Calling Simpte.....

[ron v]

Did you see the box of plants SueM is putting in the auction for Sunday??? I would really like to have an aquarium with healthy growing plants. I go through this every once in a while, with the same results.. Dead plants. I am willing to go with CO2, expensive lights... Whatever I need. I'm not looking for fancy plants, just a nice assortment that will do well in my fish room. I have several tanks that are 4' in length. 33 long, 40 long and 55 standard. My normal set-up is a standard 4' shoplight over each tank. which would provide 80w. I could easly hang two of those over a 55 gal tank ( 160w ). I also have some flourite. I have been using Phillips Daylight Delux tubes ( 6500K). Let's, what else... My water is PH 6.8, Gh 3, KH 1, TDS 60ppm.
So guide me through this. What else do you need to know? Tell me what plants I should get and how many. What other equipment? Suppliments. Oh yeah, I have some fertilizer stuff I've never opened. Seachem Flourish ( nitrogen), Flourish (Phosphorus) and Flourish (Iron).
Simpte, you could be my new hero....

[Georgia Peach]

I know IM not Simpte but yeah, that box of plants rocks! I would love to have live plants but cannot afford all the extras that they require.

[craftyflalady]

Ron,

To be honest, looks like you got just about everything covered to plant some plants! Do you plan on using DIY CO2? if you do, I can help you will a recipe and walk you though that.

As far as plants go, Sue package would really be a great starter package. So you just might want to consider bidding on that.

As far as using shop lites they work great. You are just going to have to see if you need more light, add the extra lite. It also depends on how far the light is from the top of the tank too. Mine hangs about 2" about the glass tops. I have to remove the light to work on the tank.

Any other questions feel free to ask. That is all I can think of at the moment. Planted tanks are the best! But they do require a little more upkeep. But the pleasure I get from mine are well worth it.

Hope I helped some,
Kathy

[Damon]

DIY CO2 will be very ineffective in a 55 gallon tank. I also wouldn't put 160 watts over a 55 gallon tank without Pressurized CO2. I would use the 2x40 and use 1 bulb in the second. If you find you can grow Sue's pkg you can always add the second bulb later and go Pressurized Co2. For now, Flourish Excel should be plenty......................

First start with a good substrate. Laterite/sand works but you will find them mixing after a period of time with replanting and cleanings. Foreground plants may also have a difficult time in sand. 55 gallons can be expensive to add subastrate to but it doesn't have to be...................

There are many products which will work well and not even dent your wallet.
Turface is one of them. ITs used on baseball diamonds as a drying agent but is nothing but calcinied clay (which means it has plenty of iron and a high cec. We'll get more into cec later.....)
The only problem with turface is availability in a color you may or may not want. The standard is reddish (like laterite) and some don't like it. It will run about $13.00 for a 50lb bag which is more than enough for a 3 inch depth.
Soilmaster is a little better as it is a bit smaller but has the same aspects. Will cost you a few dollars more (~$16.00/50lb bag).

Turface can be found @ most landscaping companies (though usually not at a Lowes or home depot). Soilmaster can be found through your local Lesco distributor. http://www.lesco.com/ Keep in mind that your local company may or may not carry it and may charge you shipping to order it so be alert. Our local didn't but we had a group order and bout 2000Lbs. (Seems like a lot but not really when you consider we used it on 20 55gallon or larger tanks.)
After you get your substrate, the next thing to do is read. There are many plants that will thrive in your setup of lighting. Foreground plants will include dwarf sag, dwarf harigrass, and aquatic clover. You will be limited in red plants but A reineckii will grow well and is very red. Stem plants for the background are very easy.................. Midground will be your main focus of research. While I don't like the pics on plantgeek's site, I do like the way you can search by different needs (light, placement etc...) Have a look there.
Water hardness will not be a factor for your setup. 90-95% of plants in the hobby will grow in tapwater. The few that don't require co2 and high light and are still difficult to grow. Stay away from downoi to start with. Also stay away from moss balls (cladoraphora), duckweed, salvinia, and bladderworts. For now an all in one fert should do you like Tropica's Mastergrow (*my favorite) or flourish. Later we'll get into Macros and micros and where to get them.
Everything else you already know. Regular matainence (just like fish only tanks) is it. If I didn't cover something in this brief post (like planting techniques and aquascaping feel free to ask.

[ron v]

I already have Fluorite for substrate. Is that OK. And I have the Flourish products mentioned in my original post. Is that OK? If so, I guess I have everything I need! Now I'll just wait for Sunday and see if I can get Sue's box!!!!

[Damon]

Flourite works well (a little dusty if you are not careful filling the tank). That should be all you need. Gowing plants is not hard as long as you are prepared in the beginning. I comapre it to starting a salt tank. Proper setup will save you many, many headaches in the near future. You'll probably go through a diatom phase which is normal. PLANT HEAVY OR DO NOT PLANT AT ALL!!! There is no way around it. Plant plants you do not want to keep if need be. Buy cheap ones if you don't have enough. You can remove them as you get ones you do want. Have you thought of your stocking ideas? If planted heavy, you could start off with 10-12 schooling fish with no ill advers effects (like rummynose or bloodfins or even neons or cardinals). If you have not added the flourite to the tank yet, I would add a dusting of peat to the bottom, followed by filter squeezings. Just take some polyfiber or sponge from an established tank (I know you have those) and squeeze it directly over the dusting of peat. Be sure to get some good mulm (the gunk we vacuum out of the gravel). Thats where the good bacteria is. Just as good as bio-spira. Then add your flourite. Fill to submerge the gravel but no more. Plant and fill all the way up slowly. I like to change 20% of the water right then to remove some of the dust floating and top off from there. If you use the peat use sphagnum (spelling). It runs about $5.00 for a bag that will setup more than 5000 gallons of tank This is the one I use. Used it on 2 55 gallon and 1 75 gallon tanks and havent dented it yet.


You don't need a lot. You don't even want to cover the bottom. Just a dusting.

[ron v]

OK folks, I have continued this, with photos, in a new thread "Plant experiment". All of the beautiful plants I got from sueM are dying. What do I need to do?