# I thought I knew what I was doing......



## fishobsessed (Jan 1, 2013)

It's been just over a year since I got my first tank and I'm now cycling my 3rd. I LOVE planted tanks and thought that I was doing well until I started reading about Co2 , lights , fertilizer , subtrate........ Now my head is spinning. Everything I have is total basic-came-with-the-tank stuff. I'm trying to understand how to help my plants flourish (like the amazing tanks in the contests and pictures people post here) but I feel totally overwhelmed. Can someone give me some advice on where to start? I'm talking absolute basic so that a five year old can understand. I have basic gravel from the pet store. Is it too late to add in some special substrate for the plants? Any advice would be greatly appreciated


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Hi. Dont be intimidated. Only the set up is a pain but fun experience!
Steps: 
-determine your budget. 
- get a container to temporarily store your fish so you can work on your tank revamp 
-buy the supplies: substrate (base layer and soil layer, costly). Carbon dioxide system (buy a set that includes a tank. All the valves. Check valve. Solenoid. Diffuser etc). Good lighting. And fertilizers (iron. Potassium. Etc).
- hardscaping. Plan ahead to what you want your tank to look like. Get some aquarium safe rocks, Wood (manzanita. Driftwood, rosewood. Etc).
-plants (there are carpet. Forground. Mid ground and back ground plants.) different plants grows at different rates and the rate determines its suitable placement (in mid fore or back etc).

Yup.

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## fishobsessed (Jan 1, 2013)

Thanks AdobeOtoCat. "When" I start on a fourth tank , I'll be sure to use that advice. For the tanks I have now , I'm wondering what I can do. I really don't want to take them apart so I'm hoping to supplement. Can I add plant friendly subtrate to the subtrate already there? Can anyone recommend a good fertilizer? I have Plant Gro NPK 0.6-0.3-2.4. I haven't used it yet. The instructions siad that it's for "experienced hobbyists and professionals" which scared me a little. I also got it in a sale section so now I'm wondering if it's old and no good. Also , do you have to watch for levels of anything when using fertilizer? I'd hate to hurt my fish.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

You can certainly add a new subtrate to your existing one. It would work best if they were mixed. So you have to either drain your water and let your existing subtrate dry a bit first then mix. Otherwise your tank will become super muddy and kill your fish. Orrr you can drain the water and then add the subtrate on top and slight mixing. Either way. You have to drain your tank. Also put tank water back slooooowwwwlllyyy as you dont want muddy water.

try to find used ada amazonia soil from people here. It works great. Then when you decide to do it from scratch then buy new ones. (save some money for the main event)

Using dry dosing. I got mine from canadianaquatics. Check out estimative index calculator they have levels for branded items too i think.... You basically add a certain amount few times per week and then do a water change to take the excess out once per week. You are estimating how much nutrients your tank can take and then take the excess out. So as long as you keep up your weekly water changes. Then your fish will be fine. 
Some good brands are flourish. They make. Excel. Iron. Potassium. All liquid dosing with instructions.
Ferts have two categories. Macros and micros. Macros include. Potassium. Phosphate. Nitrate. Iron. Micros usually the branded ones will tell you which are the micros. I think for flourish they have flourish "trace" for trace or micro nutrients. These include. Magnesium and calcium. Etc. All in one bottle

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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

If you dont want to add new substrate or mix yours and the new stuff together you can add flourish tabs Seachem Flourish Tabs - 10 Pack. 
You place them near the roots of the plants. They last a few months and will help for sure.

It sounds like you are looking to keep it simple. Dry dosing is more work. Im not sure what your weekly cleaning routines are but if you dont want to do a water change every week than just add liquid fertz. I use the Seachem brand aswell 
SeaChem Flourish Additive - 500ml

IMO Keep to the basics if you are new. You will learn with time. All these nice tanks you are seeing online take time to come together. My planted tank took me almost 2 years to get to where I wanted it to be.


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## fishobsessed (Jan 1, 2013)

I bought some liquid Flourish today and will give that a try to start with. Thanks for you valued advice , fellow fish lovers.


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## trout (Mar 21, 2012)

When I first got into planted tanks I had plain gravel and wondered the same thing about adding plant specific substrate to regular gravel. Couldn't find much info about doing it other than draining and mixing it or replacing it all. Said to heck with it and picked up some fluval substrate and went to work. Added it by the beer cup (party cup?) one at a time after rinsing it till it was clear water. Slowly added a bagful over the course of a day with no cloudiness and no harm to fish. Granted it was when I first started so wasn't testing much, but never saw a spike or any distressed fish. Worked out great and finally saw some real plant growth as I also started mild dosing. YMMV but done properly it can be pulled off with fish in the tank.....if rinsed well....which may remove some of the good stuff.

Best thing to do is lots of reading, both books and the net to wrap the ol noggin around it all. All comes down to the balance of co2, light, and nutrients.....in proper balance to each other. Just my take however, I'm no pro either!

Good luck!


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## fishobsessed (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm glad you said it , Trout , because that's what I was thinking of trying. It sounds slow and painful but not as slow and painful as taking everything out. It also makes me determined to set up a fourth tank so that I can do it right from the beginning. I'm still doing lots of reading and my head is still swimming but I'm sure it'll get better ...... eventually. I saw the pictures of your 13 g bowfront and all I can say is WOW!!! I love it. What is in the front? I really want a "ground cover " like that. Here's a picture of my 20 g tank.


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## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

Flourish Excel is what works for me. It can melt vals, though.


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## fishobsessed (Jan 1, 2013)

TomC said:


> Flourish Excel is what works for me. It can melt vals, though.


What are vals? I'm still learning the lingo .


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

fishobsessed said:


> What are vals? I'm still learning the lingo .


Its short for Vallisneria which is a type of plant


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## trout (Mar 21, 2012)

fishobsessed said:


> I'm glad you said it , Trout , because that's what I was thinking of trying. It sounds slow and painful but not as slow and painful as taking everything out. It also makes me determined to set up a fourth tank so that I can do it right from the beginning. I'm still doing lots of reading and my head is still swimming but I'm sure it'll get better ...... eventually. I saw the pictures of your 13 g bowfront and all I can say is WOW!!! I love it. What is in the front? I really want a "ground cover " like that. Here's a picture of my 20 g tank.
> View attachment 13787


It can be done just don't use anything that will leach ammonia ie new ADA soil. The fluval stuff worked good when I tried it. Scooped with a plastic cup and rinsed until clear, then slowly submerge the cup down to the bottom (don't dump it right in) and "sprinkle" it out over the gravel. like I said your mileage may vary, it may be safer to do as others say and drain most off the water out and do it without fish in the tank. Also I don't know what it would look like mixed with the gravel you have in there. Root tabs are another option as mentioned but go easy on them if you do.

Either way you'll probably want some form of co2, be it excel or DIY. Just take it slow.

The carpet plant in those pics is HC, Hemanthius callitrichoides, aka dwarf baby tears. That tank ran off DIY co2 and minimal dosing.


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