# Advice on Setting Up Planted Tank.



## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html
That should come in handy as well as this one.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184368
The T5 chart on there uses a 4 bulb Aquaticlife fixture so you will need to estimate half of it. I'd say just over 60 PAR. The tank may survive this if you limit the hrs to 6 per day. Using a timer(Walmart $8)you can use 3 in the morning when you get up and three in the evening. Example of course.
How deep is a 37 BTW ? I base that above statement on my tank having 50 PAR and still getting algae at 7.5 hrs per day.
If you do regular water changes, some of the nutrients that your plants need will come in/w the new water. Fish food does provide some also.
Three of your plants I'm not familiar/w. I see one on there which uses more Potassium than the water changes and fish food will provide though. And the Ludwigia actually needs more light than you have to grow well/red. The Crypt may suffer from Algae on the leaves(it is a low light plant) but putting it under/against the Hygro and allowing that to shade it may work if the Hygro grows fast enough to become dense/tall.
With 6 hrs per day this may not happen. But the Ludwigia will suffer from it. I have 50 PAR and it won't grow in my tank.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

A 37 is 25.5 inches tall. And thanks for your words on the plants....  I believe Ill have to play with lamp combos too.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

At 25" you may only be at 50 PAR. I was guessing based on 20".
There are a few wizzards out there who can grow anything in anything.
But most do better just trying a variety of plants and going with those which work well in their tanks. It helps to check out some info on them first of course.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Plants are here! Will get them in and post a pic....


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Ok All. Here is a pic of the plants I put in yesterday (excuse the horrible quality). Tell me how it looks!


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Update: I added 2 Amazon swords to the tank from my nano tank. and With some great advice I have moved the java ferns from out of the substrate and attached them to the driftwood. Any other suggestions? 

I wish to hopefully start a cycle soon, but I am having a tough time finding pure ammonia around here... any other ways to do this? or after awhile will the tank eventually do it without any help? Thanks.










My Anacharis has actually already put some growth on it. and 1 more questions is it ok to start ferts (API Leaf zone), since Excel is know to melt Anacharis, right away? I read somewhere you should wait awhile but am not sure.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I wouldn't run those lights for more than 6 hrs a day for the first couple of months.
That light is very high for Crypts. The 6 hr period simulates light coming through trees and only hitting the plant so many hrs in a day because of movement of the sun.
Leaf Zone would actually be a good start as it has Potassium in it.
A plant that can act/look like a bush and grows faster is floating Hortworth.
Use some behind the wood with a rock on top of part of it to make it look that way.
It will give vertical height in the back. Doesn't harm it to trim it if it gets too high either.
The Bacopa is in a good place as it will eventually hide the filter.
Looks pretty good, well placed. Will be interesting to watch it fill in.
I think that piece of wood looks good. Still waiting to find one like it.
Have a smaller one but yours is better proportioned to the tank size.


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## Nuthatch (Jun 18, 2014)

Hi Jethro, I'm curious about your substrate. Is it Floramax original? I was wondering if you find it to be more red chunks than black, or if you think it is fairly 50/50? I need to choose a substrate for a new tank and am all hung up about the color. LOL


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Raymond S. said:


> I wouldn't run those lights for more than 6 hrs a day for the first couple of months.
> That light is very high for Crypts. The 6 hr period simulates light coming through trees and only hitting the plant so many hrs in a day because of movement of the sun.
> Leaf Zone would actually be a good start as it has Potassium in it.
> A plant that can act/look like a bush and grows faster is floating Hortworth.
> ...


Yep, light is on for 6hrs a day on a timer... Im still checking out other plant options but all seems to be fine so far... My Argentine Swords have even got some baby leaves growing and in 5 days the ergia densa has grown about 2inches. I have ordered some other Seachem ferts (trace, Iron, Potassium, and phosphorus, I believe)



Nuthatch said:


> Hi Jethro, I'm curious about your substrate. Is it Floramax original? I was wondering if you find it to be more red chunks than black, or if you think it is fairly 50/50? I need to choose a substrate for a new tank and am all hung up about the color. LOL


Its a good 50/50 mix.... I used 3 15.6lb bags in here and 2 of them were black, the original was a mistake but I like it 

Bump: I also am planning on moving the heater horizontally closer to the substrate to make it easier to hide.... I am clueless atm to stocking ideas for this tank though. The only things I know I would like to try is Dwarf Rainbows and a good clean up crew.... other than that I'm stumped. I think the cycle is causing pH swings because my tap water regularly tests 6.5ish pH and the tank tested at a 7.6ish pH last night, will be checking again tonight... My GH/KH test kit is in the mail also.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Oh! I just thought of something.... I have a already set up 20Gal, running for years now. It currently has 2 filters running in it, one has a extra square of media in it.... could I add this to the 37gal to speed up cycle or to have it ready to add fish right away? I'm thinking it'll just speed it up, but sadly I have not been able to find ammonia yet to feed any bacteria that might grow, so I have just been adding tiny pinches of some food in every night.

As far as parameters for the 37gal go:
6.8ish pH
2-4ppm NH3/NH4
5+ppm of NO2- (It looked a tad darker than the color on the test kit)
5-10ppm NO3-


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

If you have fish in the existing 20(I'm guessing you do after years?) then the filter should definitely speed up cycle.It would probably be safe to stock immediately with the same % of fish in the 20 as % of filter media taken(took 1/2 the media could probably put 1/2 the total fish right in ).
On the pH change you need to take some tap,set it aside for 24 hrs and re test.Once it outgasses you will know your true pH.
I like your set up!Nice driftwood.Looking forward to seeing this grow in.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Coralbandit said:


> If you have fish in the existing 20(I'm guessing you do after years?) then the filter should definitely speed up cycle.It would probably be safe to stock immediately with the same % of fish in the 20 as % of filter media taken(took 1/2 the media could probably put 1/2 the total fish right in ).
> On the pH change you need to take some tap,set it aside for 24 hrs and re test.Once it outgasses you will know your true pH.
> I like your set up!Nice driftwood.Looking forward to seeing this grow in.



Thank you! and thanks for the advice on the filter... wish I knew what I wanted to stock in this thing though lol


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

By stock immediately I was thinking you had 0/0/? for parameters.
Since you have ammonia and nitrItes immediate stocking is not an option(my bad sorry).
But install filter media from the 20 and then see if the 37 is all good in 24hrs.Depending on the bio load in your 20 it may get you there(0/0/?) pretty quickly.
I have set tanks up and transferred media and stocked as soon as tank was proper temp too many times to count without problems.
You should move some media and watch it.AND>>>keep researching what fish you want.
Your water looks good for most anything pending gh/kh results.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Coralbandit said:


> By stock immediately I was thinking you had 0/0/? for parameters.
> Since you have ammonia and nitrItes immediate stocking is not an option(my bad sorry).
> But install filter media from the 20 and then see if the 37 is all good in 24hrs.Depending on the bio load in your 20 it may get you there(0/0/?) pretty quickly.
> I have set tanks up and transferred media and stocked as soon as tank was proper temp too many times to count without problems.
> ...


Thanks.... My 20gal is slightly overstocked probably. 6 Harlequin Rasboras, 6 Red Minors, 5 Neons, 2 Black Skirts, and 1 cory. Ill add the filter media and keep an eye on it.


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

If that 20 runs good then the media ought to work quickly.
Overstocked tank = higher volume of BB.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Coralbandit said:


> If that 20 runs good then the media ought to work quickly.
> Overstocked tank = higher volume of BB.


Well just tested again.

pH of water set out for 24hrs... 6.8
Ammonia -> 0ppm - .25ppm so I added some. 
Nitrites way off the charts along with Nitrates.. so I'm fixing to do a wc.

I also tested GH which came out to 5.


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

No need to add ammonia or do waterchange IMO?
Give it another 24 hrs ,test and see.
Sounds like the filter processed 2-4 ppm ammonia in 24 hours?If it had zeroed out your nitrites you would be all done beside massive waterchange to get nitrAtes in safe zone.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Ok All... I think I have narrowed down some fish choices....

I was thinking:
Dwarf Rainbows
Mosquito Rasboras
Celestial Pearl Danios
Cardinal Tetras
Otos
and maybe some Corys. (shrimp/snails?)

Thoughts?


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

1 week update:










So far so good. I have had some melt back but overall I have had some growth. The Anacharis has almost grown 3-4inches. My Argentine Swords have put out new leaves and so has one of the crypts. Ty All who have helped and answered questions I have been asking


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

I have snails.... must have been in with the plants... The biggest is about 1/8th of an inch long. I know they aren't harmful, but can they be a problem? lol Like how fast do they multiply? I can't get a good pic on my phone since they are so small.


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## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

They will multiply like crazy if you overfeed. Otherwise, most snails are not a problem. I am assuming you have some sort of pond snail?

And yeah, the crypts often melt as a reaction to major disruption (usually relocation). It's just what they do. They'll look miserable for a couple of weeks and then bounce back.


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## Jethro702 (Jul 18, 2014)

Aquarist_Fist said:


> They will multiply like crazy if you overfeed. Otherwise, most snails are not a problem. I am assuming you have some sort of pond snail?
> 
> And yeah, the crypts often melt as a reaction to major disruption (usually relocation). It's just what they do. They'll look miserable for a couple of weeks and then bounce back.


I have no clue what type of snail.... guess they might have snuck in with the plants I bought. My crypts are kinda sad looking but I do have a new leaf on one so yay me!


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