# First planted tank, Journal



## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

SO
this is my first real planted tank, i wanted to keep a good journal of it here!!

trying plain potting soil topped with black gravel. moved over my cycle form my ten gallon.

Plants:
Dwarf baby tears,Dwarf hair grass, Riccia fluitans, Steurogyne repens, baby tears, 
Crypt wendi sp green, Rotala rotundafolia (sp pink) Clover fern, Java fern, Anbias and i tiny bit of java moss. (may have missed a plant or two) Edit: Like the brazilian pennywort!
Also as a note, most plants were purchased off of JimmyJam

Livestock:
3 black skirt Tetra
3 Rummy nose Tetra
3 Forest halfbeak
2 lizard larch
1 rabbit snail

Day 1, Freshly planted no livestock









Day 2! Stocked with the fish,went to purchase a heater and could resist. i already enjoy feeding the half beaks blood worms with tweezers. they eat the flakes but seem to like the blood worms much better. water has cleared up nicely!










some plants are floating for the half beaks benefit.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Day 4! moves the log a bit and rearranged a plant in that corner. switched heaters from the 10 gallon into this one as the small heater was not doing that good of a job , small one is now in the ten gal. @0 gallon is now heated to my likings.










Decided iam going to be looking for some killifish to add to my tank in the near future!


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

if anyone is curious about the lighting
the lighting that came with the hood really sucked so i rigged one of my hydroponics grow lights up in the hood


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I hope you don't use the bulbs that came with the light, they give off a lot of heat and mess up the colour.

Nice work using the t5ho


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

no, i only left the bulbs in there so i would not lose them LOL. in a house with 16 cats and 3 dogs there is the chance of things getting lost of broken, i figured that would be the best place to 'store' them, they are not even plugged in.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

What kind of CO2 setup are you using? H.C and other plants you have are going to require CO2 in order to survive, especially the dwarf baby tears.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

none at the moment TPM, but ive been researching the DIY co2 kits (with the three bottles, hoses and such), going to be starting one of thoose up once i get all the supplies wich should not take too long, also will pick up some fluval flurish (i think thats what its call?)

Iam trying to stick to the most cost effective way to run the tank.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

Honestly the most cost effective way is going to be pressurized CO2. DIY CO2 gives you a very inconsistent bubble count and also gives you no way of turning it off at night when the plants aren't using CO2. I would suggest looking into getting a pressurized CO2 system. I know you have a small tank so a large system isn't necessary. Angelfins sell's the fluvial pressurized CO2 kit for 25$ which can VERY EASILY be rigged up to a paintball canister which will last you a few months.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

25$ is a good price! ill have to look into that! once my Back account is not so depleted i shall pick on up.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> 25$ is a good price! ill have to look into that! once my Back account is not so depleted i shall pick on up.


Once you get all the fittings and tubing necessary to convert it to fit to a paintball it may end up costing you $50 but either way you cannot get a cheaper pressurized CO2 system IMO.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Is there a guide around to show me how I can convert it?


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

Yeah there is one on TPT (The planted tank). I'm sure if you google "Fluval CO2 paintball" something will some up. I've seen the thread before and used it so I know it exists.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Fantastic, will do!


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Did a water small water change today, maybe about 10-15% as nitrates were not at the desired ppm.

Added two Killiefish (golden wonder) male and (hopefully) female.

Lots of new growth, snipped the dwarf hairgrass shorter to hopefully make it fuller. Crasy root growth on the Rotala rotundifolia


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

two weeks in, i may be loseing the dwarf baby tears though they seemed to have perked up since added the Excel florish (carbon) till i can get a co2 unit. looks like a tiny bit of the hair grass has died so i will be getting that dead bit out. everything else seems happy and healthy! LOTs of new growth! ive added the (what i think is an amazon sword) from the other tank only to find out is was three separate plants! so i stuck them in the back.

Also, as a bonus, a beautiful close up of my male Golden wonder Killifish


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Update: Pulled out the dwarf baby tears as they just melted away. Trimmed the Rotala rotundafolia and planted the cuttings to make it fuller. Again, LOTS of new growth. Just did a 50% water change as nitrates were yet again up. pondering if its the soil spiking the nitrates up but will keep a close eye on them.
Thinking of picking up 1-2 mini water lettuce for my surface dwellers.
Plan on picking up the supplies i need for the co2 this week as i am getting my first pay


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> Update: Pulled out the dwarf baby tears as they just melted away. Trimmed the Rotala rotundafolia and planted the cuttings to make it fuller. Again, LOTS of new growth. Just did a 50% water change as nitrates were yet again up. pondering if its the soil spiking the nitrates up but will keep a close eye on them.
> Thinking of picking up 1-2 mini water lettuce for my surface dwellers.
> Plan on picking up the supplies i need for the co2 this week as i am getting my first pay


Nice, what kinda CO2 setup are you going for? That should help things out quite a bit


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Likely the DIY method you told me about


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> Likely the DIY method you told me about


Good stuff, the paintball CO2 will ease you into how pressurized CO2 works and prepare you for a bigger/better system down the line.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

mystery plant 









Has grown crazy since i put it in!in the past week it has sent out three new leaves!

here is a picture of it now









any ID on it?


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> mystery plant
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Appears to be Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green but it appears to be melting? It should be a lush green


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

the plant in the center? its not melting at all, the bottom leaves look a little dull and ratty, hey were like that when i got it but it has sent up three new leaves?. it was in the bargain bin so i was not complaining as she kinda tossed it in my bag for free (got it originally for the ten gallon before deciding to toss it in here) and it has had a huge jump in growth since i did. the two tall leaves you see in the center of the picture are a p[art of it as well.

If you are talking about the plant to the left of the picture, yes, that cutting seems to have failed and ive taken it out today as it seemed to have completely melted away since this picture.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> the plant in the center? its not melting at all, the bottom leaves look a little dull and ratty, hey were like that when i got it but it has sent up three new leaves?. it was in the bargain bin so i was not complaining as she kinda tossed it in my bag for free (got it originally for the ten gallon before deciding to toss it in here) and it has had a huge jump in growth since i did. the two tall leaves you see in the center of the picture are a p[art of it as well.
> 
> If you are talking about the plant to the left of the picture, yes, that cutting seems to have failed and ive taken it out today as it seemed to have completely melted away since this picture.


The plant I've circled and put arrows around. It's definitely a Crypt but it shouldn't be yellowing unless the lighting from the picture has made it appear that way? The second picture I attached is the same plant, if healthy it should be green like that. How recently did you get it? Crypt's usually go through a melting period before they begin to show signs of progress after being moved.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Maybe a month or so, it sat in the ten gallon and did nothing for about two weeks so I moved it into the 20 and it perqued right up after aroubd a week and a bit. Those two biggest leaved popped up within two days of each other.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

tpm iam just wondering if you know that the second picture is the SAME plant, just at todays date, so it has gotten much better.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> tpm iam just wondering if you know that the second picture is the SAME plant, just at todays date, so it has gotten much better.


Which picture are you referring too?


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

There are two pictures at the top of this page, both are of the same plant.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> There are two pictures at the top of this page, both are of the same plant.


Oh the second picture is from my 20 Gallon, but yes I believe that is the same plant, it is Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Yes, they are the same plant just at two different stages, when I first got it and after it recoverd.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Ok honestly, iam a little pissed off. i purchased a fluval mini co2 set up and it would NOT work, would not fill the container in the tank. wasted an entire canister of co2 (20 g) trying to get it to work. now i have to go purchase another canister to try again. if it fails again iam going to be mighty pissed.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> Ok honestly, iam a little pissed off. i purchased a fluval mini co2 set up and it would NOT work, would not fill the container in the tank. wasted an entire canister of co2 (20 g) trying to get it to work. now i have to go purchase another canister to try again. if it fails again iam going to be mighty pissed.


Are you sure that everything is connected properly? also isn't the CO2 cylinder for the fluvial min 88g not 20g? regardless, if the entire canister emptied out on you then you should have heard it leaking? did you do a soapy water test?


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Yes, it was connected right, I followed the instructions. It was not just a leak it all came out at once (mind you, that was me struggling to see if maybe I threaded it on backwards) but it would not release the co2 into the container even with the valve open.and yes, its 20g marked on the itty bitty canister.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

keltera said:


> Yes, it was connected right, I followed the instructions. It was not just a leak it all came out at once (mind you, that was me struggling to see if maybe I threaded it on backwards) but it would not release the co2 into the container even with the valve open.and yes, its 20g marked on the itty bitty canister.


It couldn't have been connected right if it all leaked out at once, it's possible you didn't thread it properly or maybe something wasn't put together right. Where did it all leak out from exactly? that'll tell you where the leak is..


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

as i said before, it was NOT a leak. i UNSCREWED it. thinking maybe i threaded it wrong. but no, it may be the valve itself now releasing the co2. iam going to canadian tire today to purchase a 12oz container and a different valve.


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

here is a video of my 20 gallon


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

it was the end valve that was the problem, i purchased a new kit at big als and will be rturning the old one to pjs for a refund! the new one works perfectly fine!

Yay! my tank now has co2!


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

Likely going to redo the layout of the tank today! i got a large piece of driftwood i boiled for bout two hours or more yesterday. since many of the little plants (baby tears, hair grass) just kinda melted and vanished i will try a new layout since it looks kinda messy right now.


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## Reckon (Mar 6, 2013)

Carpet plants (with exception of the really slow growing ones, ie. bucephandras) is probably the hardest to grow. I know it took me a couple tries to get it right. 

Key indicators for healthy plants: 
Appropriate substrate
GH/KH
Enough light to substrate level
CO2 - some amount
Nutrients in the water column
Fish that don't pull out the carpet (In the past cories were to digging up my HC)


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## keltera (Feb 15, 2014)

its been awhile since i last posted here, lets get an update.

Its been completely redesigned.
i currently have two species of kilifish (a pair of each) two panda loaches, two vampire shrimp, six dwarf rainbows and two halfbeaks. the heater is on a rather low setting.


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