just bought a 29 gallon tank... help me choose what to buy

[l burke l]

gotcha... ok now that I have all my supplies coming to get the tank started im going to start looking at some plants. would this be a good way to start... http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...46&pcatid=2146 in the 30 gallon package? Also should I start the fishless cycle with the plants in or should I wait a week or so and then add them?

and I am also seeing that adding iron and nitrogen in a liquid form might help, but I will be eco-complete substrate so im not sure if I should invest in that?

sorry for all the newb questions once again lol

[JustOneMore20]

That plant package would be ok. I would worry about the Microsword and Cabomba not doing well (they'd thrive with more light than you'll have).

I would suggest picking out some plants from this list: http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_...=1&filter_by=4. It is pretty accurate. You can also look at the low light and medium-low categories too.

If you know you are going to buy online, then you could pick a site and order that way. If you will be buying locally, then I suggest you see what is available first.

http://www.aquariumplants.com
http://www.aquabotanic.com
http://www.aquariumgarden.com

^^Those are all good sites to order from.

If you are going fishless with cycling, I wouldn't put the plants in. Really high ammonia levels can lead to algae issues if you run the higher wattage light fixture. I suggest fully planting the tank and adding fish slowly....called a silent cycle. You will likely not see ammonia or nitrite readings, or see very low amounts.

Depending on your stocking level, adding nitrogen might be beneficial. If you have enough fish, the nitrates should stay high enough to satisfy the plants. A micro nutrient mix like regular Flourish would be beneficial. It contains iron. I wouldn't add just iron....you can have algae issues quick, since its more potent than what is in Flourish. Another nutrient to dose is Potassium. For now, Flourish and Potassium are the only ones I'd suggest. You can buy both of these liquids at lfs. They are made by Seachem.

[l burke l]

http://www.aquabotanicstore.com/Hard...p/passort1.htm im thinking this might be a better package Kristen. thanks once again for the helpful links

[JustOneMore20]

That one is a winner for sure. All those plants would grow nicely in your lighting.

If you like my idea of the silent cycle, then I would suggest buying more stem plants in addition to that package.

Here are some options that would work:
Bacopa caroliniana
Rotala indica (actually rotundifolia)

Those are the only 2 that I know would grow well under 65w. Others may do ok, but I'd hate for them to die on ya. I would get atleast a bunch of each, if you like them.....maybe even 2 bunches in addition to that package.

Ludwigia repens might grow ok. It won't be as red as in that pic, but it should grow (and be green), if you like that one.

[l burke l]

wow that ludwigia repens looks amazing... if it grew that red I would def buy that.

ok so let me get this strait... would this be the silent cycle you speak of?

letting the tank start cycling with nothing in it... add all plants during cycle and then slowly adding fish?

im just really confused as to the order... should I wait till the nitrite are completely gone and then add the plants... then as the nitrate goes up to around 20 slowly add fish... this sure is confusing

[JustOneMore20]

Sorry to confuse you.

You are basically cycling with fish during a silent cycle. But, plants (especially fast growing stem plants) take in ammonia. If you started with a handful of fish (stock slowly), the ammonia would be relatively low to begin with. The plants would then take in this ammonia and make the tank safe for those fish (so you aren't exposing them to ammonia, since the plants use it). Its called "silent" because if you have enough plants, you likely won't get any ammonia or nitrite readings. If you get any at all, they will be very low. Then you add a few more fish a couple weeks later....slowly building up the bioload and increasing the ammonia in the tank (bioload will eventually be able to handle any extra that the plants don't take in). Hornwort and Wisteria (in that package) are both great nutrient hogs, including ammonia.

I did this with my first planted tank, the 55g. I put a bunch of stem plants in the tank (tons of Wisteria) and started with 6 Head and Tailight tetras. Looking back, I would have chosen something that I liked better. I could have given those to the LFS, but you get no credit around here. I added 5-6 more fish a couple weeks later and did this every 2 weeks until I was fully stocked. I never once got an ammonia or nitrite reading and eventually started getting readings of nitrates (meaning I cycled).

Also, Eco Complete supposedly has some good bacteria in it (reason it comes in packed in liquid). Not sure how true that is, but it can only help you.


I don't advocate a harsh fishy cycle, so I wouldn't mention the silent cycle if I didn't know it would work. The key is to have enough stem plants to take in the ammonia. You can always do water changes if you do have ammonia and/or nitrites over 1ppm, but this is not likely.


If you do a fishless cycle (using pure ammonia or a prawn), then I don't suggest you put the plants in yet. Yes, they will take in some ammonia, but the ammonia levels get so high during these cycles that you risk feeding an algae farm because it will be more than the plants can handle.

[l burke l]

Sounds like a great idea, since I can get some fish right away then. So would mean that I could literally fill my tank up with water, get the filter and heater running for a couple hours and then I could just add my plants followed by fish in the same day? When I bought my master test kit from the local fish store the girl there sounded very educated and recommend me a bottle of cycle (this stuff: http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=...ccode=FSHNXTAG) should I be using that in a silent cycle?

Im getting so close to finally setting everything up and will def post pics when I have everything finished

[akangelfood]

I'd be careful mixing the barbs with an angelfish. They're very active and slightly nippy. Though this may be reduced by having a large enough school of them, you might still end up seeing some fin nipping gong on. Angel fins are so tempting! I also second the coment someone else made....Serpae tetras are awesome, but not with an angelfish.

Best of luck on your new tank!

[l burke l]

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