# First Planted Tank 10 Gallon



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

nice little tank, those amazon swords may take over the tank eventually they can get pretty big. anubias can grow tied or glued to your wood as well.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Do you think my lighting is good enough for the plants or should I upgrade?


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Your light is good for ferns, mosses, and crypts that are green. Check out plant geek. If you add crypts that have some other colors than green Brightwell aquatics FlorinFe will help them to adapt to your low light.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Your lighting should be fine for your current plants. Your swords would probably benefit from adding some root tab ferts, but CO2 is definitely optional at this light level, and I personally wouldn't bother.

It's your stocking that's a bit concerning, though- Tiger barbs are schooling fish and so really you'd need at least 2x the number that you currently have. But you really don't have room for a school of TBs in a 10gal tank... so IMO you'd do best rehoming them and going with some much smaller fish species.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Yea, I am thinking of moving them into my 20 gallon. I may do paintball co2 because I can get most of the parts from where I work but it is still just an idea.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Jeeper75 said:


> Yea, I am thinking of moving them into my 20 gallon. I may do paintball co2


That reminds me of mizu-chan 20g long. She had 2 clip on lamps and injected Co2. Seems excess Co2 is beneficial to the plants.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Well, everything is doing good and there is even a little new growth started. I think I got the planted tank bug because my 20 gal. long is next in line to get planted.


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## MissCoryCat (Jul 5, 2011)

Congrats on your first planted tank! Looking forward to seeing what you do with your 20 gallon.


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Jeeper75 said:


> Yea, I am thinking of moving them into my 20 gallon. I may do paintball co2 because I can get most of the parts from where I work but it is still just an idea.



Even 20 gal for a proper school of TB's is pushing it. I've kept Tiger's for a long time (kept my first school in a 20L) and investing in the 29+ is well worth it.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Well, the tank is doing well. Have learned a whole lot on the forum. Here are a couple new pics of the tank. For my 20 Gallon Long I am hunting for the perfect piece of driftwood. Maybe going to do a couple different kinds of cory's in there.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Good start!!
Love the rock on the left. What is it?


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

Hilde said:


> Good start!!
> Love the rock on the left. What is it?


That is a sweet looking stone... I'd love to see some Hydrocotyle wrapped around that stump also.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

I am not really sure what that stone is, there is also one in my 20gal but it isn't as dark. The both have like craters in them. I found them both in my Grandmas attic along with the wood that really needs something growing on it.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

I may have found a piece of wood for my 20 Long even though it will stick out some. I will have to make a new light for it anyways. It is a piece of Cyprus I believe but it still has bark on it will that be ok? It may be a little to tall and big I guess I can try it if I cant find another piece.


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## iskandarreza (Jul 4, 2011)

That's a nice piece. Reminds me of the Pillars of Creation in space. Better boil it first before you use it, or else you'll get months of tea-coloured water (which may not be a bad thing for your fish).


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

looks like a piece of cypress.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Could also put a bag of purigen in the filter for the tannens.


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## iskandarreza (Jul 4, 2011)

Purigen. Today I learnt something new.


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## jeff721 (Feb 4, 2011)

Jeeper75 said:


> I may have found a piece of wood for my 20 Long even though it will stick out some. I will have to make a new light for it anyways. It is a piece of Cyprus I believe but it still has bark on it will that be ok? It may be a little to tall and big I guess I can try it if I cant find another piece.


I've been doing a lot of researched on locally sourced driftwood lately and the general consensus is to stay away from soft woods which I think cypress would qualify as. 

The other issue is that you'll have a nearly impossible time boiling that piece which will lead to water discoloration via tannins and problems getting it to sink. 

The bark would certainly have to go, and due to the fact that the bark is still intact, it leaves me to believe that the wood is still alive or partially so. You really want a piece that has been dead for some time and had a chance to "dry out" i.e. not rot away in your tank.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

I don't see why you should need to stay away from cyprus even if it does qualify as soft wood. It's fine in the LA bayou. 

Softwoods like cedar have sap that repels bugs naturally and this is often a concern with fish, softwoods can sometimes break down faster than hardwoods in aquariums. 

But with a wood from a tree that naturally grows in swamps I don't see either of these as being an issue.


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## jeff721 (Feb 4, 2011)

kamikazi said:


> softwoods can sometimes break down faster than hardwoods in aquariums.


This is the only _solid_ reason I've found to stay away from them. The reasons others had cited seemed unconfirmed.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

jeff721 said:


> This is the only _solid_ reason I've found to stay away from them. The reasons others had cited seemed unconfirmed.


I came to the same conclusion when researching collected wood. I have oak and bog wood in my tanks now but if I ever decide to use a softwood I will just be prepared to remove and replace it once it starts to break down which can often be a couple years.


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Well, everything seems happy and stable in the 10 Gal. I am starting to work on my 20 long. Got some wood and some new rocks. The pictures are a little cloudy due to just getting done. I am thinking of doing shrimp in the 10 and just fish in the 20. That one rock sitting on the wood is to hold it down for now still wanted to float a little.


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## Plant keeper (Jan 27, 2011)

nice tank. The Anubias should not be in the gravel.. tie them to the driftwood...


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Plant keeper said:


> nice tank. The Anubias should not be in the gravel.. tie them to the driftwood...



anubias can be in the gravel as long as the rhizome is not buried.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

you 20's scape looks like some sort of moon scape. cool


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## Jeeper75 (Jun 27, 2011)

Yep, the rhizome is not buried in the sand. It will be tied to the wood once I move it to the 20.


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