# New 20 gallon tank, question on lighting



## zonamav (Feb 27, 2004)

Do you have walgreens where you are? They carry clear ammonia in the cleaning area. CVS may also if you have those. I've also even found it in some grocery stores in the cleaning area.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I checked Walgreens, nothing without surfactants. I checked every store I could think of. I guess it wouldn't be necessary, I'd just have to wait longer.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I also thought I'd get this for plants, would 12 be too many in a low tech 20 gallon tank?
http://www.aquariumplants.com/12_Plant_Assortment_Hardy_Low_Light_p/ashll.htm
I plan on two Dwarf Gourami's, 10 Harlequin Rasbora's, a few Cory's, and maybe a Mystery Snail later on.
Thanks again for any help.


----------



## LeonBright (Jun 20, 2012)

Dwarf gouramis don't get along too well together :< You might want to just get one instead.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I'm hoping to get a female as well and hope that helps. Thanks for the input. I haven't seen any females around town yet though, but it will be a while before I add any fish.


----------



## aquatic serenity (May 24, 2011)

as for bacteria....national fish pharmacy has a product called AQUA gold...I use it to cycle all my tanks...just add this powder...then add fish 24-36 hrs later...no waiting & no fish deaths unless you overstock...it also inhibits nuisance algae for the first few weeks while the plants establish themselves...

scroll down products page for aqua gold :

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/products.html


----------



## Dulkred (Jun 25, 2012)

Having recently been on the quest for ammonia myself, I was finally able to find pure ammonia at ACE Hardware.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Dulkred said:


> Having recently been on the quest for ammonia myself, I was finally able to find pure ammonia at ACE Hardware.


Yup, there it was, didn't think of looking there. Thanks everybody. No opinions on the lighting?


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you have just one bulb on, two layers of fiberglass window screen (gray works) will reduce the light down to an appropriate level for a non-CO2 tank.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Thanks so much Hoppy! That's what I needed to know. Which bulb should I leave on, the 5000k or 6500k?


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

The 6,500 k is going to look better because it will have a little more blue, IMO.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Would three or four layers with both lights on be an option? The color seems so much more full with them both on. It sure would be nice to have one of those meters.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I ordered that plant assortment, and am thinking of adding 2/3 RO water to 1/3 100 PPM hard, 8.2 PH tap water. Any thoughts on this? I'll add water tomorrow depending on what information I get. Thanks everybody!


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Wannaberooted said:


> Would three or four layers with both lights on be an option? The color seems so much more full with them both on. It sure would be nice to have one of those meters.


http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=179789 You can make your own PAR meter pretty cheaply, with enough accuracy to be useful.

It should work ok with 4 layers of that screen, and both bulbs on. But, you will be wasting 7/8 of the light.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

If you can use your tap water as is, you will find it much easier to maintain the tank and avoid sudden changes in hardness that can harm the fish. If you buy your fish locally it is extremely probable that the LFS has them acclimated to the local tap water.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

So 6 degrees hardness and 8.2 PH isn't too far out of whack for the fish and the plants?


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I didn't think they'd ship the plants so fast but they did, I'll get them tomorrow. I'll go with tap water then, as it will sure make it easier to keep everything stable. Thanks a lot Hoppy, your work here on this forum is invaluable to newbies like me wanting to get into plants.


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

8.2 is pretty high for pH, you might be able to lower it some with driftwood.

A pair of gouramis should be fine, they may even spawn. I would not recommend two males though.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

The PH was 8 when I filled the aquarium last night. I also added 3PPM ammonia, Stresszyme, and Aquasafe that came with my aquarium kit.

The water was clear of silt from the Flourite when I got home from work, but was cloudy white. Could that be the bacteria bloom already? 

The plants came this morning at work, but I didn't plant them until just now. My main priority was to just get them in the water after their plane ride, as after I planted a couple I couldn't see anything anymore. I planted the rooted ones first being careful to just get the roots in. Then it came to the bunched ones with no roots and a metal band around them. The website said to remove the band and remove dead stuff. I had to bunch them back up again with the band to be able to keep them down. Is that how you do it until they develop roots or whatever they do? After I can see again tomorrow I'll probably rearrange them a little. There's plants everywhere.









The plants came in great shape and looked way better than the ones at Petco they keep in water. Some are quite big, all the way to the top of the aquarium already. I think I recognize a few of them from pictures. I'm pretty sure they gave me more than 12 plants as well. A great deal compared to Eau Claire, even with the 30 dollar shipping overnight. 

I'll post a picture when the water clears up a bit.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Ammonia down to 1 PPM, PH is still 8, and no detected nitrites.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Here it is with the 6500K light on, and the water cleared up. I have to move a couple plants and cloud it back up again.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Stem plants are sold in bunches, sometimes with a metal band around the stems, but it far better to plant them as individual stems, spacing them an inch or so apart. Use long tweezers to poke the stems as far down as you can, preferably at a small angle. That way they won't float back out. And, they will get light to all stems, all leaves. Planted in bunches, the middle plants usually die.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Thanks, Hoppy. That makes sense. I'll go try to find a long tweezers tomorrow, as I had no success with my fingers. So they grow roots eventually then?


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

After moving a few plants around and the dust almost settled, here's a picture. I think I have ID'ed an Anubias Gigantea, two Lace Java Ferns, and two bunches of Ambulia. I have a few various forceps, heat shrink plastic insulation, and soft foam rubber. I might be able to design a tool for planting.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

PH is 8.0, ammonia was down to .5 so I added some to get to 5 PPM, and no nitrites yet. Temperature has been a constant 78.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

I also lightly brushed the silt off the leaves, and everything just seemed to open up after the transplant and ammonia feed. I take that as a good sign.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

Here's the planting tool I made. I took some foam rubber from a foam paint brush (unused) and cut strips to fit inside the insulation. I then heat shrunk the insulation around the foreceps and foam. It worked pretty sweet and had a light touch.







It took me about three hours to plant about fifty stems, with plenty of breaks as it was hard on the back. The tool didn't cause too much silt, but I did have to move some rooted plants and raised some. Not bad though, it will be clear by morning.







So, I think I'm done with the plants. I don't dare move anything, it would probably cause a chain reaction of floating plants. I guess now just continue the cycling. I have a detection of nitrites, but it's less than .25 PPM. Ammonia is down to 4 PPM.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

A little more settled. The filter has quite a bit of silt on it, should I rinse it out in a bucket with non-clorinated water before the bacteria colonizes it, or should I just leave it be? The filter seems to be flowing just fine still.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

All cleared up, and the plants all look healthy so far. Nitrites are at 1 PPM, ammonia is down to about 2 PPM. Hardness down to 4 degrees, and PH is 7.9 now.

It all seems to be going well. Thanks again everyone for your help.


----------



## Wannaberooted (Jun 24, 2012)

The tank is cycled, and the fish are in. I lost a few plants, but still have a good amount. Leaving the stem plants in bundles too long probably killed them is my best guess.








Three Peppered Cory's, they are cool.








I went with one Dwarf Gourami, he is cool too, and very colorful.








10 Harlequin Rasboras, very active and mostly hang out together.








A full aquarium view. The Cabomba is growing well, and the Cryptocoryne in the front is growing new leaves. Some of the Needle Leaf needs to get trimmed of some rot and replanted. The tops are growing roots, but the stems are gone. Again probably from being bundled too long. The Temple plants are almost all gone, but a couple are hanging in there.


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Looking good!


----------

