Planting my 75 G

[JustOneMore20]

Hmm....you're right. I forgot they say 1 bucket is for 55g. It probably wouldn't be enough for a 75g.

I personally would buy some dry ferts. I buy mine from here: http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/ferts.html. I suggest getting KN03 (for nitrates), K2SO4 (for potassium), and then using either CSM+B for micro nutrients or buying Aquarium Plants trace mix or getting some regular Flourish.

He takes paypal payment. You will have to email him your order.

[dogsare4losers]

I was reading some of the reviews for the substrate and one person said it gave him 3" of substrate in his 65 G...so would I be ok with most likely 2-2.5" of substrate or do I need more?

Oh and for the ferts, he says that the KN03 is for potassium and nitrates...So do I need to use the extra potassium?

And would I be better of buying ferts online or would I probably be able to find them at my LFS?

[JustOneMore20]

2-2.5" is fine. And actually you don't need more than about 1.5" in the front. You can slope it towards the back and you should have atleast 2-2.5" there, if not 3.

I'd go for it. If they offer free shipping now, thats a heck of a deal.


You will need the extra potassium because you won't be dosing much nitrates, especially once the tank is fully stocked. And if you don't dose alot of nitrates, then you won't be getting enough potassium. With the K2SO4, you will only be using it for potassium, so you'll be able to dose enough.

I doubt you'll find dry ferts at your LFS. If you can, then that is a fabulous LFS. You may find the Seachem Flourish line there though, which are liquids. For a 75g those would be really expensive with the amounts you'd have to use. You'd go through the bottles really quick. The dry ferts, if you buy about a pound of each, should last atleast 6 months......and probably more than that. I use my dry ferts on 3 tanks and they probably last 6 months a pound, so I know yours will last longer. Plus, the dry ferts are pretty cheap.

I suggest you get a set of measuring spoons that have 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 3/4 teaspoon atleast. I have a set that I bought at Walmart for like $4-5 that goes from 1/8tsp to a tablespoon.

A good dosing regimen would be dosing your macros (potassium, nitrate) about twice a week and dosing micros (Flourish or CSM+B) twice a week on different days (micros one day, macros another).

People that inject carbon dioxide, usually dose every day, but you probably shouldn't do that. You don't want to add too many nutrients without CO2, since that could lead to algae issues.

I suggest dosing about 1/4-1/2tsp of KNO3 and about 1/2tsp of K2SO4 on the macro days. You can check your nitrates shortly after dosing that amount and see what they get to. Before you get fish, or when you have just a few fish, you'll probably need to dose more nitrates, but later on the fish should produce enough waste to raise the nitrates.

Hope that helps...I know you didn't ask for a dosing plan, but I thought I'd mention that anyways.

[dogsare4losers]

Thank you!
I will probably adibe by that.
Quick question...what are the "testers" I will need for this tank. Right now I only check nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, and pH on my other tank. So what else do I need to test?

[JustOneMore20]

You could get a phosphate test. It comes in handy sometimes. Another you might want is general hardness and carbonate hardness (GH/KH)....they come in a kit together. I think thats about it really. And you won't use those all the time, but it is helpful to have those when trying to diagnose problems.

[dogsare4losers]

Ok thanks,
What about potassium? Would I need to test it? Oh and I have lots of teaspoon/tablespoons lying around the house, don't worry.
Oh and below is the list of plants I made...Sorry to be so annoying but would it work?

2-3 bunches of ludwiga, Wisteria, Bacopa, Rotala, and Hornwort
2 sword plants
4 crypts
2 apons
9 vals
I actually prefered E. tenellus too. So I think I will get that, how much would I get if I want it to cover a large area in the front of my tank?

So is this all the plants I would need or do I need more? Oh yeah and just so you know I got the creeping rush idea from your tank.

[JustOneMore20]

Originally Posted by dogsare4losers

Ok thanks,
What about potassium? Would I need to test it? Oh and I have lots of teaspoon/tablespoons lying around the house, don't worry.
Oh and below is the list of plants I made...Sorry to be so annoying but would it work?

You won't need a potassium test. You can't really overdose it. There is a tool for calculating how much of each nutrient you are getting into the tank, here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...fertilator.php. You put in your tank size and what you are using (potassium sulfate) and then the amount and it tells you how much in ppm you are adding (and the amount you are trying for). You'll see when you put in the KNO3 as well, that you don't get in the target range for potassium with it alone. The fertilator comes in really handy. And like I said, you can't OD on potassium.....or atleast you won't have any problems if you do.

2-3 bunches of ludwiga, Wisteria, Bacopa, Rotala, and Hornwort
2 sword plants
4 crypts
2 apons
9 vals
I actually prefered E. tenellus too. So I think I will get that, how much would I get if I want it to cover a large area in the front of my tank?

So is this all the plants I would need or do I need more? Oh yeah and just so you know I got the creeping rush idea from your tank.

That list sounds good. If you want to plant it pretty heavily from the get-go, get the 3 bunches of the stem plants.

You may want to choose another type of mid-ground plant like maybe add in 3-4 more of another type of Crypt.

For the E. tenellus, I suggest getting atleast 2 pots of it, if not 3, since you have alot of space to work with in a 75g.

[dogsare4losers]

Ok I think I have a list now...
3 bunches of ludwiga, Wisteria, Bacopa, Rotala, and Hornwort
2 amazon sword plants
4 crypt undulates
2 apons
9 corkscrew vals
4 crypt walkari
Java Moss
3 pots E. tenellus

I know this is really sad...but I heard you plant a lot of plants differently...Like 4 the moss I need to attach it to something, like driftwood. And you do other plants other ways. What are some good ways to plant some of my plants? Oh and when you (jom) were talking about dosing do you do mixing w/ water or just dry dose? If I do just dry do I just drop it in or do I have to put it into the substrate?

[JustOneMore20]

Originally Posted by dogsare4losers

Ok I think I have a list now...
3 bunches of ludwiga, Wisteria, Bacopa, Rotala, and Hornwort
2 amazon sword plants
4 crypt undulates
2 apons
9 corkscrew vals
4 crypt walkari
Java Moss
3 pots E. tenellus

Sounds great! You should definitely have enough plants to start out with.

Originally Posted by dogsare4losers

I know this is really sad...but I heard you plant a lot of plants differently...Like 4 the moss I need to attach it to something, like driftwood. And you do other plants other ways. What are some good ways to plant some of my plants? Oh and when you (jom) were talking about dosing do you do mixing w/ water or just dry dose? If I do just dry do I just drop it in or do I have to put it into the substrate?

Its not sad at all.....you have to learn somewhere right? And you won't learn unless you ask questions!

Before talking about planting, I suggest you invest in some of these: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...8&pcatid=12038. I have the 10" curved ones and I must say, they are the best things I could have bought for my planted tanks.

With the stem plants (aka bunch plants) you'll want to plant a couple stems together and then make a group. They will probably come with a lead weight around each bunch. Take that off and trash it, then get 2-3 stems with your big tweezers and plant them. Repeat that step until you have a nice group going. I usually plant mine pretty close together, but its up to you.

With the swords and Crypts, I usually trim off dead/dying leaves and some of the roots if there is a ton....it makes for easier planting and they will grow back. They may not have large root systems though. Just take the end of the plant and shove it in the substrate with your tweezers. I usually plant my Crypts pretty close toegether. Don't plant them as close as the stems, since they will grow wider. You can plant the Vals the same way, but they won't grow wider, so you can plant them close together or however you want.

The Apons may come with just a bulb or they may have some growth on them....either way, just shove the bulb in the substrate.

For the moss, you are right. Tie it to some driftwood or rocks. I use fishing line, some people use thread......just depends on what you have available. Thread tends to break down eventually......and I've found it floating in the tank before. I just use the fishing line because its clear and doesn't come loose.

For the E. tenellus, separate it into small plants and plant each. You should have enough to plant them close together and start your foreground.

[dogsare4losers]

Ok thanks that will help!
Well don't think I have anymore questions for now! Well other than do I just dose dry on the ferts?

But I think I will be getting my aquarium in a few weeks! I'm SO happy I did/am doing all this research first! So I guess I will post when I have another question or when I know what/when I'm going to get what I get!!

[JustOneMore20]

Sorry! I meant to answer that question in my post above, but I got sidetracked on the planting....lol.

You can just put the dry ferts right in the tank (that's what I do) or you can mix with some tank water if you want. Either way works. Some people even mix them up in 250 or 500ml bottles, by figuring out how much to put in and then how much to dose, but sometimes it doesn't mix well and settles and you don't know how much your adding. I prefer to dose directly into the tank.

[dogsare4losers]

Haha its fine
Thanks for all your help so far jom! So like I said b4 I will be getting everything in a few weeks! I can't wait to set it up!

Oh a quick question though...for lighting my tank I'm just wondering...If I go above 10,000K in my lights would it be bad or just unnecessary? Also what would happen if you lit a freshwater tank with actinic bulbs? Like say I got this: http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Power-Compact...QQcmdZViewItem
Would it work in my aquarium? (I would either run one pair of the bulbs for only 4-5 hours a day or just not use a bulb)

[dogsare4losers]

Oh and Jom I didn't get the deal
I got beat out by a last second bid...I hate those people
Oh well I'll just have to find another...

Another question though. What if I was to get into co2. How should I go about doing this since I can't get a DIY because of the size of my tank. So how would I inject co2, or should I just not worry about it?

[JustOneMore20]

CO2 would open up more plant options. It will make plants grow faster, so you'll have to do more trimming. I love having co2 injected tanks myself, because the plants just seem healthier and I can grow about anything I want.

You'd need a co2 tank (10lb would be a good size for a 55-75g tank), a regulator, tubing, check valve (brass), and a diffuser like a glass diffuser or a powerhead or an inline reactor. You can buy co2 tanks at welding places (also refill here) or gas places in your area. Alot of places trade in tanks, so if they sell them, you should buy locally. You could buy a new tank from AquariumPlants.com (I bought mine here), but if you can't find any places to fill up without trading tanks in, then you might as well buy a used one locally.

The parts you can get from different places. I ordered all my parts from http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com. His regulators are a bit more expensive than others you can find, but they are better quality. You can sometimes find regulators on ebay (search for Milwaukee co2 regulator).

I run co2 on 3 of my tanks with 1 co2 tank (20lb). Definitely worth it, although it is expensive.

[dogsare4losers]

Ok I am interested in co2 but I don't think I'll start with it. I think I'll get into that when I am further along the line experiance wise. That brings us back to my lighting questions. I reposted them in my lighting thread. (should've posted them there orginially just 4got)

Thanks for all your help (again)!