# Starting a 29-55 gal- where to start?!



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Welcome, glad to have you!

Actually, after tank size (go with bigger!!!) the next most important decision is lighting. How much and what kind will dramatically determine the direction your tank takes in plants, CO2, ferts, etc.

Your first decision is whether you want 1) a low-light, low-maintenance, slow-growth tank or 2) a high-light, high maintenance, fast growth tank. Your plant selection will depend largely on your lighting.

If this is your first planted tank, I would recommend going with the first option and set up a low-light tank. Low light would mean that you would look for a light fixture that will give you approximately 1-2 watts per gallon. T5 light fixutures are the top of the line, and excellent lights, but Compact Fluorescents are also very good and usually a little more cost-effective.

You always have the option to upgrade you lighting and add CO2 later- IMO it's a good idea to master the basics before you start adding more complexities to your tank light balancing out fert regimes and CO2 dosing that come along with high-light tanks. But of course, that's up to you.

Again, seeing as this is your first tank, a substrate like Fluorite or Eco Complete would be a great choice. If you get Fluorite, be sure to wash and dry it thoroughly before use- it can get really messy otherwise.

Canister filters are pretty universally accepted as one of the best filters. In order, Eheims, Fluvals and Renas are the best. HOB filters are great filters and IMO are the most bang for the buck, but should not be used if you plan on dosing the tank with CO2.

There are alot of people who use DIY CO2, and it is definitely much cheaper, but the best results come with consistency, and pressurized CO2 is therefore the more costly way to go but produces the best plant growth with least algae. If you stay under 2 watts per gallon with your lighting, however, CO2 is not necessary.

Keep the questions coming! :thumbsup:


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

I guess this counts as my first planted tank. I do have a minibow 5 that has 2 really short swords(unknown) and a couple chunks of java fern with a CT Betta and a female albino cory. She recently spewed eggs everywhere lol.

Is there a middle ground- medium light, medium growth, medium maintenance?
I would LOVE to have a massive tank(150 plus), but space and parents don't allow that lol. 
T5's are the small circumference bulbs, right? 
I am planning on using a glass versa-top, so having lotsa light isn't a problem at all.
I basically want an attractive( I know they tend to have the uglies sometimes- don't we all?), fairly easy, enjoyable tank.
I love to garden outside, but my dogs and goats have other plans for the gardens. I figured they can't dig and munch on inside aquatic lol.
For the most part, this planted is a trial and error with basic knowledge thing, isn't it?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Unfortunately there is not much middle ground- finding the balance between the lighting, CO2, and ferts and still outcompeting algae is actually even harder in a mid-light tank than in either of the other extremes.

Yes T5 are the small circumferance fluorescent tubes.

Hey you've joined this forum, so you'll actually get to benefit from everyone else's knowledge and experience in addition to your own- so that's much more of a head start than I ever had! Trust me, I've learned almost EVERYTHING the hard way!! :icon_roll LOL


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

That's how I learn best- by mistakes.
I can prolly convince the parentals that a 55 is not much bigger than a 29. Or just not tell them lol. Once it has water in it, I'm not emptying it out!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I love my 46gal bowfront, and it's not that much bigger in length than a 29...


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

I don't really like the looks of the bows really. Also, the standards are less expensive then bows/waves, which is a big factor. College student budget...


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

LOL Been there 4 sure! I should have bought Taco Bell stock when I was doing my undergrad- I swear my friends and I increased their sales like 1000%...

And don't even get me started about Krispy Kreme!


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

No Taco Bells really close, about 30 minutes away. I've lost some weight when the local one closed...

But generally its plants the fish?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yes- it makes it easier to plant if you don't have to worry about burying fish, plus plants make the tank cycle more quickly. Actually, if you plant heavily enough, you can avoid needing to cycle the tank at all.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

Okay. 
So do I just plant them in the substrate and walk away or what? This is what I'm not getting lol.
The most readily available plants are(sorry, only common names lol):
onion plant
corkscrew val.
green and white accorus
red ludwegia
anubius
wisteria
money wort
scarlet temple
assorted potted plants- usually a mix of grasses/swords/hydrophilia(s)
java fern
green mondo grass
cabomba(both green and brownish-purle)
frill(both green and a reddish one)
anarachas
hornwort
swords(assorted)
wow, inventory lol. I can even tell you how many we have lol.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Most of those plants are low light plants; which means that they should grow slowly but OK in <2wpg tanks. 

You don't want mondo grass- that's not an aquatic plant. It will grow fine immersed with its roots wet, but eventually rot and die if completely submerged.

I have no idea what "frill" or "accorus" might be? Which would make me suspect they also are not an aquatic.

Just about any of the rest of those should be fine. You will want lots of wisteria and hygro, especially at the beginning until the rest of the plants have time to establish- those to plants are nutrient hogs and will really help you keep down the algae.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

Frills are myiro something lol. Aha! Myriophyllum
And the acorus is not an aquatic really, but I've managed fine for a year of so with a betta, so I dunno lol.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

OK aka "Parrot's Feather"


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

It's one of my favorites!
I like the cabomba as well, but it seems to "shed" a lot. The plants are healthy and growing, so what's with that?
Luckily my store has a huge plant tank. I want to take it home lol.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Stem plants need to be trimmed regularly and the tops replanted. The bottoms typically shed leaves, and caboma is definitely one of the ones that shed the worst (stuff makes a wreck in HOB filter intakes, too! LOL)

In a planted tank, it's usually b/c the lower parts are blocked from light.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

Dwarf hairgrass is a pretty good foreground cover, correct? And it gets seeded 3-5 pieces every cubic inch? How fast would that fill?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yes it is a good groundcover, but typically needs high lighting plus CO2 to grow well- most carpeting plants actually are not low light plants.

How long it would take very much depends on lighting, CO2 and fertilization... so it's very hard to say?

I personally only run low-light tanks (don't like to fuss with all the ferts, equipment and cost of CO2) and so I use pygmy chain sword (Echinodorus tenellus) as a carpet. Slow-growing, but i like the natural grass look.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

I'll look into that! Thanks so much. 
Do you know of any good books on planted tanks?
Now I'm off to bed, I have big plans for tomorrow....


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

There's a very recent thread over in the General Planted Tanks forum that answers that very question- excellent list of books.

Nite! :thumbsup:


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## ccattie (Feb 6, 2008)

There is a Tacobell 10 minutes away in Smyrna.
-c


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

You may wanna start by reading this

http://rexgrigg.com/

It will give you a basic understanding of planted tanks. If you have already read it then disregard.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

Lol, did you two hunt me down just because I'm from DE?
And I certainly know about the Taco Bell, I go there once a week with the boyfriend. I just wish the Dover one would come back 
I haven't read that, but now I certainly will! Right now I don't think I have the funds to buy the tank and all the stuff, so I might just go with a fishie-only tank and then later upgrade. We'll see how cheaply I can get a tank tho. There were several in the DoverPost, so we'll see. 
Any of those tanks your's?


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

try here for a tank

http://delaware.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=fish+tank&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

AubLaw said:


> Lol, did you two hunt me down just because I'm from DE?


Lol, :hihi: I saw the title and started reading. Thought I would chime in with some good info.



AubLaw said:


> Any of those tanks your's?


Are you referring to my profile pics? If so that is my 55g planted. Also posted a few pics of the underside of the tank.


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## Aubzilla (Mar 2, 2008)

I was talking about the tanks in the paper Brian, not your profile pictures.
And I've looked on craigslist. I'm actually on there everyday. Most of the tanks listed are already sold or pending pick up. One of the 55gallons on there is pretty gross, the add was not very accurate. That, and none of the stuff matches. Cherry stand, black tank and oak lights. I have a thing with matching lol.


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

AubLaw said:


> I was talking about the tanks in the paper Brian, not your profile pictures.
> And I've looked on craigslist. I'm actually on there everyday. Most of the tanks listed are already sold or pending pick up. One of the 55gallons on there is pretty gross, the add was not very accurate. That, and none of the stuff matches. Cherry stand, black tank and oak lights. I have a thing with matching lol.


Oh, sorry about that.


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