Planted Tank: Talking about Pearling?....

[BigBoyLies]

do u use any aquarium fertilizer?any recommendation?

[usermodes]

@BigBoyLies

yes i did for this tank. Saechem Potassium + ADA Step 1 + Saechem Excel.

recoomendation? go for ADA if you have no issue with budget.

[jaitchproductions]

how do you use the CO2? thts wat nobody explains, do you have to use CO2?

[usermodes]

@jaitchproductions

you can google on how to use it. it's simple actually. or u can PM me and i'll gladly explain it to you via PM. yes, i am using co2.

[nexquiari01]

Waw nice tank....

What light use?

[usermodes]

@nexquiari01

PL Light 55w x 2

[twisto]

that's a lot of co2 being released

[usermodes]

@twisto

it was o2 to be exact, produced by the plants on that time :)

[twisto]

@usermodes i meant from the airstone. unless you're that's connected to an airpump..

[usermodes]

@twisto

yeah.. those are O2 as well. just not from the plants.. :P

[TheMysteryman334]

what is the best substrate and lighting to use for planted tanks?

[admest]

water tempreture?

[xitrumluubang]

Healthy tank 

[popeyeswife]

Hi! I am about to start a planted tank with some shrimp and what not. I was wondering how you would go about cleaning a planted aquarium? I was thinking of hairgrass and moss as carpet. Normal gravel substrate you would use a gravel vac.. so how do you get the fish poop build up out? does it settle into the soil? or does the filter get it out cause it doesnt go anywhere? thanks

also, what kind of rocks do you use? your tank looks great

[usermodes]

@popeyeswife

brother, one of the positive thing in having aquascaped tank is you dont need to worry about vaccuming ur gravel or whatsoever. dont worry and dont bother about the fish poops. heh.. :D just leave it. it will act as a 'natural' fertilizer to the tank :D

(as long you do not overstock your fishes in a cramped tank).

[Francheska7778]

@usermodes THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFO =)... I DIDN'T KNOW THAT

[usermodes]

@popeyeswife

just noticed your nickname after i posted my reply, sorry 'sis' :)

[MriBackup]

So is it better not to do a water change, cause I haven't done one in like a month and all my plants are good bot doesn't new water help them grow better?

[usermodes]

@MriBackup

IMO personally, water change is needed doesnt matter low tech or a high tech tank. just the difference is the frequency. low tech tank wil have lower frequencies of water change needed. to me, water is the most important thing for everything in the tank. u take care of the water quality and nature will take care of the living thing in there expecially faunas. new water (NOT 100%) doesnt help much on the growth but old water DO helps in algae growth as well due to accessed nutrients.

[MriBackup]

@usermodes Thanks so much!

[keyzin]

i didnt do any water change does that means that the water is not friendly for the plants? it seems that my dwarf hairgrass is growing on garden soil with rich potassium and co2 ... erm 1 question do i need other source of nutrients to have better effect ? or im just impatient because it tooks about 2-3 days for the hairgrass to spread

[usermodes]

@keyzin

heh bro, the most thing u needed in this hobby is "patience". 2-3 days u wont see any different to be honest. wait for at least 2-3 weeks and u might spot a differnet (take photos if you dont believe it). and wait for 2-3 months your tank will be an underwater savannah! :P

[Carmador]

Where did you get the Japanese hairgrass? I need some bad

[usermodes]

@Carmador

from another hobbyist that happens to grow them (not underwater).

[Supertasticaquatics]

just a tip, most "freshwater" puffers are fin nippers so be wary. Nice tank, wish i could afford a co2 setup.

[usermodes]

@Supertasticaquatics

thanks for the tips. but for some unknown reason my puffer is a very shy type and freakin dicipline fish. LOL~!!! he'll just get away from other fishes and staying alone hunting for snails. never saw it been around the other tetras. he's an antisocial type of puffer. LMAO~!!!!

[Supertasticaquatics]

@usermodes haha, yeah i've had fish with ironic personalities. they can be silly sometimes

[usermodes]

@Supertasticaquatics

then you;re one of the lucky person in this hobby. hahaha...!! :P at least there's an entertainment in the tank other than just the plants :P

[muffemod]

What substrate did you use?

[usermodes]

@muffemod

ADA Africana II

[LukasUtopia]

Quite nice

[usermodes]

@LukasUtopia

thanks :)

[ikelleners]

U never do water changes

:O?

I have trouble getting my HC nice :(

I get holes in leafes or brown spots :(

Or they die off bit, while new growth looks really nice...

[usermodes]

@ikelleners

old leaves usually have some problems to adapt with the tank condition and once the new leaves came out, it's already 'born' in the water condition and get used to grow in it. so it wont have a problem if you saw the new one healthy. just ignore those old leaves. :)

[Hillarious87]

I can't believe you have a puffer in there with those other fish. The plants look GREAT but that puffer needs to be in a species tank, or with some ottos. But puffers DO NOT do well with other fish!!!

[BusaFalconer]

@Hillarious87 another expert opinion....

[usermodes]

@Hillarious87

well, my puffer so far NEVER did any harm with other fish and all my tetras seems very fine with the existence of the puffer. honestly, i dont really believe about facts until i gave it a try. that's the way i learn in this hobby. trial-n-error and so far so good, i love my puffer more than other fishes i have.

thanks for the tips still, but i believe my eyes and my tank other than just online words because that's the way i get my fact straight.

[insanelewis21]

@Hillarious87 got a pygmy puffer in my planted tank with diamond tetra, neons, two bristle nose and a l-022

been in there so far for 2 months and the only thing i have seen him eat is all those pescy snails :D

[edmillz]

thats fucking sweet man

[yitzy100]

what kind of bulb are you using?

[chocolatepugs]

bery pritty!

[starthi]

hey man wht did u use for substrate? ( sadn, cat litter) thnks in advance!

[usermodes]

@starthi

nothing. just ADA Africana II. :)

[starthi]

@usermodes is it good? how long dose it last? do u still hav this tanks with plantsto this point?

[usermodes]

@starthi

so far it's the best :) ADA never failed you when you know what to do with them. no, I dont have this tank anymore. it have been rescaped. :)

[starthi]

@usermodes cool, do a update man i want to see it!

[starthi]

@usermodeshey i just started a planted tank, i dont have a specific light for the tank, im using the light tht the tank came with. i think its a fluorescent light( tube kind) so would this work or do i need to buy a specific light for the tank, plz respond i neeed ur help!

[9912699125]

@usermodes whats ADA?i plan to set up a planted tank,do you have to do water changes?i saw some of the planted tanks in Utube,they do not do any water changes.do you need a filter for a planted tank?

[usermodes]

@9912699125

1) ADA (Aqua Design Amano) is a brand of aquarium stuffs from lighting system until fertilizers which pioneered and advised by Takashi Amano himself.

2) Yes, Waterchange to me is a must for so many good reasons.

3) A good healthy tank will always have WC. Frequencies and amount of WC depends on the tank specs itself.

4) Yes. You always need a filter for whatever type of tank unless you dont want to have any fish or faunas in it (but still you;ll need one tho anyway IMO).

[9912699125]

@usermodes thankx alot,what is IMO btw?i thought that some ppl do not need to do water changes but still their tank is damn clean,why do you need to do when there is no need??

[usermodes]

@9912699125

IMO = In My Opinion.

An already matured planted tank requires less waterchange because the plants itself will help in making sure the water quality is good and healthy for the fishes and the good bacteria colony already matured in their filter. it's not "no waterchange" at all, just very less. Only needed if the water quality/level swings (ph mostly or due to some overdosing ferts or whatever).

[9912699125]

@usermodes i saw a utuber,he have not done any water changes for 7 months,is that okay?

[usermodes]

@9912699125

if his tank is okay, then it is okay :) but it doesnt mean it;s okay to your tank. every tank is not the same with oen and another. do some experimentation, trial n error. experience will teach u more than words. until u'll find tune for urself and by that time.... you will know what;s the best for you and your tank. :)

[9912699125]

@usermodes okay,tkx..btw,what is ur tank volume?what filter are u using??how often do u do water changes?

[usermodes]

@9912699125

im not so sure about the tank volume but im sure there's a lot of tank calculator u can use on the net. but the tank size is 1.5ft(w) x 1ft(d) x 1ft (h) with water level around 1 inch to top. this tank was just using a cheap Hang On Back (HOB) filter. WC once in 3 days during initial stage and once a week after it matured. Sometimes (when im lazy) once in one a half week. :P

[callmebigpapa]

@usermodes I haven't water changed in like 8 years. Just add water but the tank is a jungle.

[jameslong1976]

@callmebigpapa

I'm starting a tank today. You have any advice you want to pass along.? I dont want my fish to be the focal point I guess you could say.

[GazeNtheBlueHaze]

very pretty, im sure anyone that sees it falls in love

[ethansk8ter]

I don't think you need an airstone

that leads me to wonder why you use/d one

[wndebu]

I love how you divided the tank with sand/fine gravel, Great job.

[MicromashMovies]

wpg?

[Pikepik215]

wow very nice...

i love iwagumi style too

but i have never tried to make it

haha

cause i can't buy CO2 set up

and hairgrass usually need that CO2 alot haha..

[fishballs93]

thanks for your reply mate!

well, i can understand why the airstone helps with algae.. apparently some algae dies when there is alot of oxygen. eg. Blue green algae. Your tank seems to be doing very well, so i think you have reached a good balance. What sort of fertilizer do you dose?

[usermodes]

sorry for the late reply bro. the tank actually been torn down months ago in fact, for a new scape coming in. hehehe...the upper side of doing small size tank; constant rescape is not a problem :P

this tank dont really have much ferts in line. i just use seachem potassium, ADA step series and ADA green Gain. That's just it. :P

[fishballs93]

hi why do you run an airstone at the same time as your co2 diffuser? wouldnt this defeat the purpose of co2 injection?? Also its a small tank and at 3bps have you ever lost any fish?

thanks for your help im a noob too xD

[usermodes]

hi there bro. well, dun worry. im also a newbie still learning. 3bps for a tank size like that, it's kinda high. yes. but so far, i never lost any fish due to suffocations. as u can see those fish are swimming at the area they supposed to. at least they didnt go and grasp for air at the water surface.

[usermodes]

the airstone, well...one of the reason is for the fish to balance out the ecosystem when too much co2.secondly....in some way...for me it does help me to minimizing algae growth. all my tank have it. cant really sure to tell the math there but it does that for me.

hehe..well, everybody have their own way to battle algae i believe :P

[nickzz4]

haha hope so ive just planted the whole front of my 4 ft with it lol. just watching the tank then actually and one of my chocolate gouramis looks a bit scabby hope his alrite lol

[nickzz4]

awesome jap harigrass man i hope mine grows like that

[usermodes]

heh, thanks bro. jap HG israther easy actually. Im sure yours will be like that in time. in fact, they'll just keep trying to take over my HC rite now. LOL~!!!