First, many thanks to OldFishLady, for all of her help and advice in How to: Natural Planted tank
Before Christmas, I decided to take the plunge and put together my first planted tank. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave it alone, so I timed it so that everything was assembled shortly before we started travelling and then it sat for 7 days. Since I was new at this and because I was worried about burning my plants, I only had the light on for about 10hrs a day.
Water Params
In the entire time the tank has been set up, I've never had any measurable amount of ammonia or NO3. Once, I had an NO2 reading of .25ppm
pH has pretty consistently been about 7.5.
Currently, there's a giant rock in the middle of the tank holding the driftwood down, that I hope to eventually remove.
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Date Started 12/21/12
Lighting Coralife Aqualight T5 30" (6700K / 6700K)
Substrate Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix / Pool Filter Sand
[Stem plants]
Hygrophilia difformis (wisteria)
Egeria najas (narrow leaf elodea)
Rotala rotundifolia
[Rosette plants]
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne crispatula
Echinodorus tenellus (pygmy chain sword)
Echinodrous parviflorus (dwarf rosette sword)
[Floating plants]
Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite)
Cladophora aegagropila (marimo ball)
Salvinia Minima (water spangles)
Microsorium pteropus (java fern - windelov)
Taxiphyllum barbieri (java moss)
Before Christmas, I decided to take the plunge and put together my first planted tank. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave it alone, so I timed it so that everything was assembled shortly before we started travelling and then it sat for 7 days. Since I was new at this and because I was worried about burning my plants, I only had the light on for about 10hrs a day.
Water Params
In the entire time the tank has been set up, I've never had any measurable amount of ammonia or NO3. Once, I had an NO2 reading of .25ppm
pH has pretty consistently been about 7.5.
Currently, there's a giant rock in the middle of the tank holding the driftwood down, that I hope to eventually remove.
-------------------
Date Started 12/21/12
Lighting Coralife Aqualight T5 30" (6700K / 6700K)
Substrate Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix / Pool Filter Sand
[Stem plants]
Hygrophilia difformis (wisteria)
Egeria najas (narrow leaf elodea)
Rotala rotundifolia
[Rosette plants]
Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne crispatula
Echinodorus tenellus (pygmy chain sword)
Echinodrous parviflorus (dwarf rosette sword)
[Floating plants]
Ceratopteris thalictroides (water sprite)
Cladophora aegagropila (marimo ball)
Salvinia Minima (water spangles)
Microsorium pteropus (java fern - windelov)
Taxiphyllum barbieri (java moss)