# new to planted tanks



## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Oh thats how... 
Here is the tank before I added fish, Amazon sword is back behind the Anubias in the middle, it's just a lil small still, but it's pumping out new leaves.
And there is not CO2 injected ( and the excel is only for emergency treatment of algea) and don't know if, or when the soil will start showing deficiencies so I won't be dosing ferts anytime soon I hope...so does this still count as low tech...??


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Looks like you're off to a good start. I would recommend you get about 2-3x more plant mass in there though. Starting off with too few plants is not advised. Best of luck!


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

You say your no scientist, but that dirt sounds like it actually doesn't contain any...LOL.
Thought about using worm castings in my next tank mixed in/w the personal combo that I've concocted. In my usual (dumb A$$) manner I'm going to use dirt to cover a dirt sub/w. Miracle Grow Organic Choice Potting mix, mixed/w Laterite/Worm Castings and topped/w Miracle Grow Organic top soil. But I live in Arkansaw and many river bottoms are either all rock or covered/w rock so this will be covered/w small hand picked rocks. And my tanks typically have low volume current so shouldn't stir it up.
The fist reply was good advise on the amount of plants you have. The more of them the less likely for algae to do well.
I don't know the effectiveness of that light. But here's a catch you may run into.
If the light is high enough for the L Repens, it will likely give the Anubias trouble/w GSA
on their leaves unless they are shaded.
And...well you probably want to know...that the Amazon gets huge(22") and the
kliener bar sword (I hear) is close behind them in size. Perhaps a Rubin ?
5% have other definitions of low tech. But the rest say if you don't have injected CO2 you qualify. 
Ah, there it is..."diatomaceous earth"...there actually is some dirt in your dirt...LOL...
Your plants may fill in enough for you not to need more of them. But while they get a good start I wouldn't use any more hrs of light than what you have there.
Since you like to read, not that I think you missed anything.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...-mineralized-soil-substrate-aaron-talbot.html


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Ah yes I've spent a day skimming through that thread already, that's how I learnt how to mineralize my dirt. The bacopa has reached the top of the tank and is shading the Anubias barteri quite well, and the nana a bit. I may have to move the nana before it becomes to solidly rooted, but I was hoping the Amazon sword would fill in the massive open spot in the middle of the back of the tank and shade the nana too. The kliener bar is the only plant I have in the sand, so if it gets to big it gets pulled... Slowly, I know there will be a lot of root under it. Frankly if any plants become to unruly or unmanageable, or feel they don't look right in the tank, they will duel it out with my scissors Until they look right, or are gone and replaced


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Ok rethinking the large swords... Massive sword= massive roots... = massive trouble for little 20 gallon. Gunna figure out some replacements and swap them, maybe get some floating plants for a while too to soak up any extra nutes too.


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## dpod (Sep 16, 2014)

If you like the look of the sword's leaves, you could either use more anubias like A. afzelii or larger crypts like C. pontederiifolia. Maybe a temple plant (Hygrophylia corymbosa) would work too, or some corkscrew valisneria. The height gives you a lot of options that would usually overwhelm a 20g.


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Ok so the kliener bar will bereplaced with rosette sword, to added a pop of green against the ludwigia which is maintaining a deep auburn red colour, with a few hints of green in the less lit parts of it.

Hygrophylia corymbosa Compact will sit in the back almost where the Amazon sword was

Didiplis diandra will help fill in the back as well, figured I would give it a shot. Might have a few more requirements , butif it adjusts well to the tank it should look sexy back there in the middle 
Then I did something silly and bought 2 rare ass plants."Bucephalandra sp. Green sintang". Not cheap, but I will move/ remove the Anubias nana and let this grow over the wood. I may still run into gsa with this plant just like nana. But it is so beautiful, and I will one day grow a WHOLE LOT MORE of it in a 48" 60 gallon tank I'm planning to dirt.from what I ve read it grows a lot like Anubias, can handle very high-low light, and enjoys good water flow as it normals grows on large rocks emersed or submersed in small fast flowing tributaries
It also can shoot up multiple flowers from each plant

BTW can somebody come help me, I can't seem to remove myself from infront of this tank, plants make an aquarium so beautiful


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## Wilderman204 (Mar 5, 2015)

Alright I'm gunna go ahead and say this is deff not a low tech tank... At least not anymore. But let me give you an update. Installed a power head and moved the HOB to centre of back and turned down the flow. 
Using a black Fluval prefilter sponge on the hob and noticed it was doing ALL of the mechanical filtration, so I put one on the powerhead too, bio media and bag of oak leaves in the HOB.
I also bought a used Aquaclear 50 HOB, and a little desk lamp that goes over it. Figured with the way things are going I would try my hand at a planted HOB. I'll just swap the impeller from the 20 to keep slower flow, maybe try a planted spillway thing like I saw looking through threads today.
Anyways here's the current break down.
Plants- 
Ludwigia repens
bacopa monnieri
anubias barteri var. barteri
sagittaria subulata
Echinodorus quadricostatus
Echinodorus parviflorus tropica
Didiplis Diandra
Hygrophila corymbosa compacta 
Bucephalandra sp. green sintang
Eleocharis parvula 
Java moss 
And a Moss Ball to top it off lol

Powerhead- Cobalt aquatics MJ-400 106gph with Fluval prefilter sponge(bamboo shrimp's new best friend)
Not agitating the surface with it, but have the Venturi set to airate just a wee bit. Unfortunately the one I got was grey, even though the one on the box was black, but w/e no big d

filter- AQ 20 HOB with Fluval prefilter sponge( going to upgrade to a planted AQ50 with AQ 20 pump blade )

Lights- 24" "FluvalAqualife and Plant" LED 25w. Resting on tank rim, about 1.5" off the water. The light gives off a very full spectrum, and is very evenly distributed. It uses 312 LED diodes, with a 120* beam pattern/angle. Thats why it lights so evenly, but really makes me doubt it penetration power as that is just a WHOLE bunch of weak diodes. So that's why it's so close. Only spot with any alge to speak of so far is a tiny bit that appears on top of the "stump"But by the time the lights are on the next day it's gone. I caught 4 shrimp grazing on the top of it last night
Also have a little desk lamp with a 6400k plant cfl for the HOB when I get it goin.
Fish- 
6 Black Phantom Tetra -2 male 4 female(about an hour from pet store, and it's very cold. So some little fish get pretty stressed trying to get home. The other six are doin great and schooling and the males are picking territory.
1 gold rabbit snail( Sulawesi snail)
6 neocardinia shrimp(2 cherries, 4 chocolate)
And and Bamboo shrimp

Eheim jäger 75 heater, Temp is at73*f 

hung a Rooibos tea bag in th HOB after last water change, it's like an on switch for your fish's colours. Does give the water the slightest brown hue(not super brown like black water), I think it's more natural and don't mind it.

So obviously I don't like taking things slowly. But Im still keeping an eye on parameters and idk if it's just the frequent water changes, or plants but water parameters are still holding steady. After the planted HOB might set up a drip emitter and overflow and eliminate water changes... Is this still a good idea with plants??


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