# Setting up a 125 gallon planted tank for the first time I have alot of Questions!



## olichka87 (Aug 5, 2009)

i am setting up my 125 gallon again and i want to make it a low tech planted tank. 
I dont have much experience with plants, the most is when i had a 10 gallon cherry shrimp tank with some low light plants, and DIY C02 the plants and the shrimp grew, and didnt die. 


this is what i have right now. 
125 gallon tank
rena filstar XP3 canister filter, a wet/dry filter.

The light-
the light is 2x80watt shop light from home depot that i bought when i had a fish only tank. since i am broke i will be adding the 3x20Watt light strips that i have from my smaller aquariums. 

The inhabitants-
Right now i have a 40 gallon aquarium that i will break up after i get the big one going, one discus pair, one angelfish and one albino bristle nose pleco will be going in the big tank. 
I am planing of adding some live bearers like guppies, and Red cherry shrimp and maybe more discus. 


The substrate
The substrate that i bought, but i have not put in yet, is 25 lb of special kitty litter, and 50 lb of play sand. I tried looking for others but this is what i could find in Sacramento. 

Q#1-is Kitty litter ok, or is there anything else i can find in Sacramento, that wont cost allot?
Q#2 how much of the kitty litter/sand i should put in the tank? 1", 2", 3"? 
Q#3 should i add anything else in the substrate?


The plants-
these are the plants i already ordered, and should have next week. 
crypt pontederilfolia 
crypt myao
Crypt Nevillii 
Echinodorus Schlueteri 
pennywort 
dwarf sags 
corkscrew vals 
Echinodorus Rose
ludwigia arcuata 
ludwigia ovalis 
rotala indica 
marsilea minuta 
Mayaca fluviatilis 
green hygro
Microswords 
xmas moss 
ambulia
hygro 


Dosing-
this is the article i read and it explained it pretty well, but i am still a bit uneasy, about buying all the chemicals and ending up not needing them or needing something else. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fertilizers-water-parameters/21944-_dosing-regimes_.html
Q#1 considering my light, and plants that i will have will this method work for me? 
Q#2 should i double the 40~60 gal or follow the 60~80gal dosing regime?
Q#3 i heard about people putting root tabs in the roots of some plants, where can i get some and what kind?

Co2-two 2 liter bottles of DIY yeast Co2.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/89304-diy-co2.html
Q#1 will 2 bottles be enough? 
Q#2 I have not bought the diffusers, or the drop checker. I have been looking on ebay, can someone recommend a good dealer?
Q#3 do i need anything else Co2 related?



Is there anything else that i might be missing?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I wouldn't even attempt DIY CO2 on a tank that size; there's no way you'll be able to get consistent levels and it may even cause more problems than benefit.

I'm not a fan of kitty litter personally (can't stand the color or muddy texture), but I have seen some nice tanks where they used it. You might see if you can find some Soil Master Select, Turface, or Pro's Choice around- it's similar and also very cheap. I'd go for a substrate with a slope from about 2-4", lowest in the front.

If you keep the lighting at your current level you may not need to dose ferts at all. Especially once you've got the tank fully stocked.


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## olichka87 (Aug 5, 2009)

*thank you for the advice*



lauraleellbp said:


> I wouldn't even attempt DIY CO2 on a tank that size; there's no way you'll be able to get consistent levels and it may even cause more problems than benefit.
> 
> If you keep the lighting at your current level you may not need to dose ferts at all. Especially once you've got the tank fully stocked.




I cant afford the pressurized Co2, should i just go without Co2? 

Until my tank is stocked should i use any type or ferts so the plants dont die on me?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Personally, I'd just skip the CO2.

Your lighting is low enough that I don't think you need it. The ferts are a judgment call. Personally, I don't fool with them except for root tabs, but you can definitely dose if you want to- just need to keep up the water changes so they don't build up, since with the lower light, the plants won't be growing especially quickly, either.


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

skip the DIY CO2 on a tank that size. You will need many bottles and will be constantly mixing it.

I would fertilize trace and potassium, the nitrate and phosphate will come from the bioload and feedings. With the low light level, I would do it twice a week at 1/4-1/3 of the EI levels. This should prevent build up.


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## FSM (Jan 13, 2009)

You probably need more substrate, pool filter sand is about $8 for 50 pounds, larger grain than play sand, and not as dirty.


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## AlaskanDad (May 17, 2009)

I'm experiencing a lot of success in my 150g with standard garden soil under my plain 3/8" pea gravel. Pictures are here in this thread: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/low-tech-forum/87766-150g-planted-newbie-help-requested.html. 

No CO2, no additional dosing or any kind of chemical (except removing chlorine from the tap water). I wish you the best.


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## olichka87 (Aug 5, 2009)

*a little less confused*

i finally understand what "low tech" is, and i like it. no Co2 to mix, and no ferts, and i don't have to change my light. 

i already put in the 50/50 mix of kitty litter and play sand, and my water was not murky at all, i guess i washed them well it took a long time though. Q-since the substrate is new and dosent have any fish waste in there do i need to put in some sort of ferts in the gravel?

i have my discus pair in there with a angelfish and a BN pleco. 

I still don't have all my plants yet. but i did get a couple and i am keeping them in my quarantine tank right now. with the new guppies(constant supply of live food for my discus) and the new khuli loaches. Q-do plants even need to be quarantined?

in a low tech aquarium the ferts come from uneaten food and fish waste,right. and if i don't have my tank fully stocked then the plants wont have enough nutrients. Q-should i dose with flourish, 1 or 2 times a week untill my tank is fully stocked?
also there is 4 florish, the florish, then the exel the potasium and the iron do i need them all?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Well shoot, I had a response all typed out and it went "kapoof!" :icon_sad:

If you want to dose with Seachem products, they've got a recommended dosing guide on their website. If you stick with dosing a tank this large, though, you'll want to switch to dry ferts; MUCH more economical.

Since you've got the discus in there, I wouldn't worry about ferts unless your plants start showing deficiencies. Even then, my own method is very scientific- I try out plants, never dose the water column, and they make it or they don't. I stick with the ones that do. ROFL


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## olichka87 (Aug 5, 2009)

*plants...*

aw, you should have posted the responce 

i don't really want to play natural selection with the plants i spent over 70 dollars on i want them all to survive.
but you have a point, with fish and plants the sick ones end up costing us more in meds then they are worth, and then they still die. 

i did look into the dry ferts and a year supply for a 100 gallon tank would cost me around 60-70 with shipping. but then that will move me away from the low tech, and i don't have the light to supported a dosed aquarium. 


so ill just dose the flourish and see how they do, if they start dying then ill start buying more. 

do i need to quarantine the plants? and is there anything special that i need to do to make sure they survive after shipping?


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

You don't need to quarantine the plants at all. Just start planting them into the tank (doesn't even need to wait for the cycle process). Don't be alarmed if some of your plants start to melt(old leaves turn clear and die off)... It's perfectly normal; it's a process for them to adapt to your tank's specific parameters.

Hope you enjoy the new plants!


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## olichka87 (Aug 5, 2009)

*thank you...*

thank you for the plants heydude819
they are beautiful and they look awsome in my tank, much better then on the picture
very healthy, let me know if you have any more deals like that in the future


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