[antimoine]

Good day to all of you,

First of all, I'm a noob when it comes to planted tank(My first truly serious planted tank for the past 15 years), there's so much info around that it's hard to keep track of what is good or not.
I recently got a new 32 gallons and decided to start doing things as they should be.

I need help for scape and I also need tips cause I'm obviously doing something wrong when following my lfs opinions.

First off, the substrate I have is 1.5" plant(clay-like) substrate with another 1.5-2" gravel. Is that ok?

As for the light, 2x 24" aquarium standard lights. Suggestions?



I really want to make it fantastic so I'll keep asking questions as It goes....


Thanks,
Antimoine

 

[antimoine]

I guess I'd best show why I'm asking

This is basically what it looks like now :

One of my major issues is this :

 

[pittiepride]

Salut! and welcome! It looks like you are off to a good start. Looks like maybe brush algae on those plants. Have you checked out the algae forum?

I can't give you a lot of good advice, but thought to ask you, what kind of look do you want with the tank? Right now it looks like you are growing whatever will grow, if you think about it more like art you may be able to scape it more to your tastes creating focal points, foreground and background areas.

kara

 

[antimoine]

Hi,

You're right, I just randomly placed the plants I had from the other tank in this one waiting for an idea, that's why I'm asking.

Although I do plan to have some sort of real scape by the end of this.
I just wanted to know the do's and dont's of scaping cause I don't trust the lfs anymore.

Would a list of plants and fish and tank stats help to give some sort of advice? (not all the plants are shown on the picture)

Thanks again

 

[antimoine]

Hmmmm... No answer for that one.

Ok then, I will ask something else

1-Should I remove Carbon from the filter
2-Is it safe to try to manually remove algae from the anubias
3-Should I change the current neons I have that are not plant specific
4-Should CO2 be disconnected at night

It's just that there are so many opinions that I cant be sure of anything now

 

[yunatide]

1 - cant help you there

2 - Bleach solution, or, in cetain cases of algae, yamato shrimps or otos.
Perfectly safe both ways

3 - As long as you reach 2wpg, most lights should be ok. 2x24 watts over a 32 gallon = 1.5 wpg. It might work, but you are on the low side.

4 - No need

 

[wood]

You need to do a whole lot more reading on this forum. Stop listening to your LFS, erase whatever they told you.

The substrate may be "ok" but if possible replace the entire substrate with something like Flourite, etc.

Is your lighting strip lights, or incandescent bulbs? Please let us know.

Please read on this forum. There is enough knowledge on here to know what to do right.

-Ryan

 

[antimoine]

Hi, yes I know I've stopped listening the lfs after having found that they knew nothing at all about aquatic plants. They keep telling me to reduce phosphates to 0 but when I asked here I was told by Mr Barr that it was not a bad thing. Guess what, dosing KH2PO4 helps. (I hate them)

As for the lights I have 2x 20w strips (sun + aqua glo, they came with it) + 2x 13w powercompact 4200K (added)

The strips will be changed for plant tubes today, my order has arrived at big als.

 

[Galactic Doug]

Hmmmm... No answer for that one.

Ok then, I will ask something else

1-Should I remove Carbon from the filter
2-Is it safe to try to manually remove algae from the anubias
3-Should I change the current neons I have that are not plant specific
4-Should CO2 be disconnected at night

It's just that there are so many opinions that I cant be sure of anything now

1 - Yes it removes some additives your plants need.
2 - Yes rub in circular motion with a sponge or algae scraper for plexglass tanks to get the hardest stuff off but try not to rub so hard you tear holes.
3 - for the depth of your tank stick with 56 watts or more if possible but remember more light means more algae if you do not control it first...
4 - Yes if your fish seem stressed and breathing at surface in morning. ie more O2 means more relaxed fish (has the same affect on humans):icon_wink

Good Luck
Doug