that horrible pea-shingle that you sometimes see) it's more, sandy in colour, with the grains about 5mm round to a depth of about 2inches in general.
Oh yeah, my tank size is, in inches, 30(L) x 15(H) x 12(W)
My pump worked fine, my heater was still working, the lighting bulb had blown but other than that I was pretty much onto a winner.
Got the substrate in over the weekend, bought some slate to make it look nice, a couple of bunches of plants from the local aquatic centre, and a couple of old plastic ones that I used to have.
Pretty pleased with it to tell ya the truth once it'd all settled down.
Yesterday I ordered some plants from t'internet consisting of:
24 inch TROPICAL PLANT COLLECTION
(60 plants)
5 x Echinodorus Tennellus
5 x Hygrophilia Polysperma
5 x Red Ludwigia
5 x Ambulia Aquatica
5 x Bacopa Monniera
5 x Red Ivy
5 x Diplis Diandra
5 x Vallis Torta
5 x Elodea Densa
5 x Hairgrass
5 x Bacopa Caroliniana
5 x Sagittaria Subulata
It was only £7.50 for all the above so if it doesn't work then i've not lost out really.
The lighting that I'm using at the moment is just one single standard 15w tube. It's a proper fish one, apparantly for the assistance of plant growth.
I ain't got no fish in it either at the moment, but when I do then I'm sure that I'll go for the easy fellas such as guppies, neon tetras, y'know just the normal, everyday community fish.
I want a nice, planted tank, with minimal fuss (I've not got one of these Co2 jobbies that is constantly mentioned when you say the word 'planted')
How much light would you suggest, do I have enough, do I need another bulb, do I sereriously need to re-consider what I've done, have I got to spend loads more money to get something decent, is that plant collection totally unsuitable etc.....
Tell ya what, I'm due to pop home at lunch today, I'll take a piccie of my tank set up, and stuff, and whack it up here when I get back, that'll give you more of an idea.
Sorry for the ramble, but thanks for reading, and ANY assistance that you'd care to give me would be greatly apprichiated.
