Depending on your lighting and whether you're adding co2 and the type of plants you want, there are several ways you could do that. What I would do is look through here and read about low tech setups and high tech setups, both can result in beautiful tanks, low tech just grows much slower. I have a high tech tank and use the "Estimative Index" or EI method of fertilization which I believe is the easiest method, you basically add more nutrients than your plants need which allows them to grow very fast and out compete the algae for food, but I also have moderate lighting and a bottle of co2 injecting into the tank. As for the types of ferts, no matter what method you end up using do diy, you can get potassium nitrate, pure KNO3, at home depot as "spectra brand stump remover" for like 12 bucks, and monopotassium phosphate, KH2PO4, online from hydroponics websites or other planted tank sites for like 15 bucks for 3 lbs, these two ferts supply N, P, and K in sufficient quantities for all but the largest of tanks and are way more than you'll ever need, I took a few teaspoons of them and made solutions and haven't gone back to remake a solution for months I'll probably lose the ferts before I run out...okay I rambled a little, but do some research on which tank type you want and we can point you in the right direction
Eyy, I'm actually located in the Massapequa area. I don't really have any plans lol I figured I'd just learn as I go along. I mean i keep my ph at a steady 6.0 and I'm running carbon so I know that's gonna have to come out. Temperature is at 78 right now but I hear that might be a little high for plants. Any recommendations for some plants? Good looking out on the simply discus shoutout...I def gotta scope that out
You're the [censored][censored][censored][censored]in man...I never thought to check home depot. I was gonna order them off ebay in those shady baggies lol. Right now I'm running a 20 power glo t8. I'm assuming it's low tech. I'm not really trying to upgrade cuz like I said, I don't wanna break the bank lol. I have 20oz paintball co2 canisters and I was watching some vids on youtube on how to convert it for your aquarium. I mean what are the effects of running co2 vs none? You're right tho, I should do some more scoping around
Running CO2 is the single most effective way to have explosive plant growth, of course you should have the ferts and stuff to go along with it, but I'll post two pictures, the first is my main planted tank which is bordering low/medium light but with co2 and ferts, and the second is decent lights and no ferts, you can see the difference....BTW neither of these tanks are going to win any aquascaping awards, but you can see the differing amounts of growth
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I'm a fan of learning as I go along......but not with discus. Quite an expensive learning curve! Sounds like you have a lot of research ahead of you so I'll quickly point out the highlights for the suggested ways to successfully keep discus. Discus like (dare I say need) temps of at least 80 if not higher. Raising juveniles in anything but a barebottom tank is a recipe for disaster; and raising juveniles to their full potential requires more than your usual maintenance. Think daily water changes of no less than 50%.
Naw I've had discus for a while now no problem. I do 50 percent water changes every other day. Thank god for power heads and nylon tubing cuz i wouldn't wanna do that with buckets lol. But yeah I originally kept it at 80 degrees and was told by a LFS that I'd have trouble keeping plants with it so high and to drop it down a couple of degrees
They're all about 3 -4 inches...I have 3
Huge difference...how are the plants in the second tank not dead lol...u have co2 on that too?Running CO2 is the single most effective way to have explosive plant growth, of course you should have the ferts and stuff to go along with it, but I'll post two pictures, the first is my main planted tank which is bordering low/medium light but with co2 and ferts, and the second is decent lights and no ferts, you can see the difference....BTW neither of these tanks are going to win any aquascaping awards, but you can see the differing amounts of growth
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