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764 views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  tredford  
#1 ·
Hello everyone. Going to dive into my first planted tank. I’ve done numerous non-planted tanks in the past as well as a 5 year dabble into saltwater reef. After an 8 year hiatus I’ve decided to dive into this. I’m building a custom acrylic tank (because I only have room in one spot and it’s an oddball size). So the tanks going to be 15H x 16W x 45L - Approx 47G
Flourite Black Sand Substrate (Using this because I want black substrate and I plan on keeping Kuhli Loaches any Cory’s).
-Aquascapeing with Dragonstone and a 21x4x4 piece of driftwood (Been soaking it for the last 3 weeks - and it’s still floating<a href="http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/images/smilie/icon_sad.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Sad" >:)</a> ) & 3 Airstone/LED features (Maybe 2 depends on how it looks)
-Current USA Satellite Plus Pro 48”.
-Koralia Evolution 550-600GPH
-Fluval E300, Emperor 400 Pro HOB
-Fluval 206 Canister
-Hygger HO air pump.
Going to be stocked with:
Cardinals
Rummynose
Reticulated Hillstream Loach
Banded Kuhli Loach
Neon Blue Stiphodon Goby
X-ray Pristella Tetra
Julii Cory Cat
Ghost Glass Catfish
Apistogramma Agassizi Double Red
Rainbow Shark
Super Blue Shrimp
Crystal Red Shrimp
Amano Shrimp

Plants (Here’s where I’m lost)
Banana Plants
Red Tiger Lotus
Bucephalandra Red
Anubias
And some others I have in my 10G that I have no clue what they are called (I’ve attached a photo if anyone wants to help ID)

I’ll be fertilizing with Easy Green All-in-one, Easy Iron and Easy Carbon (Products from Aquarium Co-op Ive used on my 10G with great success) as well as using tabs in the substrate.
 

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#6 ·
My Planted Tank

Hello. Finally got my tank up and running, it’s been about 3 months now. 47G acrylic with 1” of Onyx Sand under 1” of Flourite Black Sand. Multiple pieces of Seiryu and Ohko Stone. A good size hunk of Mopani driftwood and a piece of regular driftwood. Running a Marineland Emperor 400 HOB with sponge pre-filter, bio-balls and sponge in compartments. A Fluval 206 canister with Sponge pre-filter and ChemiPure Green. Injecting CO2 via a Sera CO2 reactor. Using a Current USA Satellite Plus Pro for lighting. I have an auto doser adding a general fertilizer (Easy Green), an Iron Fertilizer (Easy Iron) and a Carbon Fertilizer (Easy Carbon). I have multiple different plants including dwarf baby tears. All plants are doing wonderful. My CO2 drop checker is a consistent lime green. All my livestock appear happy and healthy. My issue is...my KH has vanished. Last measurement (about 6 days ago) I had a dGH - 7 dKH - 4 (Now, I should say that I have been injecting CO2 these last 7 days and I’m sure that’s what’s probably causing this...but I’m not THAT sure) So today I checked my parameters and my dGH went up to 9 dKH dropped to about 1 or less. Onyx sand says it’s supposed to support proper KH levels...but I’m guessing that must just be sales pitch. Anyway, Ammonia & Nitrite are zero... Nitrate is negligible. pH is running about 6.5. Why has my KH vanished? Is it the CO2? I use RO water that I remineralize with KHCO3, CASO4 & MGSO4. I set the values of that water @ 8 dGH and 4 dKH. Am I freaking out over nothing? I get that everything is doing well, so why mess with it...but it bugs the snot out of me that the KH is so low. Any suggestions? Maybe a little crushed coral in my HOB? Any advice would be appreciated Thanks
 
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