# First post & New 38 gallon tank



## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

What kind of lighting? PAR data? Co2? Fert regime? These are the standard questions people will ask when you put something like this up.


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Don't have par data but am using glo light T5ho 24watt 6500K bulb plus Current USA LED (23 watts) . Dosing with liquid ferts... Per the beginner charts on Seachem website. No CO2


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

Java moss, Java fern, anubias, crypts, those would all be good in low-light


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Pictures 





































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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Can anyone help me identify the plant in the last photo. It's been driving me crazy. 

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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Current has several light fixtures and so it would help to know a model number or
name that may be on the box it came in. 
Unless you may want to grow them till they're too big and then trade them in to the store for store credit, the two Amazons will get too big for that size tank.
But in a year and a half perhaps.


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

What fish do you have? I see some otos, nerites, and a flame dwarf gourami - the dwarf gourami can be SUPER nasty so beware


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Raymond S. said:


> Current has several light fixtures and so it would help to know a model number or
> name that may be on the box it came in.
> Unless you may want to grow them till they're too big and then trade them in to the store for store credit, the two Amazons will get too big for that size tank.
> But in a year and a half perhaps.


5150 model... It was more for marine... But it just kinda fell into our laps. As for the swords... We are just muddling our way through right now. The swords showed up because 12 yr old girl says they are a must for angelfish... Catch my drift. [emoji6] Just trying to keep her interested right now. 

David P


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

sohankpatel said:


> What fish do you have? I see some otos, nerites, and a flame dwarf gourami - the dwarf gourami can be SUPER nasty so beware


Hatchetfish, cory cats(peppered, albino, bandit, steri) , gourami (powdered blue, gold, dwarf, dwarf flame), otos, nerites (tiger, zebra, horned, black racers) 

The gourami have each staked out a little piece of tank except for the gold. He just motors where ever. There's not alot of flashing or flaring going on between them so I'll just count that as being lucky so far. 

Oh forgot to mention the rescue fish. The biggest Black skirt tetra ever. He's about 6 years old. He's just a little bigger than the Flame gourami. 










David P


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Trying to get a better idea of how much light you have to better suggest plants.
Must be an older out of production model fixture.
New number series doesn't go over 4000 range.


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

I misread that model number last night. It is a 4101.

http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GFTNG3S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

I have been through the posted low light plant sticky. What do most of you use to carpet with?

I just learned that Dwarf Sag is not so dwarf when mature......

Also thinking about ordering some plants tomorrow. Should I just stick with the background stuff first?


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## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

An easy carpet plant would be something like Java moss, you can tie it to flat rocks/slate pieces. When it comes time to trim, remove the rocks from the tank, do the haircut thing, then return to the tank. 

I find it useful to do up several rocks, different diameters, then you can move them around until you figure out where you want them placed. 

Super gluing moss also works. 

Stainless steel mesh also works as the anchor piece instead of rocks (although you can find rocks for free:wink2.


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

That T5HO light alone could be too much light for the little plant mass you have and slow growing plants at that. May I suggest filling that tank with some fast growing stem plants to get some plant mass such as Water Wisteria or a fast growing fern like Water Sprite. Add some floating plants to cut down the intensity of the light such as Pennywort. May I also suggest you read into Estimative Index with dry fertilizers. I switched from liquid fertilizers to dry and it was one of the best things I ever did. Plants grow much better and dry fertilizers are way cheaper. Also Angel fish being a Cichlid are sometimes harsh on plants. I had to get rid of mine because he was eating all the new growth on my plants. He was even eating the Christmas moss, which I found odd.


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Jcstank said:


> That T5HO light alone could be too much light for the little plant mass you have and slow growing plants at that. May I suggest filling that tank with some fast growing stem plants to get some plant mass such as Water Wisteria or a fast growing fern like Water Sprite. Add some floating plants to cut down the intensity of the light such as Pennywort. May I also suggest you read into Estimative Index with dry fertilizers. I switched from liquid fertilizers to dry and it was one of the best things I ever did. Plants grow much better and dry fertilizers are way cheaper. Also Angel fish being a Cichlid are sometimes harsh on plants. I had to get rid of mine because he was eating all the new growth on my plants. He was even eating the Christmas moss, which I found odd.


I found out I have a phosphate problem today, so plants will have to wait until next Wednesday. I have a phos-zorb bag in now. 

I have pennywort, hornwort, and luwigeia (sp) on the list for next week. 
Going to plant the pennywort in the front left corner and the hornwort in circular hole behind the big piece of mopani wood. 

We will start on the dry ferts after we use up our liquids. 

David P


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Daisy Mae said:


> An easy carpet plant would be something like Java moss, you can tie it to flat rocks/slate pieces. When it comes time to trim, remove the rocks from the tank, do the haircut thing, then return to the tank.
> 
> I find it useful to do up several rocks, different diameters, then you can move them around until you figure out where you want them placed.
> 
> ...


I like the Java moss. I was looking at it today. I really like the dwarf baby tears too, but I would have to start them out of the tank first. Has anyone done them in low light tanks? 

David P


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

High phosphate should not be an issue and contrary to what many believe does not cause more algae by itself. If you are using water conditioners/buffers such as API proper PH that are phosphate based than the phosphate will naturally be high and those buffers are not good for planted aquariums according to API. Some of them will say on the bottle that they are not recommended for planted tanks. An alternative to the phosphate based buffers are carbonate base buffers such as Seachem Alkaline buffer or Acid buffer depending on the KH of your water source. Doing water changes is a better way to lower excess nutrients assuming your water supply is low to begin with.


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## scboy70 (Nov 1, 2015)

Phosphate problem came from the first substrate which was a very fine sand. (Never use CaribSea Super Naturals Moonlight Sand) It choked the plant roots and they became decomposed/decayed. I mean they were super stinky! We changed the substrate out about 1 1/2 weeks ago to Eco-complete. 70% of the original water was reused in the tank, so hence the problem traveled over. The only ferts/chems used have been Seachem products (no API stuff). Seachem Acid Buffer during the week after the substrate change to get the PH down from the Eco-complete startup.

Our water is well water with about 6.6-6.7 PH, and 0% Phosphates. It is on the soft side to.


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