Back in the trenches......

[lousyweather]

welp, New Member here......I heard of this forum from a couple evil members on a totally unrelated board....a firewood burning board, if you can believe it! They will recognize my monicker from that forum......anyhow, I digress....

I am old...54 this year, and have kept aquaria in various forms since I was a young kid. Started fresh, went to marine, then reef. Then, my ex and I had 4 wonderful kids, who, as you might know, cost alot of money and time....well, OCD as I am, I stopped keeping fish/aquariums to raise kids to adulthood. Now, I have only one almost 23 year old left home, and while I dont have oodles of time, I am considering starting up a planted tank. I still have old units, a 120, 55, and a bunch of smaller units. Still have my reef stuff....ORP controllers, pH controllers, reaction chambers, canister filters, etc. (heck, I even have a water chiller!). The issue is stands are old, my metal halides are ancient, so, will likely have to build a stand and lights.....I am currently reading through this forum for the wealth of info it seems to contain.....HO florescents versus LED's, etc.....

I do have a couple questions though....

1. Where do you folks get the wide variety of plants? Yea, Anacharis and Cabomba are everywhere here, but I am pretty rural, no clubs nearby...cant be all that rare...do you guys just mail order stuff? If so, where?

2. Im pretty good with a plethora of petrified wood which I will use....used to live out west, picked up some large pieces, biggest one, about 40 lbs, they look pretty cool, but driftwood? Would like to incorporate some, but,again, where do you folks get it?

3. Floor covering. My whole home is hardwood floors. What do you folks use to protect the flooring from runs and drips? Does it make sense to incorporate a tray into the bottom of the unit? I have availability of some very heavy plastic.....has anyone done this? I am fairly handy wood-wise, will build my own base, so, am pretty flexible there...

4. Call me crazy (don't laugh!), I think I will start out by putting guppies in with plants...had an uncle who used to breed them, always held an interest there.....(Ive kept angels, cichlids, discus, etc....now I want something that mmoves around....lol)

5. I will have more questions, but want to research here more before I ask questions which have been answered prior.

Thanks for your patience in reading my tome here!

 

[irishspy]

Welcome back to the hobby! (I'm 57 and newly returned, myself.)

For flooring, I use a couple of mats I picked up on DF&S while I'm working on the tank: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14697

I'm sure you can get the same at Petco or Petsmart.

 

[tanker]

Welcome, this lady is more senior then you "Young Man"!.

1) I have some very good LFS near me that sell GREAT plants.
2) I bought my DW from my LFS, but I no longer have any. Just substrate and plants.
3) I have HW floors too. I just mop after I finish, but mostly just drips, no spills.
4) You want movers---Get a tank with multi different Danios and Tiger Barbs.
5) Will be waiting.

 

[myswtsins]

welp, New Member here......I heard of this forum from a couple evil members on a totally unrelated board....a firewood burning board, if you can believe it! They will recognize my monicker from that forum......anyhow, I digress....

I am old...54 this year, and have kept aquaria in various forms since I was a young kid. Started fresh, went to marine, then reef. Then, my ex and I had 4 wonderful kids, who, as you might know, cost alot of money and time....well, OCD as I am, I stopped keeping fish/aquariums to raise kids to adulthood. Now, I have only one almost 23 year old left home, and while I dont have oodles of time, I am considering starting up a planted tank. I still have old units, a 120, 55, and a bunch of smaller units. Still have my reef stuff....ORP controllers, pH controllers, reaction chambers, canister filters, etc. (heck, I even have a water chiller!). The issue is stands are old, my metal halides are ancient, so, will likely have to build a stand and lights.....I am currently reading through this forum for the wealth of info it seems to contain.....HO florescents versus LED's, etc.....

I do have a couple questions though....

1. Where do you folks get the wide variety of plants? Yea, Anacharis and Cabomba are everywhere here, but I am pretty rural, no clubs nearby...cant be all that rare...do you guys just mail order stuff? If so, where?

2. Im pretty good with a plethora of petrified wood which I will use....used to live out west, picked up some large pieces, biggest one, about 40 lbs, they look pretty cool, but driftwood? Would like to incorporate some, but,again, where do you folks get it?

3. Floor covering. My whole home is hardwood floors. What do you folks use to protect the flooring from runs and drips? Does it make sense to incorporate a tray into the bottom of the unit? I have availability of some very heavy plastic.....has anyone done this? I am fairly handy wood-wise, will build my own base, so, am pretty flexible there...

4. Call me crazy (don't laugh!), I think I will start out by putting guppies in with plants...had an uncle who used to breed them, always held an interest there.....(Ive kept angels, cichlids, discus, etc....now I want something that mmoves around....lol)

5. I will have more questions, but want to research here more before I ask questions which have been answered prior.

Thanks for your patience in reading my tome here!

Welcome to AC! Glad you came on over.

1. Some have good LFS near by and considering my location I should too but I don't. I order almost everything online, including plants. Honestly right now I am having some trouble getting the plants I want actually but I usually go through the classified here and at theplantedtank.net, bobstropicalplants.com and I guess that's it. For livestock I use Invertebrates by Msjinkzd.com mostly. Some people go through aquabid too, I never have myself but have been checking it out.

2. I have ordered 99% of my driftwood online too, through the same channels I mentioned. Used to be a couple good wood suppliers here, I'll see if I can find them. People also go outside and find wood they like, boil the heck out of it or bake it is the oven to "clean" it.

3. Hardwood floors here too, mostly. Never used anything to protect them, towel up any drips when done.

4. Guppies are fine to start! There are plenty of active options though too. I would suggest you plant HEAVY to begin with, this cuts down algae and it's called a "silent cycle". Basically once the plants are adjusted/established they will use the fish waste so you don't need to build your nitrogen bacteria before adding fish. Still add fish slowly though of course and give the plants some time to adjust.

5. We are here when you have any more questions.

Some questions for you!

How soon do you think you will start?
Which size tank you thinking?
Thinking low or high tech? Which usually equates to low or high maintenance. Exception is a balanced and established fully decked out high tech tank where all you have to do is refill dosers and CO2 from time to time and trim weekly.
Do you have any dosers from the reef days?

 

[lousyweather]

Welcome to AC! Glad you came on over.

1. Some have good LFS near by and considering my location I should too but I don't. I order almost everything online, including plants. Honestly right now I am having some trouble getting the plants I want actually but I usually go through the classified here and at theplantedtank.net, bobstropicalplants.com and I guess that's it. For livestock I use Invertebrates by Msjinkzd.com mostly. Some people go through aquabid too, I never have myself but have been checking it out.

2. I have ordered 99% of my driftwood online too, through the same channels I mentioned. Used to be a couple good wood suppliers here, I'll see if I can find them. People also go outside and find wood they like, boil the heck out of it or bake it is the oven to "clean" it.

3. Hardwood floors here too, mostly. Never used anything to protect them, towel up any drips when done.

4. Guppies are fine to start! There are plenty of active options though too. I would suggest you plant HEAVY to begin with, this cuts down algae and it's called a "silent cycle". Basically once the plants are adjusted/established they will use the fish waste so you don't need to build your nitrogen bacteria before adding fish. Still add fish slowly though of course and give the plants some time to adjust.

5. We are here when you have any more questions.

Some questions for you!

How soon do you think you will start?
Which size tank you thinking?
Thinking low or high tech? Which usually equates to low or high maintenance. Exception is a balanced and established fully decked out high tech tank where all you have to do is refill dosers and CO2 from time to time and trim weekly.
Do you have any dosers from the reef days?

First and foremost, Thanks for the warm welcome!

How soon will I start? Well, when I have figured out exactly what my plan is, I will start. I am kinda OCD, so until I know what I think I need to know, I wont start much....this includes tank placement, floor protection (I know, its safe, but my old reef was horrible with flooring.....a lot less plumbing here though, so, maybe less drips!)

What size tank? I am currently torn between my 55 and my 120, both idle in the basement. I want the tank upstairs where it can be seen. Also, in either case, I will build a new base and lighting setup. I am VERY interested in LED's, as with the reef, the changeout of actinic/fluo bulbs was expensive and a pain, and the metal halides were worse...used a lot of power, ran hot, so needed fans (noise)....the LED's I will be a do-it-myself, in a hood I build. I like the fact they run a long time, run cool, and don't require a ballast.

Back to size.....I like the "big or go home" idea, but realize the 55 might be a better choice for siting the unit, and, well, I am new to this as well, so, smaller should be less maintenance. (With reefs, bigger was better, as water chem changes more slowly with a larger unit).....the 120 would probably need another LED unit (3?), a bigger base and hood, but I am in the lumber biz, so no problem there. While I haven't totally decided, I'm leaning to the 55. Need to check out the tanks later and make sure all is OK with them...been in the basement awhile! Siting could be a challenge- Ive a lot of windows, but would like the tank in a prominent area of the home


Low tech or hi tech? Pft.....Hi tech, baby! Got a couple old Jenco pH/ORP controllers (no probes at the moment though! )...they worked when I put them up years ago. I'll check, maybe things have changes in 13+ years? Always into hi tech though. Inject CO2, etc. Easiest way to do this seems to be buying a 20lb bottle, having it filled at a beverage or welding outfit. I own a regulator and needle valve assembly already (all brass), 2 gauges, etc. I also have an old O2 reactor I can use to mix, DON'T own a bubble counter (cheap?).

Dosers? Gave them away years ago to a friend who need them, so, no. Also need new test kits.....cant imagine my reagents are any good for the titrations I used to do with marine. Are dosers a must? What are the mainstream brands?

I'm still agonizing over substrate, looking at 50/50 fluorite/pool filter sand, no UGF at this point.(I still have a trusty Eheim canister from the reef days!) Got rid of my powerheads though...they never lasted long in the saltwater environs of the reef.

I wont overload the tank.....I am injecting CO2, dosing ferts. Fewer fish seems best. My guppies to provide entertainment (always fun to see them breed). Maybe a few shrimp and algae critters?

While I have great petrified wood, I will likely mailorder some driftwood, and probably have to order the plants as well.

 

[myswtsins]

First and foremost, Thanks for the warm welcome!

How soon will I start? Well, when I have figured out exactly what my plan is, I will start. I am kinda OCD, so until I know what I think I need to know, I wont start much....this includes tank placement, floor protection (I know, its safe, but my old reef was horrible with flooring.....a lot less plumbing here though, so, maybe less drips!)

That's what I like to hear! Take your time, I enjoy the planning myself. Yeah not a lot of drips in my experience. I have a "sump" and DIY inline PVC CO2 reactors, no drips. But you can't count on that really.

What size tank? I am currently torn between my 55 and my 120, both idle in the basement. I want the tank upstairs where it can be seen. Also, in either case, I will build a new base and lighting setup. I am VERY interested in LED's, as with the reef, the changeout of actinic/fluo bulbs was expensive and a pain, and the metal halides were worse...used a lot of power, ran hot, so needed fans (noise)....the LED's I will be a do-it-myself, in a hood I build. I like the fact they run a long time, run cool, and don't require a ballast.

Back to size.....I like the "big or go home" idea, but realize the 55 might be a better choice for siting the unit, and, well, I am new to this as well, so, smaller should be less maintenance. (With reefs, bigger was better, as water chem changes more slowly with a larger unit).....the 120 would probably need another LED unit (3?), a bigger base and hood, but I am in the lumber biz, so no problem there. While I haven't totally decided, I'm leaning to the 55. Need to check out the tanks later and make sure all is OK with them...been in the basement awhile! Siting could be a challenge- Ive a lot of windows, but would like the tank in a prominent area of the home

Size - Is your 120 a 4ft or 5ft? Go big or go home is my ideal motto, my old house and limited space challenge that though. lol The 55 would be more manageable and cheaper for sure but that 12" front to back is very limiting with aquascaping a planted tank. This is gonna sound crazy cause you've been holding onto these tanks BUT since you are building the stands and stuff anyways I would stalk craislist for a 75g. It's a good compromise in size and that extra 6" F to B make a huge difference and it basically takes up the same amount of space as a 55 still. You could always sell the 55 or trade to make up some costs. Other wise I would go with the 120 but it's not my money and time. Honestly though time wise it wouldn't be a big difference, money...yeah but after initial cost I'd say marginally. Fitting into your home appropriately, that's another story.
LEDs - I support your DIY lights! Can't wait to see these, never ventured into DIY LEDs. One of the few things I haven't DIYed lol
Placement - Prominent area, yes! Hands down yes!

Low tech or hi tech? Pft.....Hi tech, baby! Got a couple old Jenco pH/ORP controllers (no probes at the moment though! )...they worked when I put them up years ago. I'll check, maybe things have changes in 13+ years? Always into hi tech though. Inject CO2, etc. Easiest way to do this seems to be buying a 20lb bottle, having it filled at a beverage or welding outfit. I own a regulator and needle valve assembly already (all brass), 2 gauges, etc. I also have an old O2 reactor I can use to mix, DON'T own a bubble counter (cheap?).

I figured you'd go high tech. Loving it! Fire extinguisher places are good for CO2 refills too btw. Bubble counters are cheap and you will definitely want one.

Dosers? Gave them away years ago to a friend who need them, so, no. Also need new test kits.....cant imagine my reagents are any good for the titrations I used to do with marine. Are dosers a must? What are the mainstream brands?

Dosers are certainly optional! But my next high tech tank will have a doser! hehe Otherwise daily dosing is required. Fairly recent to the market is the Jebao Doser. It is very affordable and has pretty good reviews. I have not used it yet but it is the doser I will be buying.

I'm still agonizing over substrate, looking at 50/50 fluorite/pool filter sand, no UGF at this point.(I still have a trusty Eheim canister from the reef days!) Got rid of my powerheads though...they never lasted long in the saltwater environs of the reef.

No UGF wanted in a planted tank. There are a lot of substrate options now a days. Some people swear by aquasoil. I've never used it cause I'm a cheap DIYer. Have you looked into dirted tanks? Another thing people swear by but in my mind if the soil nutrients only last 6-12 months without supplementation in a high tech setup why bother with the mess? In a high tech setup a lot of people would say you NEED a nutrient rich substrate (aquasoil, dirt). Others would say at least a high CEC substrate (flourite, eco-complete) so it can absorb nutrients to release at a later time. And others still would say that most plants prefer to get their nutrients from the water column when given the option so put some root tabs under your root feeders (which you'd be surprised how much they benefit from water column ferts too) and feel free to go with inert substrate. I'll just leave you with that info and some cheap options cause I am still on the fence with this!

High CEC - Oil-Dri (becoming hard to find, try home improvement stores), safe-T-sorb (Just got some at tractor supply) and if you can find it Turface Pro or soil master select but these both have been discontinued so you have to find them second hand.
Inert - Pool filter sand (get the good stuff though from a pool store), small grain gravel, black diamond blasting sand (tractor supply)

I recently discovered the flourite black sand and black diamond blasting sand look almost identical when wet. To cut costs you could mix the 2 together. I have not tried it though and the BDBS is heavier then the flourite so it might settle eventually.

I wont overload the tank.....I am injecting CO2, dosing ferts. Fewer fish seems best. My guppies to provide entertainment (always fun to see them breed). Maybe a few shrimp and algae critters?

While I have great petrified wood, I will likely mailorder some driftwood, and probably have to order the plants as well.

I always use a clean up crew. I like a mix of shrimp (amano are great!), snails (nerites are tops but I like brigs too cause they r pretty lol) and fish (Otos and plecos usually).
Wood - both the wood guys haven't been around for years now. You'll find something though.

 

[lousyweather]

That's what I like to hear! Take your time, I enjoy the planning myself. Yeah not a lot of drips in my experience. I have a "sump" and DIY inline PVC CO2 reactors, no drips. But you can't count on that really.


Size - Is your 120 a 4ft or 5ft? Go big or go home is my ideal motto, my old house and limited space challenge that though. lol The 55 would be more manageable and cheaper for sure but that 12" front to back is very limiting with aquascaping a planted tank. This is gonna sound crazy cause you've been holding onto these tanks BUT since you are building the stands and stuff anyways I would stalk craislist for a 75g. It's a good compromise in size and that extra 6" F to B make a huge difference and it basically takes up the same amount of space as a 55 still. You could always sell the 55 or trade to make up some costs. Other wise I would go with the 120 but it's not my money and time. Honestly though time wise it wouldn't be a big difference, money...yeah but after initial cost I'd say marginally. Fitting into your home appropriately, that's another story.
LEDs - I support your DIY lights! Can't wait to see these, never ventured into DIY LEDs. One of the few things I haven't DIYed lol
Placement - Prominent area, yes! Hands down yes!


I figured you'd go high tech. Loving it! Fire extinguisher places are good for CO2 refills too btw. Bubble counters are cheap and you will definitely want one.


Dosers are certainly optional! But my next high tech tank will have a doser! hehe Otherwise daily dosing is required. Fairly recent to the market is the Jebao Doser. It is very affordable and has pretty good reviews. I have not used it yet but it is the doser I will be buying.


No UGF wanted in a planted tank. There are a lot of substrate options now a days. Some people swear by aquasoil. I've never used it cause I'm a cheap DIYer. Have you looked into dirted tanks? Another thing people swear by but in my mind if the soil nutrients only last 6-12 months without supplementation in a high tech setup why bother with the mess? In a high tech setup a lot of people would say you NEED a nutrient rich substrate (aquasoil, dirt). Others would say at least a high CEC substrate (flourite, eco-complete) so it can absorb nutrients to release at a later time. And others still would say that most plants prefer to get their nutrients from the water column when given the option so put some root tabs under your root feeders (which you'd be surprised how much they benefit from water column ferts too) and feel free to go with inert substrate. I'll just leave you with that info and some cheap options cause I am still on the fence with this!

High CEC - Oil-Dri (becoming hard to find, try home improvement stores), safe-T-sorb (Just got some at tractor supply) and if you can find it Turface Pro or soil master select but these both have been discontinued so you have to find them second hand.
Inert - Pool filter sand (get the good stuff though from a pool store), small grain gravel, black diamond blasting sand (tractor supply)

I recently discovered the flourite black sand and black diamond blasting sand look almost identical when wet. To cut costs you could mix the 2 together. I have not tried it though and the BDBS is heavier then the flourite so it might settle eventually.


I always use a clean up crew. I like a mix of shrimp (amano are great!), snails (nerites are tops but I like brigs too cause they r pretty lol) and fish (Otos and plecos usually).
Wood - both the wood guys haven't been around for years now. You'll find something though.

I am no good at doing the quote thingy....anyhow,

SO many DIY possibilities here, myswtsins. I own a lumberyard, so a few possibilities here. We actually stock Oil-Dri and Safe-T-Sorb by the 50 lbs bag, and have many of each...the issue there is it becomes paste after a long submerge, and I cant imagine thats good for the water clarity....still looking at fluorite, but do like your blast-sand idea as well.....just not sure I want black gravel. I also sell pool sand and mason sand.....looking at a mix, I guess.....

Today I drove around and visited all 3 LPS in a 25 mile radius to my place. One guy seemed to be an arrogant elitist, so he turned me off pretty fast. Other two were better...one place was a mess, but the guy was super nice. Cant say I would buy plants from any of the three though...not a good selection, and what they had, was, well, pretty beaten and covered in algae. The "nice guy" dealer even suggested buying at aquariumplants.com....I will check that out.

I took a look at my old tanks in the basement. For the place I am thinking of putting it, it looks like the 120 is a no-go....just too long. As you mentioned with the 55, yep, it isnt as deep as I'd like, so, found a 75 online that I need to look at later in the week. I like the 18" depth though, would give more room for the aquascaping! So, will need to build a base for the 75...not a big issue, and I can tailor it to my height for easier work (I am 6'3" and it seems alot of stands are made for gnome-height folks!).....so, problem one is likely solved...75 gallon it is!

Substrate looks like fluorite/sand combo of some kind. I would rather not put in a substrate I have to tear out in a year and start all over, so maybe no real soil system....I can bury pots as well....would be cool to compare. Tabs and dosing, hopefully.

Going to have to get a dosing pump....I liked the Jebao Doser you mentioned earlier...will check more into that.

CO2 injection.....will automate it with a regulator and counter, and will likely use a digital pH meter....likely located somewhere high in the tank (I made a bracket for my old ORP controllers in the reef...worked well if a person was diligent in cleaning them).....still need the bottles, and will likely just get a regulator thats new, use my old O2 reactor as a chamber. Probably power the CO2 system with a canister pump ( I have a 2017 Eheim). Have read many pros and cons about putting the CO2 on a timer, OR getting a pH meter which can turn the CO2 on/off...still considering that....I like the idea of OFF at night.

Filtration? I would like as much of this happening in-tank. Dont really want to mess with sump systems like I had to with the reef.....they tended to be messy (for me). Maybe add another canister? I dont want to over-agitate the water and outgas my CO2.

Lighting, oh lighting. Its giving me a headache. I dont see a reason to spend hundreds on a system that will simulate storms, dawn, dusk, moonlight, etc. I want to be in the 10000 degree Kelvin range, but the lumen intensity is throwing me for a loop. Some plants need alot of light, som low light. I feel this is an issue you experts toil with as well, but is there a happy medium? Lumens per gallon type of thing. Dont even want to get into the wavelength thing yet...still researching it all. LED's can be had pretty cheaply in various sizes though...might not even need to build a hood....would allow for some cooling better than an enclosed cowl...dont wanna have to drag out my chiller...thing uses alot of power!

Found a couple driftwood places online...will use that and my petrified wood....pet. wood will be nice for terracing.

I wonder what my first big messup will be?!

 

[myswtsins]

I am no good at doing the quote thingy....anyhow,

SO many DIY possibilities here, myswtsins. I own a lumberyard, so a few possibilities here. We actually stock Oil-Dri and Safe-T-Sorb by the 50 lbs bag, and have many of each...the issue there is it becomes paste after a long submerge, and I cant imagine thats good for the water clarity....still looking at fluorite, but do like your blast-sand idea as well.....just not sure I want black gravel. I also sell pool sand and mason sand.....looking at a mix, I guess.....

Today I drove around and visited all 3 LPS in a 25 mile radius to my place. One guy seemed to be an arrogant elitist, so he turned me off pretty fast. Other two were better...one place was a mess, but the guy was super nice. Cant say I would buy plants from any of the three though...not a good selection, and what they had, was, well, pretty beaten and covered in algae. The "nice guy" dealer even suggested buying at aquariumplants.com....I will check that out.

I took a look at my old tanks in the basement. For the place I am thinking of putting it, it looks like the 120 is a no-go....just too long. As you mentioned with the 55, yep, it isnt as deep as I'd like, so, found a 75 online that I need to look at later in the week. I like the 18" depth though, would give more room for the aquascaping! So, will need to build a base for the 75...not a big issue, and I can tailor it to my height for easier work (I am 6'3" and it seems alot of stands are made for gnome-height folks!).....so, problem one is likely solved...75 gallon it is!

Substrate looks like fluorite/sand combo of some kind. I would rather not put in a substrate I have to tear out in a year and start all over, so maybe no real soil system....I can bury pots as well....would be cool to compare. Tabs and dosing, hopefully.

Going to have to get a dosing pump....I liked the Jebao Doser you mentioned earlier...will check more into that.

CO2 injection.....will automate it with a regulator and counter, and will likely use a digital pH meter....likely located somewhere high in the tank (I made a bracket for my old ORP controllers in the reef...worked well if a person was diligent in cleaning them).....still need the bottles, and will likely just get a regulator thats new, use my old O2 reactor as a chamber. Probably power the CO2 system with a canister pump ( I have a 2017 Eheim). Have read many pros and cons about putting the CO2 on a timer, OR getting a pH meter which can turn the CO2 on/off...still considering that....I like the idea of OFF at night.

Filtration? I would like as much of this happening in-tank. Dont really want to mess with sump systems like I had to with the reef.....they tended to be messy (for me). Maybe add another canister? I dont want to over-agitate the water and outgas my CO2.

Lighting, oh lighting. Its giving me a headache. I dont see a reason to spend hundreds on a system that will simulate storms, dawn, dusk, moonlight, etc. I want to be in the 10000 degree Kelvin range, but the lumen intensity is throwing me for a loop. Some plants need alot of light, som low light. I feel this is an issue you experts toil with as well, but is there a happy medium? Lumens per gallon type of thing. Dont even want to get into the wavelength thing yet...still researching it all. LED's can be had pretty cheaply in various sizes though...might not even need to build a hood....would allow for some cooling better than an enclosed cowl...dont wanna have to drag out my chiller...thing uses alot of power!

Found a couple driftwood places online...will use that and my petrified wood....pet. wood will be nice for terracing.

I wonder what my first big messup will be?!

I have had oil-dri submerged for almost 6 years and it hasn't broken down or turned to paste/mud. Have you had that happen?

Good LPS/LFS can be hard to find, at least you found a new guy! I've heard good things about aquariumplants.com, they sell substrate too BTW. The soil does not need to be removed after a year it just needs you to add root tabs after that....but still not worth it IMO.

Yay, 75! That is my favorite tank size in the "normal" size range, bigger is of course better.

I'd vote for another canister for sure, overflow with sump causes too much off gassing. I like the (now) API filstar filters a lot but if you are willing to try a knock off brand I hear great things about the SunSun filters. A 2017 might even be enough "filtration" if you had a power head or circulation pump set up to create even flow (which is important in a planted tank for the same reasons it is in a reef) and helped get any debris TO the eheim.

CO2...I used a drop checker and a solenoid set to come on 2 hours before lights on and off 2 hrs before lights off, which works for most people. I think I had a lot of problems related to inconsistent CO2 though (high pH and KH may have played a role), I think I would opt for a PH probe in the future. You thinking of doing CO2 off at night with the probe??

Lighting is forever the most complicated topic! There are no easy answers. Keeping low light plants towards the corners or in shady areas is how I find my happy medium. Also I am of the mind that medium light is usually enough to grow anything but the most light demanding plants and good consistent CO2 and balanced ferts are more critical. Tom Barr, you've probably come across his name by now, has done a lot of research and tests that show this to be accurate.

LEDs don't get very hot so a chiller certainly shouldn't be needed.

What driftwood places you find?

Oh, I'm sure you will mess something up at some point but you're well ahead of the curve at this point. You got this!

 

[lousyweather]

I have had oil-dri submerged for almost 6 years and it hasn't broken down or turned to paste/mud. Have you had that happen?

Good LPS/LFS can be hard to find, at least you found a new guy! I've heard good things about aquariumplants.com, they sell substrate too BTW. The soil does not need to be removed after a year it just needs you to add root tabs after that....but still not worth it IMO.

Yay, 75! That is my favorite tank size in the "normal" size range, bigger is of course better.

I'd vote for another canister for sure, overflow with sump causes too much off gassing. I like the (now) API filstar filters a lot but if you are willing to try a knock off brand I hear great things about the SunSun filters. A 2017 might even be enough "filtration" if you had a power head or circulation pump set up to create even flow (which is important in a planted tank for the same reasons it is in a reef) and helped get any debris TO the eheim.

CO2...I used a drop checker and a solenoid set to come on 2 hours before lights on and off 2 hrs before lights off, which works for most people. I think I had a lot of problems related to inconsistent CO2 though (high pH and KH may have played a role), I think I would opt for a PH probe in the future. You thinking of doing CO2 off at night with the probe??

Lighting is forever the most complicated topic! There are no easy answers. Keeping low light plants towards the corners or in shady areas is how I find my happy medium. Also I am of the mind that medium light is usually enough to grow anything but the most light demanding plants and good consistent CO2 and balanced ferts are more critical. Tom Barr, you've probably come across his name by now, has done a lot of research and tests that show this to be accurate.

LEDs don't get very hot so a chiller certainly shouldn't be needed.

What driftwood places you find?

Oh, I'm sure you will mess something up at some point but you're well ahead of the curve at this point. You got this!

we use oil-dri all the time to clean up oil spills (its actual useage), and when mixed with water, it seems to "paste" up. Are you using it as a main substrate, or a "mix"? maybe I am misunderstanding your useage!

Yea, want to use the canisters with a low-pickup tube to try and snag detritus....guppies breeding might be an issue there tho, but can always set up a little 10 gallon as a brood tank! I am thinking of using one canister collecting in one corner to pickup and flow into the CO2 reactor and drop back into the tank. Could always put the probe in the line to the CO2 reactor to take readings there AND use it to close down CO2 via a solenoid when the pH drops below a certain level (whatever that level is....working on it!). This way, when the CO2 uptake is lower (evening) the pH will decrease (not being used by the plants as much), and the pH controller should shut down the solenoid to a preset setpoint....just need to figure what that point is. Or, like you did, can simply timer the solenoid. The other canister simply would provide agitation and filtration from the other rear corner of the tank.

Frankly, I am likely overthinking this....too many variables at once...lol....thinking ferts, CO2, lighting, lol- ugh! But hey, Ive got time!

 

[SnakeIce]

The LEDs that put out enough light to be worth putting over a tank generate more heat than you might think. You aren't going to generate less heat with LEDs over florescent, in fact perhaps a little more heat per equivalent amount of light than high output florescent. You probably won't need a chiller, but a humidity tolerant small fan in the hood to vent some of the heat might be needed.

I'd aim for turning the water over in the tank about 10 times an hour for a heavily planted tank. The reason for this is that plants deplete the resources in a layer close to them and flow has to be high enough to overcome the boundary layer next to leaves to get nutrients to the plants. If flow is to low you can have good levels in the water but still have nutrient shortages in your plants because it isn't getting to the plant itself. Now this high flow is not an issue with losing CO2 as long as you don't splash at the surface with your returns. That is why hob filters are not recommended for high tec tanks.

Substrates in the end after you are adding water column fertilization end up about the same. However their start up ease will vary greatly. If cost is not a concern the ADA aquasoil has exellent plant growth right out of the bag. There are a few plant substrates like Flourite, eco complete, and others that can equal aquasoil, but the start up is a bit slower. Things like turface and oil dry, can perform but they are not preloaded, initial growth is harder to come by. I have used turface, flourite, and aquasoil. Stuff I've struggled with in the first two are so easy in aquasoil.

CO2. the best way to check it is to check the drop in ph because it is a weak acid when disolved in water. Because there are many acids and bases that interact in the aquarium to arrive at the ph level that the tank sits at the best way to test CO2 levels is to compare gassed out(12 hours in a shallow open container) tank water ph to tank ph. That way the only difference is the CO2 and you can ignore all the other acids and bases in the mix. One log ph difference, 8.0- 7.0 or 7.5-6.5, is 30 ppm CO2. That is your target highest level when the lights come on. The ph will rise some as the CO2 is used during the lighting period, but your target levels should be that 30ppm one log ph change when none is being used. If you are adding enough to maintain those levels you will greatly reduce any potential issues with algae.