# Brand new to this whole thing



## nicoga3000 (Jan 26, 2012)

Hi all!

So I'm very excited because I'm setting up my first tank tomorrow/Wednesday. The filter and heater should be here tomorrow, so if that goes as planned, I'll be able to get started!

Here's what I have so far:

55 gallon standard dimension tank


Steel frame I had built at work in our fab shop


The heater and filter are:

Elite Submersible Preset Heater, 300W
AquaClear 70 Power Filter

I over-sized both of them for various reasons. The main reason for the heater though, is because my apartment is naturally colder. I felt this was a fair option (and the price was right for both).

In the next day or two, though, I need to get a few more things. Hopefully, I can get some input! I should note, I'm doing a mid-heavy planted tank.

1) *Substrate.* I've heard a LOT of pros and cons for a lot of different substrates. Some say you need to fertilize, add root tabs, wash, do nothing, etc. The thing is, I am clueless as to what all this even leads to/what it's for. My concern is rescaping at a later date and making sure my plants don't die!

2) *Plants and floor plants.* I really like the look of a tank that has a floor covering most of the tank. A nice green lush look adds SO much to it. I don't really know what I'm looking for and how to begin with it, though. The same can be said for the mid-tall plants that I'd like to use. What should I look for in plants, and equally as important, where do I FIND plants? Is it common for pet stores to carry them, or is there some sort of specialty store to look out for?

3) * Decor.* I want to add larger rocks and driftwood to my tank as well. I also wouldn't mind doing some gravel substrate to offset the darker "soil" type. Regarding rocks and driftwood, what sort of prep work must I do in order to not damage my tank? Can plants grow on the driftwood as it comes naturally, or do I need to prepare it accordingly?

And if I want to add an additional substrate for effect, is there anything special I need to do, or can I just pour it where I'd like it?

4) *Water. * I'm in an apartment, so I have no hose. But what kind of water would I need to use to fill my tank? I know it seems SO trivial, but I really have no idea how to do this effectively and safely for my tank.

What sort of treatment do I need to use on my water? Is there testing information around, level monitoring, etc.?

Also, regarding water, I've heard about cycling my water. While the concept makes sense, does this just involve emptying a percentage of the water in my tank and simply replacing it with new water? Do I need to do something special with treating it/mixing it with other water? And is the purpose of this just to keep the chemicals in balance?

5) *A more creative question*...But do I plant the plants after the water is in, or before I begin filling? And is there a special "practice" on handling and placing plants so I don't injure them?

6) *Fish. * I know it sounds like I care more about the plants (which honestly is the main reason I'm getting into this!), but I want to stock SOME fish at first. I was thinking some basic tetras or guppies. Are they safe to stock after a few days, or do I need to wait for anything? Also, feeding...I sometimes go out of town for 2-3 days (only every 2-3 weeks), but how do I ensure that my fish aren't dead when I return? And should I leave the lights on the entire time I'm gone, or will that be overkill?

I know all of this is VERY newbie and beginner, but I've been doing research for about a week straight, and I seem to be having TONS of issues finding answers to some of the most basic questions for someone like myself! *Any* help, references, resources, etc anyone can point me to is welcome. I really want to learn and truly understand my tank. It's not just about the final outcome for me, it's about the process and the connection I have with what I'm doing (as corny as that sounds!).

Hopefully the wall of text didn't scare too many people away. Thank you again for the help! I'll definitely post pictures as it all comes together!


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## fyns (Dec 22, 2011)

that is alot of questions, and the reason you have so many questions is because; there are many methods that work.

as far as substrate is concerned; you said you may want rescape in the future. i would not recommend a soil base or any layered method at all. it gets messy. it can be done, of course. eco complete substrate is quite good.

as for plants; we need to know what lighting is involved. it looks like you diy. i would like to know what bulbs you are running, and if the ballast is running those bulbs at their full potential. i would also like to know about your reflector, is it diy? is there one on each bulb? the light dictates the type of plants you can grow.
in saying that, you made no mention of co2. again, dependant on your light will dictate the plants you can grow. 
source for plants; lfs, but the best place is this forum 

decor. i don't recommend setting rocks directly on the glass. use some kind of buffer... plastic light diffuse aka. egg crate (home depot) is common. there are other methods...
growing plants on driftwood is simple... moss: you want to tie it down with fishing line, or thread, stems... not sure... likely a similar procedure...

water... you will want to test your water, see what it's natural balance is. you will need to de chlorinate it with a product sold in lfs (stay away from products that remove heavy metals) 
you seem to be confused with cycling a tank, and water changes.
cycling a tank is the process in which you develop the nitrifying bacterial colony that converts ammonia in to usable, and mostly harmless nitrate (no3 used by plants). there are many ways to do this, and are on the forum here.

water changes are used to keep balance in the aquarium. there are many practices in regards to this. if your tank is in balance, and everything is healthy, and not adding fertz or chemicals, they are unnecessary. however, even if everything is in balance, but you are doing fertz, or adding chemicals ( lets say: to adjust ph, for instance) your tds will constantly rise. in a case like this, water changes are necessary to lower your tds ( total dissolved solids)

you can plant the plants whenever you want lol it is easier to plant with little water, but without a hose or a pump it will be hard to add the water w/o disturbing everything. typically tweezers are used to plant, about 12 " long....

live stock.... you can use some cheap, hearty fish to cycle the tank if u want, but expect casualties. when u go away for a few days, most fish will be ok, especially if they are herbavors/omnivores. if they are starving they can eat some of the softer plants you have. i have left my angel and bow shark for over a week. they did a number on my java moss, but they were fine.

put the lights on a timer.


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## nicoga3000 (Jan 26, 2012)

Here's my lighting setup:

Light fixture
T8 Bulbs

As for substrate, I initially looked at Eco Complete, but a few people said it wasn't worth it and that it lacked key plant nutrients. Is this true?

I plan to get a CO2 system in the nearer future, but I want to get everything else in place before I spend the money on a setup. 

I've read about the cycling procedure and the Nitrogen cycle. It seems slightly complex, but not something I can't wrap my head around eventually! It's obvious I'm lacking some very basic knowledge on water and what's "safe" for plants and fish, so that's something I need to read up on (but not sure WHERE to find a nice beginners guide at...).

The fertilizers, tabs, chemicals, etc are things I'm very worried about. I think part of the reason I'm so cautious is that I don't want to spend all this time and money to find myself with a completely dead tank. Talk about discouraging! I want to go into this with a good amount of knowledge so that if something DOES go wrong, I can at least begin to formulate ideas as to why and how to fix it in the future!

I can pick up a reasonably cheap timer from Lowe's, so I'll try and got here after work tomorrow. Is there an amount of time I should keep light on my plants? I have read around 10-12 hours, but I'm going to guess that's very depending on the types of plants I'm growing.

Thanks for the help and starting points - it's definitely getting me more excited the more I learn!


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Nicoga, the best way to cycle your tank is found here http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8458 and it guarantees


> about 3 weeks start to finish.


If you are thinking of a low to medium planted tank, eco complete is great. I have used it and I cannot find any flaws. Of course, you will still need to add liquid fertilizers for the plants. Look into the Seachem line of products. Most people used them.

As for plants you the easy to grow ones like ferns, anubias, cabomba, valisneria, moss until you get used to taking care of them. Then you can start having more demanding ones. As for plants for your driftwood, besides moss, you can put anubias and java fern. It gives a very pleasant look.

For rocks, to choose the good ones, poor some vinegar on them. If you do not see any bubbles then it's good for the tank. Most stone selling stores (landscaping &such) will points you in the right direction. Fish stores usually charge you much more for the same stone.


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## fly4awhiteguy (Dec 27, 2011)

a couple of ideas..


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## malajulinka (Mar 29, 2008)

Honestly? Get a testing kit. I *thought* I understood the nitrogen cycle the first time I set up an aquarium, until one of my mollies got pop-eye a week into the tank. Then I bought a test kit, and my nitrites were crazy-high - obviously, my tank was just then cycling and it was the ammonia spike that had made him sick. Just running your tank for a week or two doesn't cycle it, and there's no way to know it's done unless you're testing the water.

Otherwise, good luck! I've had a ten-gallon tetra tank going for a few years, but just set up my first planted (also 10-gallon) and am looking to get my current tetras upgraded to a 33-gallon once I've (slowly - a little bit per paycheque!) accumulated all of the accoutrements. Good luck!


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Honestly, I'd recommend you shelve the montrous 55 gallons for now and buy a 10 - 20 gallon tank to toy with. Maybe in 1/2 a year when you are confortable and ready for a challenge, then fire up that 55 gallons tank with a pre-plan scape and understanding what you want out of your 55 gallons. This is also a very good way for you to experiment with the kind of substrate you'd like to go with. Check out AI : http://www.aquainspiration.com/ (it's on Kennedy near Steeles)
There are lots of different types of substrate, we all have our own preferences. And eco-complete is ok. It's just that there are better products now (ADA). 
Anyway going back to your setup. As a beginner, there is no way you can get away with a 55 gallon planted tank. You'll be spending %80 of your time fighting off one problem after another instead of planning how to make your tank look better.
If it's a planted tank, you get the benefit of not having to worry about cycling your tank because there is really nothing to kill off. No disease to worry about. (well ... until you add the fish in). So go fishless for the first 2 months and then add fish; a few at a time, once you are ok with the way your plants are developing. By that time, your tank should be semi-cycled because of the plants you introduce. What you need to do to reach this point is to make weekly water changes with tab water. Make sure you dechlorinate your tab water every time you make a water change. ...
Anyway, too many things to say ... here are the things you need to understand.
1) how to make water changes and why you need to dechlorinate your tank.
2) how to cycle a tank (in your case, how to cycle a tank with plants).
3) understanding lighting requirement for plants.
4) understanding what type of substrate you want to use for your plants.
5) what type of plants do you want to use?
6) fertilizers for plants

Edit: Opps, I forgot: how to plant plants: 



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## nicoga3000 (Jan 26, 2012)

Thanks for the tips.

I think the thing I'm mostly confused about now (after spending all evening doing more research!) is the chemical balance and fertilizing of the plants. The youtube video that fly4awhiteguy posted was great, but there was a LOT of chemical additives and such that I didn't know/think I needed to add to a nutrient rich substrate.


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## parrot5 (Jan 6, 2007)

I'd keep it simple for a while. I just started my first tank about a month ago. No ferts no soil, just treated tap water and light. My low-light-friendly plants are growing to the top of the tank, while the others are growing slower, but not dying. 

Adding chemicals for a beginner (like me) would be more prone to trouble. Heard people with hard-to-control different types of algaes? Sudden half-a-tank deaths? The simpler it is, the easier to balance for beginners. My two cents.


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